JP7357267B2 - Coating method and coating system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to coating methods and coating systems.

A coating device (referred to as a jet dispenser) that performs coating in a non-contact manner has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). According to such a jet dispenser, high-speed coating is possible and variations in the amount of coating can be suppressed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-15741

For example, in an air pulse type or screw type coating device, it is possible to coat multiple locations at once using a needle provided with multiple holes. On the other hand, with a jet dispenser such as the one shown in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to apply to multiple locations at the same time. Therefore, when coating a plurality of locations, the coating must be done one by one, reducing the superiority of the jet dispenser's high-speed coating.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a coating method and a coating system that can perform high-speed coating when sequentially coating a plurality of locations.

A liquid supply method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a storage chamber for storing liquid; a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber; a pressing body having one end disposed in the storage chamber; an actuator that operates the pressing body to increase or decrease volume; a syringe that communicates with the storage chamber and stores liquid; and a pressurizing unit that supplies liquid to the storage chamber by pressurizing the liquid stored in the syringe. A coating method for applying a liquid using a liquid discharge unit having a liquid discharge unit, wherein the actuator is operated with the discharge hole at a first position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the first position. a first discharge step; and after the first discharge step, the actuator is operated with the discharge hole being at a second position different from the first position to move the liquid in the storage chamber to the second position; a second discharge step in which the pressure is discharged, a step in which pressurization of the pressure section is started after the first discharge step and before the second discharge step, and a step in which the pressurization section is started after the second discharge step; A pressurizing step of terminating the pressurization is included.

Note that these comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized by a system, device, method, recording medium, or computer program, and any combination of the system, device, method, recording medium, and computer program may be used. It may be realized by

According to the coating method and the like according to the present disclosure, high-speed coating is possible when sequentially coating multiple locations.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a coating system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an example of an ejection head of a liquid ejection unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an example of a storage chamber in the ejection head of the liquid ejection unit according to the embodiment. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a coating method for coating a liquid using a liquid ejection unit according to an embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows an example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the conventional coating method. 7 is a timing chart showing a first example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the 2nd example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the coating method based on embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the 3rd example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the coating method based on embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the 4th example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the coating method based on embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the 5th example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the coating method based on embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of a 1st position, a 2nd position, a 3rd position, and a 4th position. It is a figure which shows another example of a 1st position, a 2nd position, a 3rd position, and a 4th position. It is a timing chart which shows the 6th example of the discharge timing and pressurization timing by the coating method based on embodiment.

The coating method of the present disclosure includes: a storage chamber for storing a liquid; a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber; a pressing body having one end disposed in the storage chamber; A liquid discharger comprising an actuator that operates the pressing body, a syringe that communicates with the storage chamber and stores liquid, and a pressurizing section that supplies the liquid to the storage chamber by pressurizing the liquid stored in the syringe. A coating method of applying a liquid using a unit, the method comprising: a first discharge step of operating the actuator with the discharge hole at the first position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the first position; , after the first discharge step, the actuator is operated with the discharge hole being at a second position different from the first position, and the liquid in the storage chamber is discharged to the second position; a second discharge; and starting pressurization of the pressurizing section after the first discharging step and before the second discharging step, and ending pressurizing of the pressurizing section after the second discharging step. and a pressurizing step.

For example, in a conventional coating method using a jet dispenser, pressurization of the pressurizing part is started in order to replenish the liquid in the storage chamber at the timing when the liquid in the storage chamber is discharged to the first position in the first discharge process. , the pressurization of the pressurizing section is terminated in accordance with the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge step is completely stored in the storage chamber. The reason for ending the pressurization of the pressurizing section is to prevent a predetermined amount of liquid stored in the storage chamber from leaking out from the discharge hole due to pressurization of the pressurizing section. Note that after the pressurization of the pressurizing part is finished, the internal pressure of the syringe does not drop immediately but gradually over time, so liquid is supplied to the storage chamber even during the period when the internal pressure gradually drops. . In other words, if a predetermined amount of liquid is accumulated in the storage chamber before this period ends, the liquid will leak from the discharge hole. For this reason, the pressurization of the pressurizing part does not end when the storage of liquid in the storage chamber is completed, but rather the liquid is supplied to the storage chamber during the period when the internal pressure of the syringe gradually decreases. Taking into consideration the timing, the process is finished a little before the timing when the storage of the liquid in the storage chamber is completed. Thereafter, at the timing of discharging the liquid to the second position in the second discharging step, pressurization of the pressurizing section is started in order to replenish the liquid into the storage chamber. That is, in the conventional coating method using a jet dispenser, pressurization is started and pressurized every time the discharging process to each of a plurality of locations is performed.

On the other hand, in the pressurizing process of this embodiment, pressurization of the pressurizing part is started after the first discharging process and before the second discharging process, and pressurizing of the pressurizing part is started after the second discharging process. end. That is, without performing the pressurizing process every time the discharging process to each of the plurality of locations is performed, the pressurizing part is continuously pressurized before and after the second discharging process. When the pressurization of the pressurizing section is finished, a period occurs in which the internal pressure of the syringe gradually decreases as described above, and during this period, the amount of liquid supplied to the storage chamber per unit time is equal to The amount of liquid supplied to the storage chamber per unit time while pressurizing the pressure section is smaller as the internal pressure of the syringe decreases. Therefore, by continuing the pressurization of the pressurizing part before and after the second discharge process, when the pressurization of the pressurizing part is finished before the second discharge process (in other words, the discharge process to each of multiple locations The storage of the liquid in the storage chamber is completed earlier than in the case where the pressurization is started and the pressurization is ended each time the pressurization is performed, and the second discharge step can be started earlier. That is, according to this aspect, high-speed coating is possible when sequentially coating a plurality of locations using a jet dispenser.

