JPH11152197A - Liquid feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid feeder for increasing the airtightness between a bellows and a cover. SOLUTION: A container 10 and a bellows 20 stored in the container 10 are closed airtightly by a cover 30. When pressurized air is fed into the container 10, the bellows 20 is contracted, and liquid crystal (liquid) in the bellows 20 is compression transferred from a feed passage 33 of the cover 30. When the inside of the container 10 is vacuumized, the bellows 20 are expanded. The cover 30 is provided with a first supporting section 35 and a second supporting section 36 having the diameter larger than that of the first supporting section. A cylindrical opening 25 of the bellows 20 is fitted on the outer periphery of the first supporting section 35. A clamping ring 70 is screwed on the second supporting section 36. A press ring 75 is supported on a flange 7a of the clamping ring 70, and an O-ring 80 is interposed between the press ring 75 and the cover 30. The cover 30 and an annular receiving face of the press ring 75 are brought into contact with the O-ring 80, by the taper operation of which the O-ring 80 is pressed on the outer peripheral face of the opening 25.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a bellows.
The present invention relates to a device for supplying a liquid such as a liquid crystal using a liquid crystal device, and more particularly to an improvement in airtightness between an opening of the bellows and a lid closing the opening.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The present applicant has developed an apparatus for supplying liquid crystal (liquid) to a cell by using a bellows. This type of liquid crystal supply apparatus includes a bottomed container, a bellows housed in the container, and a lid for hermetically closing an opening of the bellows. The lid also hermetically closes the open end of the container. Pressurized air supply means for contracting the bellows and vacuum suction means for extending the bellows are connected to the container. A supply passage is formed in the lid.

[0003] By contracting the bellows, the liquid crystal housed in the bellows is pushed out from the supply passage of the lid, passed through a supply pipe connected to the supply passage, and then connected to an injection connector connected to the tip of the supply pipe. After that, liquid crystal is injected into the cell. By extending the bellows after injecting the liquid crystal, the liquid crystal collected in the injection connector, the supply pipe, and the supply passage of the lid is collected in the bellows. Since the above liquid crystal dislikes contact with air, it is necessary to improve the sealing property between the lid and the bellows. Further, in order to prevent the pressurized liquid crystal from leaking from between the bellows upon contraction of the bellows, it is necessary to increase the sealing property between the two. Conventionally, a support portion having an outer periphery forming a cylindrical surface is formed on a lid, the opening of the bellows is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the opening of the bellows is fitted on the outer periphery of the support portion of the lid, and an O-ring is interposed between the two. I was getting airtight.

[0004]

However, in the conventional hermetic structure, the opening of the bellows made of an elastic material is O-shaped.
Since the O-ring is elastically deformed along the shape of the ring, a further improvement in the air-tightness has been demanded.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bellows having an opening having a cylindrical shape, and a lid having a supply passage closing the opening of the bellows and communicating with an internal space of the bellows. A liquid supply device for supplying the liquid in the bellows through the supply passage of the lid as the bellows shrinks, wherein the lid has a first support portion having an outer periphery forming a cylindrical surface, and an outer periphery having a first support portion. A second support portion having a large-diameter cylindrical surface and arranged concentrically with the first support portion, wherein an opening of the bellows is fitted around an outer periphery of the first support portion; A tightening ring is screwed around the outer periphery, and the tightening ring has an annular flange projecting radially and inwardly. A pressing ring is rotatably supported on the flange, Between the pressing ring, An O-ring is provided in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the bellows, and at least one of the annular receiving surface of the lid and the annular receiving surface of the pressing ring in contact with the O-ring has a radial gap between the two. A tapered surface is formed so as to spread in the direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid supply device according to the first aspect, an opening of the bellows is screwed to a first support of the lid. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the liquid supply device according to the first or second aspect, an annular groove is formed in the lid adjacent to the first support portion, and the opening of the bellows is inserted into the annular groove. It is characterized by having been done. The invention of claim 4 is claim 1
3. A liquid-supplying device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising a bottomed container for accommodating the bellows, wherein a lid is hermetically fixed to an open end of the container to seal an inner space of the container. And pressurized air supply means for contracting the bellows, and vacuum suction means for extending the bellows are connected.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Liquid crystal supply device (liquid supply device)
As shown in FIG. 1, a cylindrical container 10 having a bottom, a bellows 20 stored in the container 10 and storing a liquid crystal LQ (liquid) therein, and both the container 10 and the bellows 20 are provided. Lid 30 closing the opening and liquid crystal LQ in bellows 20
And a stirrer 40 (shown only in FIG. 1).

