JP5735161B1 - Coating apparatus and method for improving the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a coating apparatus that has a function of transferring an object to be coated and can save space for the equipment, and that does not cause an increase in cost when the equipment is moved by changing the layout of the equipment, etc. Provide an improved method. A moving body having a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid and a substrate placed on a table are relatively moved so that the coating liquid discharged from the nozzle is applied to the substrate. A support arm 10 that is a coating apparatus 1 and transfers a table to a table while supporting a substrate is provided on the moving body. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention provides a coating apparatus that has a function of transferring an object to be coated and can save space for the equipment, and that does not cause an increase in cost even when the equipment is moved by changing the layout of the equipment. It is related with the improvement method.

  For example, Patent Document 1 is known as an application apparatus that applies an application liquid to an application object while a nozzle for applying the application liquid and an application object move relatively. The “coating apparatus and coating method, and color filter manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method” of Patent Document 1 are arranged such that the applicator having a discharge port for discharging the coating liquid is moved to the coating position of the substrate held on the table. In a coating method for forming a coating film on a substrate surface by discharging a coating solution from a coating device, the table can hold a plurality of substrates without overlapping each other, and any substrate holding position on the table While the coating film is formed on the substrate placed on the substrate, the substrate is discharged and / or placed at another substrate holding position.

  In particular, transfer devices (robots) that carry substrates into and out of the tables are installed upstream and downstream in the substrate transport direction with respect to the base on which the tables are installed.

JP 2002-102771 A

  In the background art, a coating device and a transfer device such as a robot that carries in and out a substrate are separately installed. For this reason, the wide space which can install both a coating device and a transfer apparatus was required. In addition, when changing the layout of equipment or moving equipment, there is a possibility that the coating device and the transfer device cannot be installed at a desired position because the space of the factory is small, etc. In the case where the substrate cannot be carried into and out of the coating apparatus using the apparatus, a transfer apparatus must be newly purchased or manufactured, resulting in an increase in cost.

  The present invention was devised in view of the above-described conventional problems, and has a function of transferring an object to be coated, which can save space for the equipment, and can be relocated by changing the layout of the equipment. It is another object of the present invention to provide a coating apparatus that does not cause an increase in cost and a method for improving the same.

In the coating apparatus according to the present invention, a nozzle unit having a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid and a coating object placed on a table are relatively moved, and the coating liquid discharged from the nozzle is applied to the coating object. A coating apparatus for coating, wherein the table includes lift pins that can move up and down while supporting a coating target, and a support arm that supports the coating target and moves to the table is provided in the nozzle unit. The support arm enters the lower part of the object to be applied that has been lifted by the lift pin, and supports the object by lowering the lift pin, and the lift pin is lifted to raise the support arm. The object to be applied is lifted and supported by the coating object .

The support arm is horizontally between a support position capable of supporting the application target supported by the lift pin and a retreat position retracted from the application target supported by the lift pin, with the vertical axis as a center. The nozzle unit is slidable in the width direction or slidable in the width direction of the nozzle unit, and is slid between the support position and the retracted position .

  The improvement method of the coating device according to the present invention is such that a nozzle unit having a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid and a coating object placed on a table having lift pins that can be lifted and lowered while supporting the coating object are relatively A step of retrofitting a support arm that moves and applies the coating liquid ejected from the nozzle to the table while supporting the coating object on the nozzle unit of the existing coating apparatus. The application device includes an improvement method, wherein the support arm enters below the application object in a state where the support pin is lifted by the lift pin, and the lift pin is lowered to support the application object. By lifting, the object to be coated supported by the support arm is lifted and supported.

The support arm is horizontally between a support position capable of supporting the application target supported by the lift pin and a retreat position retracted from the application target supported by the lift pin , with the vertical axis as a center. The nozzle unit is slidable in the width direction or slidable in the width direction of the nozzle unit, and is slid between the support position and the retracted position .

