JP7302409B2 - Irradiation unit and liquid crystal panel manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an irradiation unit and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an irradiation unit that irradiates light by lighting a plurality of light emitting elements is known. Irradiation units are used in various industrial fields, such as manufacturing liquid crystal panels and curing inks and adhesives.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-61702

By the way, in order to manufacture a large liquid crystal panel, for example, a plurality of long irradiation units with a total length exceeding 2 [m] may be arranged side by side, and maintenance work such as inspection and replacement of constituent members is difficult. Improvement was needed.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an irradiation unit and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus that can facilitate maintenance work.

An irradiation unit according to an embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a cooling block, a cooling pipe, and a third channel. A plurality of light emitting elements are mounted on the front surface of the substrate. The cooling block has a first channel extending along the longitudinal direction of the substrate and is disposed on the back surface of the substrate. The cooling pipe has a second flow path parallel to the first flow path and is arranged on the back side of the cooling block. The third channel connects one end of the first channel and one end of the second channel.

According to the present invention, maintenance work can be facilitated.

1 is a side view of a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a front view of the irradiation unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view of the irradiation unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a liquid crystal panel typically. It is a schematic diagram of the ultraviolet irradiation module which concerns on embodiment.

The irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment described below includes a plurality of light emitting elements 52, a cooling block 10, a cooling pipe 20, and a third channel (channel 31). A plurality of light emitting elements 52 are mounted on the front surface of the substrate 51 . The cooling block 10 has a first channel (channel 11 ) extending along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 and is arranged on the back surface of the substrate 51 . The cooling pipe 20 has a second channel (channel 21 ) parallel to the first channel (channel 11 ), and is arranged on the opposite side of the substrate 51 with the cooling block 10 interposed therebetween. The third channel (channel 31) connects one end of the first channel (channel 11) and one end of the second channel (channel 21).

Also, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment described below includes a holding mechanism that holds the cooling block 10 along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 .

Further, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment described below includes a first joint member (joint member 71) connected to the other end side of the first flow path (flow path 11), a second flow path (flow path 21) and a second joint member (joint member 72) connected to the other end side of the joint member 21).

Also, the cooling block 10 according to the embodiment described below is detachably arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 .

Moreover, the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment described below includes a plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices. A plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices irradiate the panel 6 to be processed containing the photoreactive substance with light. The UV irradiation device is the irradiation unit 1 .

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each embodiment described below does not limit the technology disclosed by the present invention. Moreover, each embodiment and each modified example shown below can be appropriately combined within a consistent range. In addition, in the description of each embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations, and the description later will be omitted as appropriate.

[Embodiment]
First, the outline of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view of the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment.

In order to make the explanation easier to understand, FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system including the Z-axis with the irradiation direction as the positive direction. A three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system including the Z-axis is illustrated. Such an orthogonal coordinate system may also be shown in other drawings used in the description below.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment has an irradiation section 140 and a stage section 150 . The liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel by irradiating the panel 6 to be processed placed on the stage section 150 with ultraviolet rays.

The irradiation section 140 has an ultraviolet irradiation module 141 , a lighting device 142 and a reflector 143 . The ultraviolet irradiation module 141 has a plurality of irradiation units 1 . The irradiation unit 1 emits ultraviolet light having a wavelength suitable for processing the panel 6 to be processed by power supplied from a power supply device (not shown) via the lighting device 142 .

The reflector 143 reflects the ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation unit 1 toward the stage section 150, thereby enhancing the irradiation efficiency. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the reflector 143 is arranged only on the back side (the Z-axis negative direction side) of the ultraviolet irradiation module 141, but is not limited to this. may be placed in

Here, a configuration example of the irradiation unit 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of an irradiation unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a side view of the irradiation unit according to the embodiment;

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment includes a light source section 50, a cooling block 10, a cooling pipe 20, a connection member 30, joint members 71 and 72, and a mounting section 60. , a holding portion 40 and a support member 80 .

The light source section 50 has a substrate 51 and a plurality of light emitting elements 52 . The substrate 51 is, for example, a long base material made of ceramics and a printed wiring (not shown) formed in a desired pattern of silver or the like. A plurality of light emitting elements 52 are provided on the front surface of the substrate 51 and are electrically connected to printed wiring. The plurality of light emitting elements 52 are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate 51 .