The stirring means 40 comprises a stirrer 41 composed of a permanent magnet housed in the bellows 20 and a rotating magnetic field generator 42 disposed below the vessel 10 for rotating the stirrer 41. This rotating magnetic field generator 42
Is composed of, for example, a permanent magnet and a motor, generates a rotating magnetic field, rotates the stirrer 41, and stirs the liquid crystal LQ.

A pressurized suction passage 11 is formed in the container 10, and a pressurized air supply means 52 is connected to the pressurized suction passage 11 via a valve 51 as shown in FIG. I have. The pressurized air supply means 50 includes, for example, an air compressor and a compressed air tank for storing air compressed by the air compressor. Further, a vacuum suction pump 54 is connected to the pressure suction passage 11 through a valve 53.
(Vacuum suction means) is connected.

The lid 30 has suction passages 31, 32 and a liquid crystal supply passage 33 (supply passage). As shown in FIG. 3, a lid 3 is provided between the suction passages 31 and 32.
An air-pressure-driven valve 55 mounted on the upper part of the valve 0 is interposed. The suction passage 32 is connected to the vacuum suction pump 54.
It is connected to. The liquid crystal supply passage 33 has a valve 5
6 and a liquid crystal tank 59 (liquid crystal refilling means) via a valve 58.

As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10 is provided with a liquid crystal residual amount detecting means 60. The detection means 60 includes a light projector 61 and a light receiver 62 provided on the peripheral wall of the container 10 and facing each other.

The liquid crystal supply device having the above configuration is controlled by a control unit (not shown). First, the liquid crystal defoaming action will be described. Close the valves 51, 56 and 58 and set the valve 5
The vacuum suction pump 54 is driven in a state where 3, 55 are opened. As a result, the inner space 12 of the container 10 (outside the bellows 20) and the inner space 22 of the bellows 20 both have the same degree of vacuum, and the bellows 20 is naturally expanded by its own elasticity. In this state, when the rotating magnetic field generator 42 of the stirring means 40 is driven, the stirrer 41 rotates and the liquid crystal LQ is stirred. Due to this stirring, the air mixed in the liquid crystal LQ becomes bubbles and comes out of the liquid surface of the liquid crystal LQ.
This air is sucked by the vacuum suction pump 54 and the bellows 2
Emitted from 0.

Next, the operation of injecting liquid crystal into the cell 100 (FIG. 3) will be described. In a state where the injection connector 57 is connected to the injection port of the cell 100 and an exhaust connector (not shown) is connected to the exhaust port of the cell 100, the cell is evacuated by the vacuum suction pump 54 through the exhaust connector, and a predetermined vacuum is applied. When the temperature reaches
5 is closed and valves 51 and 56 are opened. When the valve 51 is opened, the bellows 20 contracts, and the liquid crystal LQ accommodated in the bellows 20 is pumped and injected into the cell 100 via the liquid crystal supply passage 33 and the injection connector 57.

After the injection of the liquid crystal into the cell 100 is completed,
The valve (not shown) between the exhaust connector and the vacuum suction pump 54 is closed, and the valve 51 is closed. This allows
The supply of the liquid crystal to the cell 100 is stopped. Immediately thereafter, the exhaust connector and the injection connector 57 are disconnected from the cell 100, and the valve 53 is opened. As a result, the bellows 20 is extended, and the liquid crystal collected in the path from the liquid crystal supply passage 33 to the injection connector 57 is collected by the bellows 20. after,
The liquid crystal defoaming action described above is performed.