Further, after the first discharge step, the method further includes a first moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from above the first position to above the second position, and the predetermined amount of the discharge hole to be discharged in the second discharge step is When the first moving step is completed before the timing at which the liquid accumulates in the storage chamber, the second discharging step prevents a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharging step from accumulating in the storage chamber. It may be started after waiting.

For example, if the first movement process is completed before the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber, and the second discharge process is started at the timing when the first movement process is completed, , the amount of liquid to be ejected will be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, the second discharge process is started after waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the second discharge process to accumulate in the storage chamber, thereby preventing the amount of liquid to be discharged from being insufficient. It can be suppressed.

Further, after the first discharge step, the method further includes a first movement step of moving the position of the discharge hole from above the first position to above the second position, and the timing for starting the pressurizing step is set at the timing at which the pressurizing step is started. It may be determined based on the time required to complete the storage of a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber and the time required to complete the first movement process.

According to this, the timing at which the first movement process is completed is based on the time required to complete the storage of a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber and the time required to complete the first movement process. The timing to start the pressurization process can be determined so that the predetermined amount of liquid is completely stored in the storage chamber.

Further, after the second discharge step, the actuator is operated with the discharge hole being at a third position different from the second position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the third position. The method may further include a discharge step, and in the pressurization step, the pressurization may be continued until a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber.

According to this, a predetermined amount of liquid to be ejected in the second ejection step can be stored in one pressurizing step, and a predetermined amount of liquid to be ejected in the third ejection step can also be stored. For example, if the internal pressure of the syringe drops after pressurization ends and you start pressurizing again, the internal pressure of the syringe will not rise immediately after starting pressurization of the pressurizing part, but will gradually increase over time. go. The amount of liquid supplied to the storage chamber per unit time during the period when the internal pressure of the syringe gradually increases is the unit of liquid supplied to the storage chamber when the pressurizing section is continuously pressurized. The amount is less than the amount per hour because the internal pressure of the syringe has not risen completely. Therefore, by continuing the pressurization of the pressurizing part before and after the second discharge process, when the pressurization of the pressurizing part is finished before the second discharge process (in other words, the discharge process to each of multiple locations In this case, the storage of the liquid in the storage chamber is completed earlier than in the case where the pressurization is started and the pressurization is ended every time the pressurization is performed, and the third discharge step can be started earlier. That is, according to this aspect, high-speed coating is possible when sequentially coating a plurality of locations using a jet dispenser.

Further, after the second discharge step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the second position to the third position, and a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step. If the second movement step is completed after the timing at which liquid is accumulated in the storage chamber, the pressurization step is completed in accordance with the timing at which a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge step is accumulated in the storage chamber. You may do so.

For example, if the second movement step is completed after the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber, the pressurization step may be If the second moving step is continued until the second movement step is completed without ending at the timing when the liquid accumulates in the storage chamber, more than a predetermined amount of liquid will be supplied to the storage chamber, and the liquid will leak out from the discharge hole. Therefore, by ending the pressurizing step in accordance with the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber, leakage of the liquid from the discharge hole can be suppressed.

Further, after the second discharge step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the second position to the third position, and a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step. If the second moving step is completed before the timing at which the liquid accumulates in the storage chamber, the third discharge step waits until a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber. It may also be started by

For example, if the second movement process is completed before the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber, and the third discharge process is started at the timing when the second movement process is completed, , the amount of liquid to be ejected will be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, the third discharge step is started after waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step to accumulate in the storage chamber, thereby preventing the amount of liquid to be discharged from being insufficient. It can be suppressed.

Further, after the second ejection step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the ejection hole from the second position to the third position, and the first ejection step, the second ejection step, and the The third discharge step may be performed sequentially, and the distance between the first position and the second position may be longer than the distance between the second position and the third position.

For example, when starting the pressurization process to store a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber, the internal pressure of the syringe may not rise immediately after the pressurization of the pressurizing section is started. Because it gradually increases over time, it takes time for it to accumulate. On the other hand, in the pressurization process, pressurization is continued until the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber, so the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge process is transferred to the storage chamber. When storing, the time required to start the pressurization process is not taken. Therefore, the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber is the same as the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge process in the storage chamber. It will be longer than time. Therefore, under the conditions that the moving speed in each movement step is approximately constant and the pressure applied by the pressurizing section is approximately constant, the distance between the first position and the second position is the same as that between the second position and the third position. By applying the coating method to which this aspect is applied to a coating target whose distance is longer than , smooth coating can be achieved.