In addition, although not shown, the substrate 51 is covered with a coating in order to ensure insulation and prevent corrosion in areas other than connection terminals to which the light emitting elements 52 are connected and power supply terminals to which power is supplied from the power supply device. covered by a membrane. The coating film is formed of, for example, an inorganic material whose main component is a glass material or the like. If necessary, the substrate 51 may be made of white alumina having a relatively high reflectance in order to enhance the reflectivity of the light emitted by the light emitting element 52 . Further, the substrate 51 may be made of aluminum nitride having relatively high thermal conductivity in order to ensure high thermal conductivity.

A light emitting diode (LED: Light Emitting Diode) or a semiconductor laser (LD: Laser Diode) that emits ultraviolet rays is used for the light emitting element 52 . For example, the light emitting element 52 emits ultraviolet rays having a main wavelength of approximately 300 [nm] to 400 [nm] and a peak wavelength of 365 [nm].

In addition, the “ultraviolet rays” in the embodiment are light with a wavelength of 450 [nm] or less, specifically light with a wavelength of 365 [nm] emitted by the light emitting element 52, but light with other wavelengths. is also allowed. Further, the light emitting element 52 is not limited to an LED or LD that emits light with a wavelength of 450 [nm] or less. An LED or an LD that emits light on the longer wavelength side may be used. In other words, the light emission mode is not limited as long as the LED or LD emits light with a wavelength of 450 [nm] or less.

The cooling block 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and arranged on the back surface of the substrate 51 . Aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or the like, for example, is used for the cooling block 10 .

The cooling block 10 also has a channel 11 as a first channel extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate 51 . The cooling block 10 functions as a so-called liquid cooling block by circulating the fluid in the flow path 11, and can quickly dissipate the heat transferred from the light emitting element 52 via the substrate 51. FIG. Note that the fluid is, for example, water. Also, as the fluid, for example, liquid such as liquid nitrogen or antifreeze, or gas such as dry air or nitrogen may be used.

The cooling pipe 20 is a straight tubular member arranged on the back side of the cooling block 10 and having a channel 21 as a second channel extending in the X-axis direction so as to be parallel to the channel 11 . Aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or the like, for example, is used for the cooling pipe 20 . The flow path 21 penetrates both ends (ends 20 a and 20 b ) of the cooling pipe 20 .

The connecting member 30 is a tubular member having a channel 31 as a third channel. The connection member 30 is, for example, a 90[°] elbow joint, and has one end connected to one end (end 10b) of the cooling block 10 and the other end connected to one end (end 20b) of the cooling pipe 20. . The flow path 31 penetrates both ends of the connection member 30 and allows the flow path 11 and the flow path 21 to communicate with each other. Aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or the like, for example, is used for the connection member 30 . Note that the connection member 30 may be a straight tubular member. Also, if the cooling block 10 and/or the cooling pipe 20 has a channel extending in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the channel 31, the cooling block 10 and the cooling pipe 20 can be connected without the connection member 30. It does not matter if the configuration is

The joint member 71 is connected to the flow path 11 that opens to the other end (end portion 10a) of the cooling block 10 . Also, the joint member 72 is connected to the flow path 21 that opens to the other end (the end portion 20 a ) of the cooling pipe 20 . The joint members 71 and 72 are also called couplings (couplers) or one-touch (quick) joints, for example, and are members that facilitate attachment and detachment with corresponding hoses and other tubular members. If the joint members 71 and 72 are provided with check valves or other check mechanisms, the leakage of fluid from the inside of the cooling block 10 or the cooling pipe 20 is less likely to occur when the irradiation unit 1 is attached or detached. Contamination of the light source unit 50 and other problems associated with this can be suppressed.

The attachment portions 60 are attached to the top plate 144 and arranged on both sides of the irradiation unit 1 in the Y-axis direction. Further, the holding portion 40 is arranged on the mounting portion 60 . The holding portion 40 extends along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate 51, and the holding portion 40 is positioned by arranging a plurality of the mounting portions 60 along the X-axis direction. .

The holding portions 40 are arranged on both sides in the Y-axis direction with the cooling block 10 interposed therebetween, and are formed to protrude toward the cooling block 10 side of the irradiation unit 1 . The holding portion 40 holds the irradiation unit 1 by engaging with the concave portion 12 provided on the side surface of the cooling block 10 . The concave portion 12 is an example of a holding mechanism that cooperates with the holding portion 40 to hold the cooling block 10 along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51, that is, along the X-axis direction.