When the bellows 20 contracts due to the liquid crystal injection, light such as a laser beam from
If it cannot be detected in step 2, it is determined that the remaining amount of the liquid crystal LQ stored in the bellows 20 is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount. When the liquid crystal is detected by the light receiver 62, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal tank 59 is replenished to the bellows 20 by opening the valve 58 at the time of collecting the liquid crystal in the supply path after the completion of the liquid crystal injection.

Next, the airtight structure of the liquid crystal supply device will be described. First, an airtight structure between the container 10 and the lid 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an annular groove 34 is formed on the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the lid 30, and an O-ring 65 is housed in the annular groove 34. The periphery of the lid 30 is
Then, it is placed on the upper end (opening end) of the “0” and tightened and fixed by tightening means such as a bolt (not shown). Lid 10 and container 10
Is secured by the O-ring 65.

Next, an airtight structure between the lid 30 and the bellows 20, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. On the lower surface of the lid 30, concentric first and second support portions 35 and 36 are formed. The first support portion 35 has a smaller diameter than the second support portion 36, and projects below the second support portion 36, that is, toward the bellows 20. On the lower surface of the lid 30, a first
An annular groove 37 is formed adjacent to the first support portion 35 so as to surround the support portion 35. It should be noted that external threads 35a, 3
6a are respectively formed.

On the other hand, the bellows 20 is
It has a cylindrical opening 25 having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the support 35. The opening 25 is fitted on the outer periphery of the first support 35. A female screw 25 a is formed on the inner periphery of the opening 25, and the female screw 25 a is screwed into a male screw 35 a of the first support 35, so that the opening 25 of the bellows 20 is connected to the first support 35. Are linked. In this connection state of the bellows 20, the opening 2
5 is inserted into the annular groove 37 of the lid 30. The thickness of the opening 25 is substantially equal to the groove width of the annular groove 37. When the opening 25 is inserted into the annular groove 37, almost no gap is formed between them.

A fastening ring 70 having a female screw 70a on its inner periphery is screwed into the second support portion 36 of the lid 30. The fastening ring 70 has an annular flange 71 projecting radially and inward. This flange 7
A pressing ring 75 is rotatably mounted on 1. An O-ring 80 made of an elastic material such as rubber is arranged between the pressing ring 75 and the lid 20. O-ring 8
0 is equal to the outer diameter of the opening 25 of the bellows 20,
It is in contact with the outer periphery of the opening 25.

The annular receiving surface 39 of the lid 30 which is in contact with the O-ring 80 is a tapered surface which is inclined upward in the radial and inward directions. The annular receiving surface 79 of the pressing ring 75 that is in contact with the O-ring 80 is a tapered surface that inclines downward in the radial and inward directions. Therefore, the gap between the receiving surfaces 39 and 79 expands radially and inward.

The operation of the airtight structure between the bellows 20 and the lid 30 will be described. When the screwing of the fastening ring 70 is advanced, the pressing ring 75 placed on the flange 71 moves upward, and the receiving surface 79 of the pressing ring 75 and the receiving surface 39 of the lid 30 sandwich the O-ring 80. When the screwing of the tightening ring 70 is further advanced and tightened, the distance between the receiving surfaces 39 and 79 decreases, and the O-ring 80 is elastically deformed. Since the receiving surfaces 39 and 79 form a tapered surface, and the interval between the receiving surfaces 39 and 79 gradually increases in the radial and inward directions, the elastic deformation of the O-ring 80 faces in the radial and inward directions. The outer peripheral surface of the opening 25 of the bellows 20 is pressed strongly. In other words, the tightening force of the tightening ring 70 is converted into a force for pushing the O-ring 80 radially and inwardly by the tapering action of the receiving surfaces 39 and 79. As a result, the O-ring 80 is pressed against the receiving surfaces 39 and 79 and pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the opening 25, and the inner peripheral surface of the opening 25 at a position corresponding to the O-ring 80 is closed. Is strongly adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the first support portion 35.
As described above, the airtightness between the first support portion 35 of the lid 30 and the opening 25 of the bellows 20 can be remarkably improved by the strong adhesion at the two positions of the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the opening 25. it can.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, since the opening 25 of the bellows 20 is inserted into the annular groove 37 of the lid 30, the path from the internal space 22 of the bellows 20 to the O-ring 80 is very narrow and The length can be increased (the length of the path is indicated by L in the figure), and the airtightness between the lid 30 and the bellows 20 can be further improved.