The coating system of the present disclosure includes a storage chamber for storing a liquid, a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber, a pressing body having one end disposed in the storage chamber, and a pressure body configured to increase or decrease the volume of the storage chamber. A liquid discharger comprising an actuator that operates the pressing body, a syringe that communicates with the storage chamber and stores liquid, and a pressurizing section that supplies the liquid to the storage chamber by pressurizing the liquid stored in the syringe. unit, a stage on which a coating target to be coated with the liquid in the storage chamber is placed, and a control unit that controls the liquid discharge unit, and the control unit is configured to control the discharge hole so that the discharge hole is on a first position. The actuator is operated in a certain state to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the first position, and after discharging the liquid to the first position, the discharge hole is placed on a second position different from the first position. The actuator is operated in a state where the liquid in the storage chamber is discharged to the second position, and the liquid is discharged after the liquid is discharged to the first position and before the liquid is discharged to the second position. Pressurization of the pressurizing section is started, and pressurization of the pressurizing section is ended after the liquid is discharged to the second position.

According to this, it is possible to provide a coating system that can perform high-speed coating when sequentially coating a plurality of locations.

Note that the embodiments described below are all inclusive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention.

(Embodiment)
Embodiments will be described below using FIGS. 1 to 12.

[Coating system configuration]
First, the configuration of a coating system 100 according to an embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a coating system 100 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an example of the ejection head 3 of the liquid ejection unit 1 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an example of the storage chamber S in the ejection head 3 of the liquid ejection unit 1 according to the embodiment.

The coating system 100 includes a liquid discharge unit 1, a stage 40, and a control section 30.

The control section 30 is a processing section that controls the liquid ejection unit 1. The control unit 30 is realized by a computer including a processor, memory, and the like. Specifically, the control unit 30 is realized by a processor operating according to a program stored in a memory. The control section 30 may be realized by a computer included in the liquid ejection unit 1, or may be realized by an external computer for controlling the liquid ejection unit 1. For example, the control unit 30 may be realized by a server device or the like.

On the stage 40, a coating object 41 to which liquid from the liquid ejection unit 1 (liquid in a storage chamber S to be described later) is applied is placed. The coating target 41 is, for example, a workpiece such as a substrate or a component, but is not particularly limited. For example, the movement of the stage 40 is controlled by the control unit 30, and the liquid can be applied to a desired position on the application target 41. It is assumed that the acceleration of the stage 40 is approximately constant.

The liquid ejection unit 1 includes a liquid supply section 2 and an ejection head 3.

The ejection head 3 has a function of ejecting the liquid in the storage chamber S (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The liquid supply unit 2 has a function of supplying liquid to a storage chamber S that stores liquid.

The liquid supply unit 2 includes a syringe 4 that stores a liquid 5 and a pressurizing unit 6. The syringe 4 communicates with the storage chamber S. For example, the pressurizing unit 6 is a pneumatic pressure supply source, and supplies pneumatic pressure adjusted to a predetermined pressure to the syringe 4 by an electropneumatic regulator. As a result, the liquid 5 in the syringe 4 is pushed out by air pressure and is supplied to the ejection head 3 via the supply pipe 7. In this way, the pressurizing unit 6 supplies the liquid 5 to the storage chamber S by pressurizing the liquid 5 stored in the syringe 4 . Note that it is assumed that the pressure applied to the liquid 5 by the pressurizing section 6 is approximately constant. The pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is controlled by the control section 30. The liquid 5 is, for example, an adhesive such as a UV curable resin or a thermosetting resin, or a solder paste. Note that the type of liquid 5 is not limited to these and is not particularly limited.

The ejection head 3 includes a head main body 10 , a pressing body 11 , a drive section 15 , and an ejection nozzle 18 .

The head main body portion 10 constitutes the main body of the ejection head 3. The head main body part 10 includes a U-shaped discharge nozzle mounting part 9 having a bottom plate part 9a provided with an opening 9c and an open upper side (the side opposite to the bottom plate part 9a), and a discharge nozzle mounting part 9. It has a flat plate-shaped base part 8 attached to the opening side of the part 9.

The discharge nozzle 18 includes a spacer 16 and a nozzle member 17, and the nozzle member 17 is mounted on the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 9a of the discharge nozzle mounting portion 9 via the spacer 16.

The drive section 15 includes an actuator 12, an annular spring 13, and an actuator control section 14. A pressing body 11 is mounted on the discharge nozzle mounting portion 9 via an annular spring 13, and an actuator 12 made of a piezoelectric element is further disposed between the pressing body 11 and the base portion 8. The actuator 12 is controlled by the actuator control section 14 to extend and contract in the vertical direction, and the base section 8 supports the upward reaction force when the actuator 12 is extended. Thereby, the actuator 12 operates the pressing body 11 to increase or decrease the volume of the storage chamber S. Specifically, the pressing body 11 disposed on the lower surface of the actuator 12 reciprocates and discharges the liquid 5 supplied to the storage chamber S via the supply pipe 7 and the nozzle member 17 with the configuration described below. let Note that control of the operation of the pressing body 11 by the actuator 12 (in other words, control of the actuator control section 14) is performed by the control section 30.

The detailed configuration of the ejection head 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The discharge nozzle attachment part 9 has a configuration in which side plate parts 9d extend upward from both ends of a flat bottom plate part 9a, and a base part 8 is fixedly attached to the upper end of the side plate part 9d. There is. A pressing body 11 is disposed on the lower surface of the actuator 12 whose upper surface is in contact with the lower surface of the base portion 8 .

