JPH11239748A - Method and device for applying coating liquid on uneven substrate, method and apparatus for producing plasma display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve productivity by applying coating liquids substantially simultaneously and shortening a contact time when a coating liquid is applied on the recessed part of a substrate on which a constant uneven pattern is formed like a plasma display. SOLUTION: In a device for applying a coating liquid on an uneven substrate which is equipped with a table for fixing the substrate on which uneven parts are formed at a constant pitch stripewise in one direction, a coating liquid discharging device having opening parts facing the uneven parts of the substrate, coating liquid supplying devices for supplying the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharging device, and a moving means for relatively moving the table and the coating liquid discharging device three-dimensionally, the coating liquid discharging device has rows, arranged in the application direction, of opening parts which are arranged at an equal pitch perpendicularly to the application direction, and the number of the liquid supplying devices corresponds to the number of the rows arranged in the application direction of the opening parts of the coating liquid discharging device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma display panel in which a specific pattern of concavities and convexities is formed on a substrate, particularly
Apparatus and method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate, which can be applied to the application of a predetermined pattern on the inner surface of a panel of a striped black matrix type color picture tube, and a plasma display manufacturing apparatus using these apparatuses and methods And improvement of the manufacturing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, displays have become increasingly diversified in their system. One of the things that are currently attracting attention is a plasma display that is larger, thinner and lighter than conventional cathode ray tubes. That is, stripe-shaped uneven portions are formed on a glass substrate by partition walls extending in one direction at a constant pitch, and the concave portions of the uneven portions are filled with red (R), green (G), and blue (B) phosphors. Then, an arbitrary portion is caused to emit light by ultraviolet rays to achieve a predetermined color pattern.

The structure in which the phosphors are formed in a stripe shape also has a striped black matrix type color picture tube panel.

In order to manufacture such a structure with high productivity and high quality, it is important to apply phosphors in a predetermined pattern.

Usually, after a partition pattern is formed,
As shown in JP-A-144375, a phosphor of one color is screen-printed on the entire surface, and only a necessary portion is left by photolithography so that a highly accurate pattern can be obtained. However, in this method, R, G, B
In order to form each of the phosphor patterns described above, it is necessary to repeat the steps of coating, exposing, developing, and drying each color three times, which is costly and has a disadvantage that productivity is extremely poor.

As another method of simply forming a striped colored pattern on a glass substrate, there is a method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-1105 and 5-142407 using a nozzle. Since three colors are simultaneously applied to a substrate having a flat surface by a nozzle having a flat tip, this technique cannot be used as it is for a substrate having a surface having irregularities.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-134368,
JP-A-54-13250, JP-A-54-1325
No. 1 Publication and the like discloses a control device for preventing meandering or the like as a method of applying a predetermined phosphor to a concave portion between convex black matrices on the inner surface of a panel of a striped black matrix type color picture tube. It has been shown to use an improved nozzle arrangement having However, since a single nozzle is used, the method cannot be applied to a method of simultaneously applying to a plurality of uneven portions on the surface, and there is a problem that it takes time to apply using a single nozzle.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-92134 discloses a technique of forming partition walls in a stripe pattern on a flat substrate using a nozzle.
Although it is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-157, it is difficult to employ a process in which a coating liquid is applied with high accuracy along a concave portion of the uneven portion because the uneven portion is already formed on the substrate.

As described above, in the prior art, although the concept of simultaneously applying three colors using a nozzle on a flat substrate has been described, a base material having unevenness formed on the surface is used for each color. There is no known nozzle that overlaps in the coating direction so that the coating can be performed simultaneously. When the coating liquid is applied to a substrate having a large number of concave portions, the coating liquid is usually applied using a nozzle having a smaller number of discharge ports than the number of the concave portions.
When the number of concave portions of the base material is not an integral multiple of the number of discharge ports of the nozzle, a certain number of concave portions necessarily remain uncoated. However, no proposal has been made to properly address such issues.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of coating liquids in a plurality of recesses of a base material having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern formed thereon, such as a partition of a plasma display. When applying from a nozzle having
Substantially simultaneously, it is possible to efficiently apply, shorten the tact time for application, and greatly improve productivity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of applying a coating liquid to a substrate having a larger number of concave portions by using a nozzle having a plurality of discharge holes, and to repeatedly apply the surplus concave portions at the end of the application. Another object of the present invention is to further improve the productivity by allowing the substrate to be applied as it is so that the coating can be performed efficiently, eliminating the extra set time.