As described above, since the airtightness between the bellows 20 and the lid 30 can be improved, for example, the container 10
When pressurized air is supplied to shrink the bellows 20,
It is possible to prevent air from entering the bellows 20 and also prevent the liquid crystal from leaking from the bellows 20.

Since the opening 25 of the bellows 20 is screwed into the first support portion 35, when the interior of the container 10 is vacuum-evacuated and the bellows 20 is switched from the contracted state to the extended state, the bellows 20 is pulled. Even if a force is applied, the mounted state of the bellows 20 can be stably maintained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can adopt various forms. For example, only one of the receiving surface 39 of the lid 30 and the receiving surface 79 of the pressing ring 75 may be a tapered surface.

[0026]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the tightening ring is tightened while the opening of the bellows is fitted to the outer periphery of the first support portion of the lid, so that the receiving surface of the lid can be secured. In order to press the O-ring provided between the receiving surface of the pressing ring and the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the bellows by utilizing at least one of the receiving surfaces of the pressing ring,
The airtightness between the bellows and the lid can be dramatically improved. According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the opening of the bellows is screwed to the first support of the lid, the mounted state of the bellows can be stably maintained. According to the invention of claim 3,
The airtightness can be further improved by inserting the opening into the annular groove of the lid. According to the invention of claim 4, the bellows is housed in the container, the bellows is contracted by supplying pressurized air into the container, the liquid in the bellows is supplied, and the bellows is sucked by vacuuming the inside of the container. The effects of claims 1 to 3 can be further exerted by applying the present invention to a device that is extended.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a liquid crystal supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing an airtight structure between a bellows and a lid in the device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a circuit of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Container 20 Bellows 25 Opening 25a Female screw 30 Lid 35 First support part 35a Male screw 36 Second support part 36a Male screw 39 Receiving surface 70 Fastening ring 75 Pressing ring 79 Receiving surface 80 O-ring

Claims (4)

[Claims] A bellows having an opening having a cylindrical shape, and a lid closing the opening of the bellows and having a supply passage communicating with an internal space of the bellows, wherein a liquid in the bellows is supplied with shrinkage of the bellows. In the liquid supply device that supplies a liquid through a supply passage of a lid, the lid has a first support portion having an outer periphery forming a cylindrical surface, and a first support portion having an outer periphery forming a cylindrical surface having a larger diameter than the first support portion. An opening portion of the bellows is fitted around an outer periphery of the first support portion, and a fastening ring is screwed onto an outer periphery of the first supporting portion; Has an annular flange protruding radially and inwardly, and a pressing ring is rotatably supported on the flange. An opening of the bellows is provided between the lid and the pressing ring. Touches the outer surface of the part A ring is disposed, and at least one of the annular receiving surface of the lid and the annular receiving surface of the pressing ring, which is in contact with the O-ring, has a tapered surface such that a gap between the two expands radially and inward. A liquid supply device comprising: 2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein an opening of the bellows is screwed to a first support of the lid. 3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein an annular groove is formed adjacent to the first support portion, and an opening of the bellows is inserted into the annular groove. Liquid supply device. 4. A container having a bottom for accommodating the bellows, wherein a lid is hermetically fixed to an open end of the container to seal an inner space of the container, and the container includes a container for contracting the bellows. The liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pressurized air supply unit is connected, and a vacuum suction unit for extending the bellows is connected.