The pressing body 11 has a shape in which a cylindrical one end portion 11b projects downward from a disk-shaped large diameter portion 11a. When the pressing body 11 is mounted on the discharge nozzle mounting portion 9, one end portion 11b fits into a circular opening 9c provided in the bottom plate portion 9a of the discharge nozzle mounting portion 9 so as to be reciprocating. In this state, the opening 9c and the outer circumferential surface of the one end 11b are sealed by the packing 19B installed in the packing groove on the outer circumferential surface of the one end 11b. That is, the pressing body 11 is mounted on the head body 10 so as to be reciprocatingly movable by being driven by the actuator 12, and one end portion 11b is configured to protrude from the head body 10 in the direction of the reciprocating motion by the actuator 12. Further, an annular spring 13 is interposed between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 9a and the lower surface of the large diameter portion 11a.

A spacer 16 is mounted on the mounting surface 9b of the discharge nozzle mounting portion 9 via a gasket 20A. The spacer 16 is a plate-like member having a predetermined thickness that can be attached to and detached from the head main body 10. The spacer 16 has an opening 16a having the same diameter or a slightly smaller diameter than the opening 9c, which penetrates through the thickness of the spacer 16. It is provided. When the pressing body 11 is attached to the discharge nozzle attachment part 9 of the head main body part 10, one end part 11b protruding downward from the discharge nozzle attachment part 9 is surrounded by the opening part 16a and arranged in the storage chamber S. It becomes a form.

In this state, the volume of the storage chamber S is increased or decreased by driving the actuator 12 to reciprocate the pressing body 11. Then, by reducing the volume of the storage chamber S with the liquid 5 stored in the storage chamber S, the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is discharged from the discharge hole 24. That is, the actuator 12 moves the pressing body 11 in order to increase or decrease the volume of the storage chamber S and discharge the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S from the discharge hole 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, a holding portion 16b for holding the packing 19A is formed above the opening 16a. By holding the packing 19A in the holding portion 16b, the packing 19A is located between the spacer 16 and the side surface of the one end portion 11b of the pressing body 11. This prevents the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S from entering the gap between the side surface of the opening 9c and the side surface of the one end portion 11b.

A nozzle member 17 is attached to the lower surface of the spacer 16 via a gasket 20B. The nozzle member 17 is attached to the spacer 16 in a state that closes the opening 16a, and in this state, the space surrounded by the mounting surface 17a of the nozzle member 17 and the inner surface of the opening 16a forms a storage chamber S, and the pressing body One end portion 11b of 11 is disposed within the storage chamber S.

The supply pipe 7 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to one side surface of the nozzle member 17, and a joint 22 having an inlet portion 22a for introducing the liquid 5 into the interior (arrow a) is installed. The inlet portion 22a communicates with a liquid introduction hole 23 that is provided inside the nozzle member 17 and introduces the liquid 5 into the storage chamber S. That is, the liquid introduction hole 23 communicates with the storage chamber S via an outlet portion 23a that is open to the mounting surface 17a of the nozzle member 17. The outlet part 23a functions as a supply hole for supplying the liquid 5 to be discharged to the storage chamber S, and when the liquid supply part 2 supplies the liquid 5 to the storage chamber S, the liquid introduction port leading to the storage chamber S is used. Liquid 5 is introduced through hole 23.

Here, the liquid introduction hole 23 has a shape that is inclined from an inlet portion 22a opened on the side surface of the nozzle member 17 toward an outlet portion 23a. As a result, the liquid introduction hole 23 is formed in a straight line without any bends inside the nozzle member 17 . Therefore, it is possible to create a structure in which clogging due to residual liquid 5, foreign matter, etc. inside the liquid introduction hole 23 is less likely to occur. Furthermore, in maintenance work required when replacing the liquid, etc., it is possible to easily clean the inside of the liquid introduction hole 23 by inserting a tool such as a cleaning pin into the liquid introduction hole 23.

A discharge hole 24 for discharging the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to the outside is provided on the lower surface of the nozzle member 17, and the storage chamber S and the discharge hole 24 are connected by a discharge channel 24a that is always open. There is. The discharge flow path 24a has a tapered hole shape with a downward diameter narrowed, and the diameter increases toward the storage chamber S side. Here, the discharge hole 24 is located away from the center of the storage chamber S on the side opposite to the outlet portion 23a. With this arrangement, the liquid 5 supplied from the outlet portion 23a into the storage chamber S during liquid discharge in which the one end portion 11b is reciprocated within the storage chamber S forms an air pocket within the storage chamber S. This makes it possible to completely fill the storage chamber S without any problems, thereby preventing discharge failures due to air pockets remaining in the storage chamber S.

When the liquid discharge unit 1 discharges the liquid 5, the liquid 5 is first supplied from the liquid supply section 2 into the storage chamber S through the supply pipe 7 and the liquid introduction hole 23. Next, the actuator 12 is charged by the actuator control unit 14, and the pressing body 11 is extended by a predetermined stroke against the biasing force of the annular spring 13. As a result, the volume of the storage chamber S changes, and one shot of liquid 5 is discharged from the discharge hole 24 via the discharge flow path 24a.

After discharging, the actuator 12 is discharged to return the actuator 12 to its original extension, and the pressing body 11 is pushed up by the urging force of the annular spring 13, making it possible to discharge the liquid next time.

[Application method]
Next, a method of applying the liquid 5 using the liquid ejection unit 1 will be explained using FIG. 4. Note that, since the liquid ejection unit 1 is controlled by the control section 30, the application method can also be said to be a method performed by the control section 30.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a coating method for coating the liquid 5 using the liquid discharge unit 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the coating method includes a first discharge process (step S11), a first movement process (step S12), a pressurization process (step S13), a second discharge process (step S14), It includes a second movement process (step S15) and a third discharge process (step S16). For example, the first discharge process, the second discharge process, and the third discharge process are performed sequentially. Note that the first moving step may be started after the pressurizing step is started.