  In the coating apparatus and the method for improving the same according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the space of the equipment by providing a function of transferring the object to be coated, and also increase the cost when the equipment is moved by changing the layout of the equipment. Can be prevented.

It is a perspective view which shows suitable one Embodiment of the coating device which concerns on this invention, and its improvement method. It is a principal part expansion perspective view of the arm main body employ | adopted as the coating device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the first half of operation | movement of the coating device shown in FIG. 1, Comprising: Fig.3 (a)-(i) is the schematic diagram which looked at 1st operation to 9th operation from the front side. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the latter half of the operation of the coating apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4J to 4R are schematic views of the tenth operation to the eighteenth operation as viewed from the front side. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the coating device shown in FIG. 1, Comprising: (a)-(e) is respectively A arrow view, B arrow view, C arrow view, D arrow view, and E in FIG. It is a figure which shows an arrow view. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an arm unit according to a modification as compared with the arm unit employed in the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6A shows the operation of the arm unit of the embodiment of FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the operation of the arm unit according to the modification, and FIG. 6C is a plan view showing the operation of the arm unit according to another modification.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a coating apparatus and a method for improving the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a coating apparatus (for example, called a table coater (registered trademark in Japan)) according to the present embodiment.

  In the coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, a nozzle unit having a nozzle 7 that discharges a coating liquid and a substrate 3 that is a coating target placed on a table 4 are relatively moved, and the nozzle 7 is a coating apparatus 1 configured to apply the coating liquid discharged from the substrate 7 to the substrate 3, and the substrate 3 is transported from the outside of the coating apparatus 1 to the vicinity of the table 4 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). A support arm 10 is provided in the nozzle unit to transfer the substrate 3 while supporting the substrate 3.

  The external transfer device 14 includes an external lift pin 14b that can move up and down while supporting the substrate 3 transferred to a predetermined position, the table 4 includes a lift pin 4b that supports the substrate 3 and can be moved up and down, It enters below the substrate 3 raised by one of the external lift pins 14b and the lift pins 4b and supports the substrate 3 by lowering one of the external lift pins 14b and the lift pins 4b. The external lift pins 14b and the lift pins Any one of 4b raises and supports the board | substrate 3 of the state supported by the support arm 10 by raising.

  By moving the nozzle unit with respect to the substrate 3 placed on the table 4, the nozzle unit and the substrate 3 are moved relative to each other. The support arm 10 is supported by a support position capable of supporting the substrate 3 supported by one of the external lift pins 14b and the lift pins 4b and one of the external lift pins 14b and the lift pins 4b with the vertical axis as the center. It is turned in the horizontal direction between the retracted position retracted from the substrate 3.

  The coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided on a base 2, for example, and has a rectangular table 4 in plan view on which a plate-like substrate 3 as a coating object to be coated is placed, and the base 2. A pair of rails 5 provided along a pair of parallel edges of the table 4, a movable body 6 movable along the pair of rails 5, a movable body 6, and a substrate 3. And a nozzle 7 capable of discharging a coating liquid to be applied. The substrate 3 is formed in a rectangular shape having a smaller area than the table 4, and when placed on the table 4, the entire substrate 3 is placed on the table 4.

  The table 4 has a larger area than the substrate 3, and the upper surface is formed on a highly accurate horizontal plane. The table 4 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 4a penetrating in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals. Each through hole 4a is provided with a lift pin 4b that can be raised and lowered. The lift pins 4b support the substrate 3 at the upper end. For this reason, the substrate 3 is supported by the lift pins 4 b and can move in the vertical direction above the table 4, and the upper end of the lift pins 4 b is immersed below the upper surface of the table 4, thereby Placed on.

  The pair of rails 5 are disposed on the base 2 in parallel with the table 4 interposed therebetween. The rail 5 is provided longer than the long side of the rectangular table 4.

  The moving body 6 spans between the two moving column bodies 8 provided so as to be movable on the rails 5 and the two moving column bodies 8 and connects the upper end portions of the moving column bodies 8 to each other. It consists of. In the connecting beam body 9 of the moving body, there are two arm units 11 having a support arm 10 that transfers the substrate 3 from the external transfer device 14 to the table 4 while supporting the substrate 3, or transfers from the table 4 to the external transfer device 14. Provided.