The holding part 40 also functions as a guide for attaching and detaching the cooling block 10 . That is, the cooling block 10 can be attached and detached along the X-axis direction so that the concave portion 12 engages with the holding portion 40 . Therefore, it is possible to shorten the work time required for inspection and replacement of the cooling block 10 including the light source section 50 and the irradiation unit 1 .

The support member 80 is arranged between the cooling pipe 20 and the cooling block 10 to prevent problems that may occur in the light source unit 50 due to deflection, vibration, or the like of the cooling block 10 . One or a plurality of support members 80 can be arranged according to the length, mass, etc. of the irradiation unit 1 along the X-axis direction.

In the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment, the cooling medium flows in the order of the flow path 11→the flow path 31→the flow path 21 so as to turn back in a substantially U shape. Note that the direction in which the cooling medium flows may be reversed.

Here, as the irradiation unit 1, a first flow path (flow path 11), a third flow path (flow path 31), and a second flow path (flow path 21) are provided inside the cooling block 10. In one cooling block 10, the cooling medium flows in a substantially U-shape along the XY plane, or the cooling pipe 20 is provided in parallel with the Y-axis, and the cooling block 10 and the cooling block 10 are arranged in a substantially U-shape along the same XY plane. A configuration in which a cooling medium flows is also possible. However, in this configuration, the cooling block 10 and the cooling pipes 20 occupy the width in the Y-axis direction, which is not preferable. Moreover, it is difficult to set a desired interval (pitch) when arranging a plurality of irradiation units 1 on the Y-axis, which is not preferable.

In addition, the cooling pipe 20 is not provided in the irradiation unit 1, and the first flow path of the cooling block 10 of the plurality of irradiation units 1 is connected by the third flow path, and the cooling medium is integrated with the plurality of irradiation units 1. can also be configured to flow. However, the cooling medium temperature differs between the irradiation unit 1 provided with the joint member 71 and the irradiation unit 1 provided with the joint member 72 . For this reason, it is difficult to manage the temperature of the cooling medium in the plurality of irradiation units 1, and there is a possibility that the plurality of irradiation units 1 may have different illuminances of ultraviolet rays, which is not preferable. Further, if the first flow paths of the cooling blocks 10 of the plurality of irradiation units 1 are connected by the third flow paths, it is possible to replace the irradiation unit 1 to be replaced unless all the third flow paths are removed during maintenance work. I don't like it because I can't.

In order to solve the above problems, it is desirable that the irradiation unit 1 has a configuration in which the cooling medium flows so as to turn back in a substantially U shape along the X-axis direction, as in the present embodiment.

As described above, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment can efficiently manufacture liquid crystal panels by radiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength suitable for processing the panel 6 to be processed. Here, the processed panel 6 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the liquid crystal panel. A panel 6 to be processed shown in FIG. 4 has a pair of substrates 7 and 8 and a liquid crystal layer 9 provided between the substrates 7 and 8 .

The substrate 7 is, for example, a color filter substrate in which color filters (not shown) transmitting red, green, and blue light are arranged on a base material, and the color filters are covered with a protective film. The substrate 8 is a counter substrate provided so as to face the substrate 7 with the liquid crystal layer 9 interposed therebetween, and has a plurality of electrodes arranged in an array.

The liquid crystal layer 9 contains a liquid crystal composition and a polymerizable monomer as a photoreactive substance. The liquid crystal layer 9 absorbs ultraviolet light having a specific wavelength emitted from the irradiation unit 1 to polymerize the polymerizable monomer, and the liquid crystal composition whose orientation is controlled by the application of voltage on the stage 151 is stabilized. be done.

Next, an arrangement example of the plurality of irradiation units 1 in the ultraviolet irradiation module 141 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultraviolet irradiation module according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the plurality of irradiation units 1 are fixed to the top plate 144 and arranged parallel to each other so that the length direction of the irradiation units 1 is along the X-axis direction, which is the opening/closing direction of the shutter 160 . It is Note that the top plate 144 may also serve as the reflector 143 (see FIG. 1).

In addition, the plurality of irradiation units 1 are arranged in different directions in the irradiation region R1 and the irradiation region R2. Specifically, in the irradiation region R1, the joint members 71 and 72 are positioned at the end 145 on the negative side of the X-axis, and in the irradiation region R2, the joint members 71 and 72 are positioned at the end 146 on the positive side of the X-axis. are arranged so that they are aligned with each other. As a result, the irradiation unit 1 can be attached/detached from the end portion 145 in the irradiation region R1 and from the end portion 146 in the irradiation region R2. Therefore, maintenance work can be facilitated. In addition, when the irradiation area is narrow, or when the total length of the irradiation unit 1 is large, the plurality of irradiation units 1 may all be arranged in the same direction.