In step S11, the control unit 30 performs a first discharge step of operating the actuator 12 with the discharge hole 24 at the first position to discharge the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to the first position. The first position is a position on the application target 41.

In step S12, after the first discharge process, the control unit 30 performs a first movement process of moving the position of the discharge hole 24 from above the first position to above the second position. The second position is a position on the application target 41 that is different from the first position. Note that the first position and the second position do not have to be positions on one application target 41. Specifically, a plurality of coating targets 41 are placed on the stage 40, and the first position and the second position may be different positions on the coating targets 41. For example, the control unit 30 moves the discharge hole 24 relative to the stage 40 by moving the stage 40. Note that the liquid ejection unit 1 may have a mechanism for moving the ejection hole 24 of the ejection head 3, and the control unit 30 can move the position of the ejection hole 24 by controlling the mechanism. Good too.

In step S13, the control unit 30 starts pressurizing the pressurizing unit 6 after the first discharging process and before the second discharging process, and starts pressurizing the pressurizing unit 6 after the second discharging process. A pressurization process is performed to complete the process. That is, step S13 is continuously performed even when step S14 is performed. Note that the pressurizing process may be started at the same time as the first discharging process, or may be started after the first discharging process. The liquid 5 in the storage chamber S has been discharged in the first discharge process, and in order to perform the second discharge process, it is necessary to replenish the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S. The liquid 5 is supplied to the storage chamber S by the pressure.

In step S14, after the first discharge process, the control unit 30 operates the actuator 12 with the discharge hole 24 at the second position to discharge the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to the second position. Perform the discharge process.

In step S15, after the second discharge process, the control unit 30 performs a second movement process of moving the position of the discharge hole 24 from the second position to the third position. The third position is a different position from the second position on the application target 41. Note that the second position and the third position do not need to be positions on one application target 41.

In step S16, after the second discharge process, the control unit 30 operates the actuator 12 with the discharge hole 24 at the third position to discharge the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to the third position. Perform the discharge process.

Here, liquid ejection timing and pressurization timing will be explained while showing a conventional example and first to sixth examples. In addition, in the timing charts in FIGS. 5 to 10 and 12 shown below, ON and OFF of the actuator indicate the start and end of each discharge process. Further, "S11" indicates the first discharge process, "S14" indicates the second discharge process, and "S16" indicates the third discharge process. Further, ON and OFF of the pressurizing section indicate the start and end of the pressurizing process. Further, "S13" indicates a pressurizing step. Note that "S13a" and "S13b" in FIG. 5 indicate the conventional pressurizing process. In addition, positive pressure and OFF of the syringe internal pressure indicate the internal pressure of the syringe 4, and when OFF indicates a state in which the liquid 5 in the syringe 4 is not supplied to the storage chamber S, and the internal pressure of the syringe 4 toward positive pressure. It is shown that as the value increases, more liquid 5 is supplied to the storage chamber S. Moreover, "S12 completion" indicates the timing at which the first movement process is completed, and "S15 completion" indicates the timing at which the second movement process is completed. Note that the period during which the actuator 12 is turned on is on the order of several tens of microseconds, and the period during which the pressurizing section 6 is turned on is on the order of several tens of milliseconds. Although the period during which the actuator 12 is turned on is shown to be longer than it actually is in the drawing, it is actually a minute period compared to the period during which the pressurizing section 6 is turned on.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to a conventional coating method.

For example, in a coating method using a conventional jet dispenser, the pressure unit 6 is activated to replenish the liquid in the storage chamber S at the timing when the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is discharged to the first position in the first discharge step. Pressurization is started (timing when “S13a” turns ON in FIG. 5), and the pressurizing part is pressurized according to the timing when the predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge process is completed stored in the storage chamber. (timing of OFF of "S13a" in FIG. 5). The reason why the pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is ended is to prevent the liquid 5 that has been accumulated in the storage chamber S to a predetermined amount from leaking out from the discharge hole 24 due to the pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 . Note that after the pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 is finished, the internal pressure of the syringe 4 does not decrease immediately but gradually decreases over time. 5 is supplied. In other words, if a predetermined amount of the liquid 5 is accumulated in the storage chamber S before the period t1 ends, the liquid 5 will leak from the discharge hole 24. Therefore, the end of the pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is not performed at the timing when the storage of the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is completed, but during the period t1 when the internal pressure of the syringe 4 gradually decreases. Taking into account the amount of liquid 5 supplied to the storage chamber, the storage of the liquid 5 in the storage chamber is completed slightly before the timing. Thereafter, at the timing of discharging the liquid 5 to the second position in the second discharging process, pressurization of the pressurizing unit 6 is started in order to replenish the liquid 5 into the storage chamber S ("S13b" in FIG. 5 is turned ON). timing).

Further, for example, if the internal pressure of the syringe 4 decreases after pressurization is finished and pressurization is started again ("S13b" in FIG. 5 is ON), after starting pressurization of the pressurizing part 6, the internal pressure of the syringe 4 is The internal pressure does not rise immediately, but gradually rises over time as shown in period t2.