[0012]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an apparatus for applying a coating solution to an uneven substrate according to the present invention has uneven portions formed on a surface thereof at a constant pitch in a stripe shape in one direction. A table for fixing the uneven substrate, a coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings facing the uneven portions of the uneven substrate, a coating liquid supply device for supplying the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device, A coating device for applying a coating liquid to an uneven base material, the coating liquid discharging device comprising: a moving unit for relatively moving the liquid discharging device three-dimensionally; In the application direction, and the coating liquid supply device is provided in a number corresponding to the number of columns in the application direction of the opening of the coating liquid discharge device (first example). apparatus).

In the first apparatus, the openings in each of the plurality of rows are shifted from each other in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction. The shift amount is at least one pitch of the concave portion of the uneven substrate, and may be an integer multiple of this pitch.

Further, the coating apparatus further includes a coating liquid supply control unit for controlling each coating liquid supply apparatus such that the coating liquid is discharged from the openings of each row of the coating liquid discharge apparatus in the order of the coating direction. It is preferred to have a device. Further, the coating liquid discharging apparatus has a plurality of liquid pools and the same number of rows of openings in the coating direction, and each liquid pool is opened so that the same coating liquid can be discharged from the corresponding one row of openings. It is preferred that it is in communication with the corresponding part and also with the corresponding coating liquid supply port.

Further, the rows of the openings may be formed in one coating liquid discharge device (nozzle), or may be formed in separate nozzles, and the nozzles may be overlapped in a predetermined state. In the latter case, for example, the coating liquid discharging apparatus includes a discharging unit having a liquid reservoir, a coating liquid supply port communicating therewith, and openings arranged in a line at equal pitch in the longitudinal direction. Can be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction.

In this case, it is preferable to have a fine adjustment device capable of finely adjusting the relative position between the respective discharge units.
In particular, it is possible to adopt a mode in which three discharge units are provided, each corresponding to a coating liquid that emits red, green, and blue light.

Further, the apparatus for applying a coating liquid onto an uneven substrate according to the present invention comprises a table for fixing an uneven substrate having uneven portions formed on a surface thereof in one direction at a constant pitch in a stripe shape, A coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings facing the uneven portion of the material, a coating liquid supply device for supplying the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device, and a table and the coating liquid discharge device relatively moved in three dimensions; In a coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid onto an uneven substrate provided with a moving means, there are a plurality of types of coating liquid discharge apparatuses, including those having a smaller number of openings (second apparatus).

The method of applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to the present invention comprises the steps of: forming an uneven substrate having a surface on which uneven portions are formed in a stripe at a constant pitch in one direction; The coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings is relatively moved to supply the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device and discharge the coating liquid from the openings. A coating method for coating, wherein the coating liquid discharging device has a plurality of rows in the coating direction having openings arranged at equal pitches in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction, and further includes an opening of the coating liquid discharging device. The method is characterized in that a coating liquid is supplied from a number of coating liquid supply devices corresponding to the number of rows in the coating direction and coating is performed (first method).

In this coating method, the openings in each of the plurality of rows are shifted from each other in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction.
The coating liquid discharged from the openings in each row is applied to the different concave portions of the uneven substrate substantially simultaneously. Further, it is preferable that the timing of starting and ending the discharge of the coating liquid from the openings of each row of the coating liquid discharging apparatus is controlled by sequentially controlling the application direction.

Further, the coating liquid discharging apparatus has a plurality of liquid reservoirs and the same number of rows of openings in the coating direction, and each liquid reservoir discharges the same coating liquid from the corresponding one row of openings. It is preferable that the coating be performed using a material that communicates with the opening so as to be able to communicate with the corresponding coating liquid supply port.

The rows of the openings may be formed in one coating liquid discharge device (nozzle), or may be formed in separate nozzles, and the nozzles may be overlapped in a predetermined state.
In the latter case, for example, a coating liquid discharging apparatus is provided with a discharging unit having a liquid reservoir, a coating liquid supply port communicating therewith, and openings arranged in a line at equal pitch in the longitudinal direction. The coating direction may be perpendicular to the coating direction.

In this case, it is preferable to finely adjust the relative position between the respective discharge units so that the coating liquid can be discharged from the respective discharge units to the concave portions of the uneven base material.
In particular, it is possible to use three discharge units and apply a coating liquid that emits red, green, and blue light by each discharge unit.

The method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to the present invention comprises the steps of: forming an uneven substrate having a surface on which uneven portions are formed at a constant pitch in a stripe shape in one direction; And relatively moving the coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings facing the same, and discharges the coating liquid from the openings by supplying the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device, and into the concave portions of the uneven substrate. A coating method for applying a predetermined thickness, characterized in that the coating is performed using a plurality of coating liquid ejection devices including those having a smaller number of openings (second method).

The plasma display manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the coating liquid is a paste containing a phosphor powder that emits light in any one of red, green and blue colors. It is characterized by using a coating device.