Returning to FIG. 1, further description will be made. The stage section 150 has a stage 151 and lift pins 152 . The stage 151 applies voltage to the panel 6 to be processed placed at a predetermined position. For the stage 151, for example, aluminum with high heat dissipation can be used. Further, when the surface of the stage 151 is coated with a fluororesin, it becomes possible to quickly remove static electricity after the panel is replaced, and the liquid crystal panel can be manufactured efficiently.

The lift pin 152 is an elevator that lifts and lowers the mounted panel 6 to be processed, and is mainly used for loading and unloading the panel 6 to be processed. Specifically, the lift pins 152 receive the panel to be processed 6 carried into the stage section 150 from a loading/unloading port (not shown). Further, the lift pins 152 float the panel 6 to be processed placed on the stage 151 after being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and deliver it to a transfer robot (not shown).

As described above, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment includes the plurality of light emitting elements 52, the cooling block 10, the cooling pipe 20, and the third channel (channel 31). A plurality of light emitting elements 52 are mounted on the front surface of the substrate 51 . The cooling block 10 has a first channel (channel 11 ) extending along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 and is arranged on the back surface of the substrate 51 . The cooling pipe 20 has a second channel (channel 21 ) parallel to the first channel (channel 11 ), and is arranged on the opposite side of the substrate 51 with the cooling block 10 interposed therebetween. The third channel (channel 31) communicates one end of the first channel (channel 11) and one end of the second channel (channel 21). Therefore, maintenance work can be facilitated.

Also, the cooling block 10 according to the embodiment is detachably arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 . Therefore, maintenance work can be facilitated.

Further, the irradiation unit 1 according to the embodiment includes a first joint member (joint member 71) connected to the other end side of the first flow channel (flow channel 11), and a second flow channel (flow channel 21). and a second joint member (joint member 72) connected to the end side. Therefore, the cooling medium is less likely to drop during maintenance work.

Also, the cooling block 10 according to the embodiment is detachably arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51 . Therefore, maintenance work can be facilitated.

Moreover, the liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment includes a plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices. A plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices irradiate the panel 6 to be processed containing the photoreactive substance with light. The UV irradiation device is the irradiation unit 1 . Therefore, maintenance work can be facilitated.

In the above-described embodiment, the concave portion 12 of the cooling block 10 is an example of a holding mechanism that cooperates with the holding portion 40. However, the cooling block 10 is not limited to this. It is also possible to have a convex portion that protrudes along, and that the holding portion 40 has a concave portion that engages with this convex portion.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the light emitting elements 52 are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 51, but the present invention is not limited to this. A so-called staggered arrangement in which the positions are alternately shifted in the direction may be used.

While embodiments of the invention have been described, the embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

Reference Signs List 1 irradiation unit 6 panel to be processed 10 cooling block 12 recess 20 cooling pipe 30 connection member 40 holding part 50 light source part 51 substrate 52 light emitting element 71, 72 joint member 140 irradiation part 141 ultraviolet irradiation module 100 liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus

Claims (5)

a plurality of light emitting elements mounted on the front surface of the substrate;
a cooling block having a first flow path extending along the longitudinal direction of the substrate and disposed on the back surface of the substrate;
a cooling pipe having a second flow path parallel to the first flow path and disposed on the back side of the cooling block opposite to the substrate side;
a third channel that connects one end of the first channel and one end of the second channel;
a holding part that holds only the side surface of the cooling block along the longitudinal direction of the substrate;
and
The cooling pipe is spaced apart from the cooling block,
The holding section is arranged so as to protrude from both sides of the cooling block toward the side surface of the cooling block, and the irradiation unit in which the holding section is not arranged on the back side of the cooling block. . a support member disposed between the cooling pipe and the cooling block;
The illumination unit of claim 1, comprising: a first joint member connected to the other end side of the first flow path;
a second joint member connected to the other end side of the second flow path;
3. An illumination unit according to claim 1 or 2 , comprising a The irradiation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the cooling block is detachably arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate. a plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices for irradiating light onto the panel to be processed containing the photoreactive substance;
and
A liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation device is the irradiation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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