As described above, in the conventional coating method using a jet dispenser, pressurization is started and pressurized every time the dispensing process to each of a plurality of locations is performed.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing a first example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

In the pressurizing process of this embodiment, pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 is started after the first discharging process and before the second discharging process (timing of "S13" ON in FIG. 6), and The pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is ended after the discharge process (timing of OFF of "S13" in FIG. 6). That is, without performing the pressurizing process every time the discharging process to each of the plurality of locations is performed, the pressurizing section 6 continues to pressurize before and after the second discharging process. When the pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is finished, as shown in FIG. 5, a period t1 occurs in which the internal pressure of the syringe 4 gradually decreases, and the liquid 5 is supplied to the storage chamber S during the period t1. The amount per unit time is smaller than the amount per unit time at which the liquid 5 is supplied to the storage chamber S when the pressurizing section 6 is pressurized, as the internal pressure of the syringe 4 becomes smaller. Therefore, by continuing the pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 before and after the second discharge process, when the pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 is terminated before the second discharge process (in other words, when applying pressure to each of multiple locations) The storage of the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is completed earlier than in the case where pressurization is started and pressurized every time the discharge process is performed, and the second discharge process can be started earlier. Comparing FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it can be seen that the second ejection step can be started earlier in the period t1 in the first example in FIG. 6 than in the conventional example.

In addition, the amount of liquid 5 supplied per unit time to the storage chamber S during the period t2 in which the internal pressure of the syringe 4 gradually increases is the same as when the pressurizing section 6 is continuously pressurized (the syringe 4 When the internal pressure of the syringe 4 is a positive pressure), the amount of liquid 5 per unit time supplied to the storage chamber S is smaller by the amount that the internal pressure of the syringe 4 has not yet risen completely. Therefore, by continuing the pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 before and after the second discharge process, when the pressurization of the pressurizing part 6 is terminated before the second discharge process (in other words, when applying pressure to each of multiple locations) The storage of the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is completed earlier than in the case where pressurization is started and pressurized every time the discharge process is performed, and the third discharge process can be started earlier. Comparing FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it can be seen that the third ejection step can be started earlier in the period t2 in the first example in FIG. 6 than in the conventional example.

In this way, according to this aspect, high-speed application is possible when sequentially applying to a plurality of locations using a jet dispenser.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing a second example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

If the first movement step is completed before the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the second discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S (timing of "S12 completed" in FIG. 7), the second discharge step , is started by waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the second discharge step to accumulate in the storage chamber S (timing of turning on "S14" in FIG. 7). For example, if the first movement process is completed before the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the second discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber S, the second discharge process is performed at the timing when the first movement process is completed. Once started, the amount of liquid to be ejected will be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, the second discharge process is started after waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the second discharge process to accumulate in the storage chamber S, so that the amount of liquid to be discharged is insufficient. can be suppressed.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing a third example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

The timing to start the pressurization process is determined based on the time t4 required to complete the storage of a predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber S and the time t3 required to complete the first movement process. be done. For example, if the distance between the first position and the second position is large and the pressurizing process is started at the same time as the first discharge process, the second discharge will be completed before the discharge hole 24 reaches the second position. Storage of a predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in a process in the storage chamber S may be completed. In this case, unless the pressurizing process is completed, the liquid 5 will leak from the discharge hole 24, making it impossible to continue pressurizing the pressurizing part 6 before and after the second discharge process, making high-speed coating difficult. On the other hand, in this aspect, a predetermined amount of liquid 5 is transferred to the storage chamber S at the timing when the first movement process is completed (timing of "S12 completion" in FIG. 8) based on time t3 and time t4. The timing to start the pressurization process can be determined so that the storage of water is completed. Therefore, it is possible to continue pressurizing the pressurizing part 6 before and after the second discharge process, and high-speed coating becomes possible.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing a fourth example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

If the second movement step is completed after the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S (timing of "S15 completed" in FIG. 9), the pressurization step is The process ends in accordance with the timing at which a predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber S (timing "S13" in FIG. 9). For example, if the second movement step is completed after the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S, the pressurization step is If the second movement process is continued until the second movement step is completed without ending at the timing when the liquid 5 accumulates in the storage chamber S, more than a predetermined amount of liquid 5 will be supplied to the storage chamber S, and the liquid 5 will leak out from the discharge hole 24. . Therefore, by ending the pressurizing step in accordance with the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S, leakage of the liquid 5 from the discharge hole 24 can be suppressed.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing a fifth example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

If the second movement step is completed before the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S (timing of "S15 completed" in FIG. 10), the third discharge step , is started by waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the third discharge step to accumulate in the storage chamber S (timing of turning on "S16" in FIG. 10). For example, if the second movement process is completed before the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge process accumulates in the storage chamber S, the third discharge process is performed at the timing when the second movement process is completed. Once started, the amount of liquid to be ejected will be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, the third discharge process is started after waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the third discharge process to accumulate in the storage chamber S, so that the amount of liquid to be discharged is insufficient. can be suppressed.

Note that the coating method according to this aspect can be applied when the coating position (second position, etc.) is known in advance. For example, since the second position is known, even if pressurization is continued before and after the second discharge process, the liquid 5 can be prevented from leaking from the discharge hole 24 at an unexpected position other than the second position. A predetermined amount of liquid can be ejected at two positions. In other words, if the second position is not known, the timing to start the pressurization process is not known, and if the pressurization process is started appropriately after the first discharge process and before the second discharge process, the second position will be reached. Before starting the process, a predetermined amount of liquid 5 accumulates and pressurization cannot be continued (pressurization must be finished to prevent liquid 5 from leaking).