  The connecting beam body 9 is bridged between the two moving column bodies 8 along a direction (hereinafter referred to as a width direction) orthogonal to a direction along the rail 5 (hereinafter referred to as a relative movement direction). When the moving body 6 moves along the rail 5, the connecting beam body 9 moves above the table 4 at a distance from the upper surface of the table 4.

  The two arm units 11 are fixedly provided to the connecting beam body 9 one by one at each position distributed in the width direction from the center in the width direction of the table 4. The support arms 10 of the two arm units 11 are arranged so as to sandwich the substrate 3 from both sides in the width direction, and a projection 10c described below enters under the substrate 3 to support the substrate 3. For this reason, the support arms 10 are arranged so as to face each other in parallel with the length direction of the rail 5 when supporting the substrate 3. Further, the distance between the two support arms 10 when facing each other is arranged so as to be substantially equal to the width of the substrate 3 so that both of the support arms 10 are located outside in the width direction of the substrate 3 supported by the protrusions 10c. The

  Each of the two arm units 11 is a base 12 fixed to the connecting beam 9 and a motor 13 fixed on the base 12 and having a drive shaft 13a (see FIG. 6) penetrating the base 12 in the vertical direction. And a support arm 10 that is connected to the drive shaft of the motor 13 and is pivotable in the horizontal direction below the base 12 and supports the substrate 3.

  The support arm 10 includes a base end portion 10 a connected to the drive shaft 13 a of the motor 13 and an arm main body 10 b that extends from the base end portion 10 a in a predetermined direction and holds the substrate 3. The two support arms 10 have a base end portion 10a that is rotationally driven by a motor 13 so that the arm body 10b rotates to support the substrate 3 (see FIGS. 3C and 3E). , And is pivoted in a horizontal direction between a retreat position (see FIGS. 3 (a), 3 (b), and 3 (d)) retreated from a substrate 3 supported by lift pins 4b or external lift pins 14b described later. Configured to be As shown in FIG. 5, the support position is a position where the arm main body 10b is arranged in the direction along the rail 5, and the retracted position is a position where the arm main body 10b is arranged along the width direction.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the arm body 10b. The arm main body 10b is provided with protrusions 10c that protrude toward opposite sides when the support arm 10 is moved to the support position on the distal end side and the proximal end portion 10a side. The protrusion 10c is formed thinner than the thickness (width in the vertical direction) of the arm main body 10b, and is provided at a height position lower than the upper surface of the arm main body 10b. As a result, a step 10d is formed between the protrusion 10c and the arm body 10b.

  The substrate 3 is placed on the protrusions 10c of the two support arms 10 that have moved to the support position, and is supported on the support arm 10 with the edges of the substrate 3 coming into contact with the step 10d and the side surfaces of the arm body 10b from the horizontal direction. Is done.

  In the two support arms 10, the arm main body 10 b protrudes from the table 4 in the width direction in opposite directions at the retracted position. When the substrate 3 is supported, the two support arms 10 are turned so as to approach the substrate 3 by rotating the motor 13 clockwise and counterclockwise in opposite directions. For this reason, the arm main bodies 10b of the two support arms 10 are formed in a symmetrical shape with the table 4 interposed therebetween.

  The nozzle 7 is provided below the connecting beam body 9. The nozzle 7 discharges the coating liquid toward the substrate 3 placed on the table 4. The nozzle 7 is provided so as to face the table 4 over the entire length in the width direction of the table 4. When the coating liquid is discharged from the nozzle 7 while the moving body 6 moves along the rail 5, the coating liquid can be applied to the substrate 3 placed on almost the entire surface of the table 4. The moving body 6 provided with the nozzle 7 corresponds to a nozzle unit. Then, the nozzle unit moves relative to the table 4 so that the coating liquid is applied to the substrate 3.