For example, the distance between the first position and the second position is longer than the distance between the second position and the third position. Further, after the third discharge step, the actuator 12 is operated in a state where the discharge hole 24 is on a fourth position different from the third position, and the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is discharged to the fourth position. When performing the process (when performing the third movement process of moving the position of the discharge hole 24 from above the third position to above the fourth position after the third discharge process), the distance between the third position and the fourth position is , is longer than the distance between the second and third positions. The positional relationship between the first position, second position, third position, and fourth position will be explained using FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of a first position, a second position, a third position, and a fourth position.

FIG. 11B is a diagram showing another example of the first position, second position, third position, and fourth position.

As shown in FIG. 11A, for example, the first position P1, second position P2, third position P3, and fourth position P4 may be positions on one application target 41 placed on the stage 40. . Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, for example, the first position P1, the second position P2, the third position P3, and the fourth position P4 are positions on a plurality of different coating targets 41 placed on the stage 40. You can. Here, the plurality of coating targets 41 are shown as coating targets 41a, 41b, 41c, and 41d, the first position P1 is a position on the coating target 41a, the second position P2 is a position on the coating target 41b, and the first position P1 is a position on the coating target 41b. The third position P3 is a position on the coating target 41c, and the fourth position P4 is a position on the coating target 41d.

When the first position P1, the second position P2, the third position P3, and the fourth position P4 are positions on one application target 41, the distance L1 between the first position P1 and the second position P2, the second position P2 The distance L2 between and the third position P3 and the distance L3 between the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 are distances on one application target 41. When the first position P1, the second position P2, the third position P3, and the fourth position P4 are positions on a plurality of different application targets 41, the distance L1, the distance L2, and the distance L3 are the distances spanning the two application targets 41. becomes.

The liquid ejection timing and pressurization timing when ejecting the liquid to the first position P1, second position P2, third position P3, and fourth position P4 will be described as a sixth example.

FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing a sixth example of discharge timing and pressurization timing according to the coating method according to the embodiment.

When starting the pressurizing process for storing a predetermined amount of liquid 5 to be discharged in the second discharging process in the storage chamber S (timing of turning on "S13" in FIG. 12), the pressurizing part 6 is activated. After the pressurization is started, as shown in a period t5, the internal pressure of the syringe 4 does not rise immediately but gradually rises over time, so it takes a corresponding amount of time for storage. Therefore, the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the second discharge process in the storage chamber S becomes longer according to the period t5. When the second discharge process is started (timing when "S14" in FIG. 12 is ON), the liquid 5 in the storage chamber S is discharged, and it becomes necessary to replenish the liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge process. In the pressurization step, pressurization is continued until a predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S, so that the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step is transferred to the storage chamber. When storing, it does not take the time required to start the pressurization process (that is, a period in which the internal pressure of the syringe 4 is low, such as the period t5, does not occur). Therefore, the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to be discharged in the second discharge step is the same as the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to be discharged in the third discharge step. will take longer than the time required to complete. Therefore, under the conditions that the acceleration during acceleration in each movement step is approximately constant and the pressure applied by the pressurizing section 6 is approximately constant, the distance L1 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 is the second By applying the coating method to which this aspect is applied to the coating target 41 that is longer than the distance L2 between the position P2 and the third position P3, the coating can be smoothly applied.

Also, when the pressurization process is finished in accordance with the timing when the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the fourth discharge process is completed in the storage chamber S (timing of OFF of "S13" in FIG. 12). After the pressurization of the pressurizing section 6 is completed, as shown in a period t6, the internal pressure of the syringe 4 does not drop immediately but gradually decreases over time, so it takes a corresponding amount of time for storage. Therefore, the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the fourth discharge step in the storage chamber S becomes longer according to the period t6. In the pressurization step, pressurization is continued until a predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber S, so that the predetermined amount of liquid 5 discharged in the third discharge step is transferred to the storage chamber. When storing, it does not take the time required to complete the pressurization process (that is, a period in which the internal pressure of the syringe 4 is low, such as the period t6, does not occur). Therefore, the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to be discharged in the fourth discharge step is the same as the time required to complete the storage of the predetermined amount of liquid 5 in the storage chamber S to be discharged in the third discharge step. will take longer than the time required to complete. Therefore, under the conditions that the acceleration during acceleration in each movement step is approximately constant and the pressure applied by the pressurizing section 6 is approximately constant, the distance L3 between the third position P3 and the fourth position P4 is the second By applying the coating method to which this aspect is applied to the coating target 41 that is longer than the distance L2 between the position P2 and the third position P3, the coating can be smoothly applied.

(Other embodiments)
The coating method and coating system 100 of the present disclosure have been described above based on the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Unless departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that can be thought of by those skilled in the art to this embodiment, and configurations constructed by combining components of different embodiments are also included within the scope of the present disclosure. It will be done.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the acceleration when the stage 40 is accelerated (in other words, the relative acceleration of the discharge holes 24) is substantially constant, but the acceleration may be controlled.

Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the pressure applied to the liquid 5 by the pressurizing section 6 is approximately constant, but the pressure may be controlled.

For example, the steps in the application method may be performed by a computer (computer system). The present disclosure can be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the steps included in the coating method. Further, the present disclosure can be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM on which the program is recorded.

For example, when the present disclosure is implemented as a program (software), each step is executed by executing the program using hardware resources such as a computer's CPU, memory, and input/output circuits. . That is, each step is executed by the CPU acquiring data from a memory or an input/output circuit, etc., performing calculations, and outputting the calculation results to the memory, input/output circuit, etc.

Moreover, each component included in the coating system 100 of the above embodiment may be realized as a dedicated or general-purpose circuit.

Further, each component included in the coating system 100 of the embodiment described above may be realized as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) that is an integrated circuit (IC).

Further, the integrated circuit is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. A programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor in which connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI can be reconfigured may be used.

Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI emerges due to advancements in semiconductor technology or other derived technology, that technology will naturally be used to integrate each component included in the coating system 100. Good too.

In addition, forms obtained by applying various modifications to the embodiments that those skilled in the art can think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. are also included in this disclosure.

The present disclosure can be used, for example, in a system for supplying an adhesive or the like to an application target such as a substrate.

1 Liquid discharge unit 2 Liquid supply section 3 Discharge head 4 Syringe 5 Liquid 6 Pressure section 7 Supply pipe 8 Base section 9 Discharge nozzle mounting section 9a Bottom plate section 9b Mounting surface 9c Opening section 9d Side plate section 10 Head main body section 11 Pressing body 11a Large diameter part 11b One end part 12 Actuator 13 Annular spring 14 Actuator control part 15 Drive part 16 Spacer 16a Opening part 16b Holding part 17 Nozzle member 17a Mounting surface 18 Discharge nozzle 19A, 19B Packing 20A, 20B Gasket 22a Inlet part 23 Liquid introduction hole 23a Outlet section 24 Discharge hole 24a Discharge channel 30 Control section 40 Stage 41, 41a, 41b, 41c, 41d Application target L1, L2, L3 Distance P1 1st position P2 2nd position P3 3rd position P4 4th position S Storage room

Claims (7)

a storage chamber that stores liquid;
a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber;
a pressing body with one end disposed in the storage chamber;
an actuator that operates the pressing body to increase or decrease the volume of the storage chamber;
a syringe that communicates with the storage chamber and stores a liquid;
A method for applying a liquid using a liquid ejection unit including a pressurizing unit that applies pressure to the liquid stored in the syringe to supply the liquid to the storage chamber,
a first discharge step of operating the actuator in a state where the discharge hole is on a first position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the first position;
After the first discharge step, a first moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the first position to a second position different from the first position;
a second discharge step of operating the actuator with the discharge hole being on the second position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the second position;
A pressurizing step in which pressurization of the pressurizing section is started after the first discharging step and before the second discharging step, and pressurizing of the pressurizing section is ended after the second discharging step. and ,
The timing to start the pressurization step is determined based on the time required to complete storage of a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the second discharge step in the storage chamber and the time required to complete the first movement step. be done,
Application method. When the first movement step is completed before the timing at which a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the second discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber, the second discharge step The process is started by waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid to accumulate in the storage chamber.
The coating method according to claim 1. After the second discharge step, a third discharge step of operating the actuator in a state where the discharge hole is at a third position different from the second position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the third position. further including;
In the pressurizing step, the pressurizing is continued until a predetermined amount of liquid discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber.
The coating method according to claim 1 or 2 . After the second discharge step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the second position to the third position,
When the second movement step is completed after the timing at which the predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber, the pressurization step is performed to reduce the predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step. The process ends according to the timing at which the liquid accumulates in the storage chamber.
The coating method according to claim 3 . After the second discharge step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the second position to the third position,
When the second movement step is completed before the timing at which a predetermined amount of liquid to be discharged in the third discharge step accumulates in the storage chamber, the third discharge step is discharged in the third discharge step. Starts by waiting for a predetermined amount of liquid to accumulate in the storage chamber,
The coating method according to claim 3 or 4 . After the second discharge step, the method further includes a second moving step of moving the position of the discharge hole from the second position to the third position,
The first discharging step, the second discharging step, and the third discharging step are performed sequentially,
The distance between the first position and the second position is longer than the distance between the second position and the third position.
The coating method according to any one of claims 3 to 5 . a storage chamber that stores liquid;
a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber;
a pressing body with one end disposed in the storage chamber;
an actuator that operates the pressing body to increase or decrease the volume of the storage chamber;
a syringe that communicates with the storage chamber and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection unit having a pressurizing section that supplies liquid to the storage chamber by pressurizing the liquid stored in the syringe;
a stage on which an object to be applied to which the liquid in the storage chamber is applied is placed;
A control unit that controls the liquid ejection unit,
The control unit includes:
operating the actuator with the discharge hole in the first position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the first position;
After the liquid is discharged to the first position, the actuator is operated with the discharge hole being on a second position different from the first position to discharge the liquid in the storage chamber to the second position. ,
After the liquid is discharged to the first position and before the liquid is discharged to the second position, pressurization of the pressurizing section is started, and after the liquid is discharged to the second position, the pressurization is started. Finish pressurizing the pressurizing part,
The timing for starting pressurization of the pressurizing section is based on the time required to complete storage of a predetermined amount of liquid in the storage chamber when the discharge hole is on the second position and the time required for the discharge hole to be discharged in the second position. determined based on the time required to move the position from the first position to the second position;
Application system.

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