  When the coating apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration is used to improve an existing coating apparatus already installed in a facility such as a factory, the moving body 6 (corresponding to the nozzle unit) of the existing coating apparatus, as described above, By applying an improved method including a step of retrofitting the support arm 10 that supports the substrate 3 and transfers it to the table 4, the coating apparatus 1 can be incorporated into the equipment as in the case of newly installing.

  Next, operation | movement of the coating device 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated using FIGS. 3A to 3I are schematic views of the first operation to the ninth operation of the coating apparatus 1 as viewed from the front side. FIGS. 4J to 4R are schematic views of the tenth operation to the eighteenth operation of the coating apparatus 1 as viewed from the front side. FIGS. 5A to 5E are views showing the A arrow view, the B arrow view, the C arrow view, the D arrow view, and the E arrow view in FIG. 3, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 5A, the substrate 3 is applied to the coating device by an external transfer device 14 arranged in the moving direction of the moving body 6 of the coating device 1 (length direction of the rail 5). It is conveyed to a predetermined position on one side. At this time, the support arm 10 is located at the retracted position.

  The external transport device 14 is, for example, a plurality of thin transport belts 14a that can be transported while supporting the substrate 3 from below, with a gap between the transport belts 14a, and disposed. External lift pins 14b that can move up and down while supporting the substrate 3 at the upper end are disposed in a gap between the transport belts 14a. The substrate 3 is supported by the external lift pins 14b and is movable in the vertical direction above the external transfer device 14. When the upper end of the external lift pin 14 b is immersed below the upper surface of the external transfer device 14, the substrate 3 is placed on the external transfer device 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5B, when the substrate 3 is raised to a position higher than the support arm 10 by the external lift pin 14b, the movable body 6 remains in the retracted position. Moves along the rail 5 to the end of the base 2 on the external transfer device 14 side.

  Next, the two support arms 10 pivot in the horizontal direction and move to the support position of the substrate 3 where the two support arms 10 are substantially parallel to each other, as shown in FIGS. 3 (c) and 5 (c). To do. As a result, the protrusion 10 c enters below the substrate 3.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, the external lift pins 14 b are lowered and the substrate 3 is placed on the support arm 10. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3E, the moving body 6 moves along the rail 5 to the end opposite to the external transfer device 14 side of the base 2 with the support arm 10 supporting the substrate 3. To do.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 3 (f) and 5 (d), the lift pin 4b is raised and the upper end thereof is raised to a position higher than the support arm 10, whereby the substrate 3 is lifted from the support arm 2 to the lift pin. Passed to 4b and supported.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 3G and 5E, the support arm 10 moves to the retracted position. Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (h), the lift pins 4 b are lowered and the substrate 3 is placed on the table 4.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3I, the moving body 6 moves on the base 2 along the rail 5 from the opposite side of the external transfer device 14 toward the external transfer device 14 (see arrow f). . At this time, the coating liquid 3a is formed by discharging the coating liquid from the nozzle 7 onto the substrate 3 placed on the table 4. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 (j), the moving body 6 moves in the opposite direction along the rail 5 and returns to the original position (see arrow g).

  After the movable body 6 returns to the original position, as shown in FIG. 4 (k), the lift pins 4b are raised and the substrate 3 is supported by the lift pins 4b. Next, the two support arms 10 pivot from the retracted position toward the support position. As shown in FIG. 4L, when the two arm main bodies 10b move to a support position that is substantially parallel, the protrusion 10c enters the lower side of the substrate 3. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4M, the lift pins 4b are lowered, and the substrate 3 is placed on the protrusions 10c of the support arm 10 and held by the arm body 10b.

  In a state where the substrate 3 on which the coating film 3 a is formed is supported by the support arm 10, as shown in FIG. 4 (n), the moving body 6 extends along the rail 5 on the end of the base 2 on the side of the external transport device 14. (See arrow f). As a result, the substrate 3 is positioned above the external transfer device 14.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (o), the external lift pin 14b rises to a position higher than the support arm 10, and the substrate 3 is transferred from the support arm 10 to the external lift pin 14b and supported. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 (p), the support arm 10 turns and moves to the retracted position. Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (q), the external lift pins 14 b are lowered and the substrate 3 is placed on the external transfer device 14.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 4 (r), the external transfer device 14 is operated, the substrate 3 on which the coating film 3a is formed is transferred, and the moving body 6 returns to the original position (see arrow g). ), Thereby completing a series of steps.

  In the coating apparatus 1 and the improvement method thereof according to the present embodiment, the support arm 10 that transports the substrate 3 between the external transport apparatus 14 that transports the substrate 3 and the table 4 that performs coating includes the nozzle 7. The movable body 6 is provided. In other words, it also serves as a moving device for applying the coating liquid and a moving device for transferring the substrate 3 between the external transfer device 14 and the table 4. On the other hand, in the “coating apparatus and coating method, and color filter manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method” (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-102771) of Patent Document 1 described in the background art, a substrate and a substrate are carried into the table. A robot equipped with a hand that unloads substrates from the table is installed separately. In Patent Document 1 installed separately, it is necessary to secure an equipment space individually for the table and the robot. In addition, since the table and the robot are individually completed as devices, the table and the robot become a large device, and at the same time, increase the cost. On the other hand, in the coating apparatus 1 and the improvement method thereof according to the present embodiment, as described above, the support arm 10 for conveyance is incorporated in the moving body 6 for coating provided in the table 4, and the table Unlike the patent document 1 in which a robot with a hand and a robot are different from each other, the coating function and the transport function are integrated. For this reason, as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to reduce the cost, as well as to reduce the size of the device itself and to reduce the installation space, compared to the case where separate moving devices are provided. In short, the coating apparatus 1 and the improvement method thereof according to the present embodiment have a function of transferring the substrate 3 between the external transfer apparatus 14 and the table 4, and can save space for the equipment, Cost increases can also be prevented when relocating due to layout changes and the like.

  And according to the improvement method of the coating device 1 which concerns on this embodiment, it is made to improve the existing coating device including the process of attaching the support arm 10 etc. to the moving body 6 of the existing coating device. Therefore, as a result, the existing coating apparatus itself can be improved on the spot, and when the existing coating apparatus is moved to another place, it is not necessary to separately provide a transfer device such as a robot, and the required installation area Can be made smaller.

  Further, in the coating apparatus 1 and the improvement method thereof according to the present embodiment, the table 4 includes lift pins 4b that can move up and down while supporting the substrate 3, and the support arm 10 has the protrusion 10c raised by the lift pins 4b. Then, the lift pin 4b is lowered to support the substrate 3, and the lift pin 4b is lifted to lift and support the substrate 3 supported by the support arm 10. ing. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the substrate 3 in the vertical direction by the support arm 10. That is, the support arm 10 only needs to move the substrate 3 in the horizontal direction, and does not require complicated operations. Since the support arm 10 does not require a complicated motion mechanism such as a robot, the cost can be reduced.

  The same applies to the external transfer device 14, and in a state where the substrate 3 is lifted by the external lift pins 14b, the protrusion 10c of the support arm 10 enters under the substrate 3 and the external lift pins 14b descend to support the support arm. The substrate 3 is supported by 10 and the substrate 3 supported by the support arm 10 is transferred to and supported by the external lift pins 14b as the external lift pins 14b rise. Therefore, the support arm 10 does not require a complicated motion mechanism and can reduce the cost.

  The support arm 10 has a support position capable of supporting the substrate 3 supported by the lift pins 4b and a retreat position retracted from the substrate 3 supported by the lift pins 4b, with the vertical axis (drive shaft 13a) as the center. , The substrate 3 can be transferred by a simple mechanism.

  In the above embodiment, the moving body 6 (nozzle unit) including the nozzles 7 moves with respect to the substrate 3 placed on the table 4 that is fixedly installed. Although an example in which relative movement is performed has been described, a configuration in which the nozzle 7 is fixed and the table 4 on which the substrate 3 is placed may move is also possible.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the drive shaft 13a of the motor 13 that drives the support arm 10 is provided at a position close to the moving body 6 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 6 shows a configuration (see FIG. 6B) of the arm unit 11 according to the modification, in contrast to the configuration of the arm unit 11 of the above embodiment (see FIG. 6A).

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the drive shaft 13 a is brought closer to the center side of the movable body 6 in the width direction shown in FIG. 1, and the drive shaft 13 a is swung from the movable body 6 on the side on which the support arm 10 turns. By providing at the front end side of the base 12 that protrudes toward the base, the base arm 12 is disposed away from the moving body 6, and further, by forming the support arm 10 in an L shape, the turning range of the support arm 10 can be narrowed. . Thereby, the width dimension W2 at the retracted position of the support arm 10 can be made smaller than the width dimension W1 at the retracted position of the support arm 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. Thereby, further space saving can be achieved.

  Further, the two support arms 10 do not necessarily have to be pivoted. FIG. 6C shows another modification of the configuration of the arm unit. Specifically, the two support arms 10 are slidable in the width direction shown in FIG. 1 while maintaining a parallel state capable of supporting the substrate 3, and are slid along the moving body 6. The protrusion 10c may be moved between a support position where the protrusion 10c enters under the substrate 3 and a protrusion position where the protrusion 10c is removed from the bottom of the substrate 3.

  The external conveyance device 14 that conveys the substrate 3 from the outside of the coating apparatus 1 to the vicinity of the table 4 is not limited to the example of the above-described embodiment, and can be any device that can deliver the substrate 3 to the support arm 10 provided in the coating apparatus 1. It may be anything, and it may be transferred by a transfer robot or transferred by a worker.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coating device 2 Base 3 Board | substrate 3a Coating film 4 Table 4a Through-hole 4b Lift pin 5 Rail 6 Moving body 7 Nozzle 8 Moving column body 9 Connection beam body 10 Support arm 10a Base end part 10b Arm main body 10c Protrusion 10d Step 11 Arm unit 12 Base 13 Motor 13a Drive shaft 14 External transport device 14a Transport belt 14b External lift pin

Claims (4)

A coating apparatus in which a nozzle unit having a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid and a coating object placed on a table are relatively moved to apply a coating liquid discharged from the nozzle to the coating object. The table includes a lift pin that can move up and down while supporting the application target, and a support arm that transfers the table to the table while supporting the application target is provided in the nozzle unit.
The support arm enters below the application object in a state of being lifted by the lift pin, and supports the application object by lowering the lift pin.
The said lift pin raises and supports the coating target object of the state supported by the said support arm by raising.   The support arm is horizontally between a support position capable of supporting the application target supported by the lift pin and a retreat position retracted from the application target supported by the lift pin, with the vertical axis as a center. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating apparatus is swung in a direction or is slidable in a width direction of the nozzle unit, and is slid between the support position and the retracted position. A nozzle unit having a nozzle that discharges the coating liquid and a coating object that is placed on a table that includes a lift pin that supports the coating object and can be moved up and down is relatively moved, and the coating liquid is discharged from the nozzle. A method of improving the coating apparatus, including the step of retrofitting a support arm that transfers the object to the table while supporting the coating object on the nozzle unit of the existing coating apparatus that is configured to coat the coating object .
The support arm enters below the application object in a state of being lifted by the lift pin, and supports the application object by lowering the lift pin.
A method for improving a coating apparatus, wherein the lift pin is lifted to lift and support a coating object supported by the support arm. The support arm is horizontally between a support position capable of supporting the application target supported by the lift pin and a retreat position retracted from the application target supported by the lift pin, with the vertical axis as a center. The improvement of the coating device according to claim 3, wherein the coating device is swiveled in a direction or is slidable in the width direction of the nozzle unit and is slid between the support position and the retracted position. Method.

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