Further, in the method of manufacturing a plasma display according to the present invention, the coating liquid is a paste containing a phosphor powder that emits light of any one of red, green and blue colors. The method is characterized by using a coating method.

In the above first apparatus and method, the coating liquid discharge apparatus (nozzle) has a plurality of, for example, three manifolds and three series of openings corresponding to each of the manifolds, and each row of the openings has a concave portion. It is shifted by an amount corresponding to the pitch. By using such a nozzle or a coating liquid discharging apparatus having a configuration in which three nozzles are overlapped in the coating direction so as to form an equivalent row of openings, each of the concave portions corresponding to the concave and convex base material is substantially Are applied simultaneously. Therefore, with one relative movement of the uneven substrate and the coating liquid discharge device, it is possible to efficiently apply a plurality of types of coating liquids, and by repeating this a predetermined number of times, over the entire coating area of the uneven substrate, Predetermined application can be performed in a short time.

That is, as in the prior art, if one color is applied by one nozzle, the same process must be repeated three times, and a long time is required for a predetermined application. Further, even if three nozzles corresponding to three colors are prepared and arranged in the width direction of the base material, the time can be reduced as compared with the case of repeating three times as described above. It is difficult, and it is not efficient because it cannot be applied to the same area of the substrate at one time. The present invention has satisfactorily solved such a drawback, and is capable of efficiently performing a predetermined application in a short time.

Further, by providing a fine adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of nozzles, the opening can be positioned with higher accuracy with respect to the concave portion of the uneven substrate, so that more accurate and uniform coating can be performed. It is possible to do. Furthermore, by providing a control device that shifts the discharge timing of the coating liquid supply device (pump) by the amount of nozzle displacement (the amount of displacement of the opening row), even if the row of openings is arranged in the coating direction, The discharge start timing and the discharge end timing for each material from each row can be matched. Therefore, even when a plurality of types of coating liquids are applied, each coating liquid can be applied accurately in accordance with the start position and the end position of the application area of the substrate, and the quality of the coated product can be improved. Can be measured.

In the second apparatus and method, as described above, when a coating liquid is applied to a substrate having a larger number of concave portions by using a nozzle having a plurality of discharge holes, it is necessary to repeat the process. There may be a few recesses at the end of coating, but even in such a case, by providing a special nozzle with this nozzle, coating can be performed even if the base material set is left as it is. Further, it is possible to further improve productivity by omitting an extra set time and the like.

By manufacturing a plasma display using such an apparatus and method, it is possible to efficiently apply the coating liquid to the concave portions of the uneven substrate in a shorter time, and to obtain a plasma display of excellent quality. Can be manufactured stably, and the tact time can be shortened, which can contribute to a reduction in manufacturing costs.

[0031]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 are views used to explain the overall configuration of a coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the coating apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a table 6 and a nozzle 20 of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the nozzle 20 of FIG. 1 viewed from below. FIG.
FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 show the structure of a coating liquid ejection device (nozzle) according to an embodiment of the present invention, among the coating devices.

First, the overall configuration of the coating liquid coating apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 shows an example of a coating apparatus applied to manufacture of a plasma display panel according to the present invention. This coating apparatus includes a base 2. A pair of guide groove rails 8 is provided on the base 2, and a table 6 is arranged on the guide groove rails 8. A plurality of suction holes 7 are provided on the upper surface of the table 6 so that the substrate 4 having the surface formed with stripes in one direction at a constant pitch can be fixed to the table surface by vacuum suction. ing. The base material 4 is moved up and down on the table 6 by lift pins (not shown). Further, the table 6 is reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction on the guide groove rail 8 via the slide legs 9.

A feed screw 10 constituting a feed screw mechanism shown in FIG. 2 is provided between the pair of guide groove rails 8.
Nut-shaped connector 11 fixed to the lower surface of table 6
Extends through it. Both ends of the feed screw 10 are rotatably supported by bearings 12, and an AC servomotor 16 is connected to one end.

As shown in FIG. 1, above the table 6, a nozzle 20, which is a coating liquid discharging device, is connected via a holder 22 to a lifting mechanism 30 and a width direction moving mechanism 36. The elevating mechanism 30 includes an elevating bracket 28 that can be moved up and down, and is attached to a pair of guide rods inside the casing of the elevating mechanism 30 so as to be able to move up and down. A feed screw (not shown) composed of a ball screw is also rotatably disposed in the casing between the guide rods, and is connected to the lifting bracket 28 via a nut-type connector. Further, an AC servomotor (not shown) is connected to the upper end of the feed screw, and the lifting bracket 28 can be arbitrarily moved up and down by rotation of the AC servomotor.

Further, the elevating mechanism 30 is moved by a width-direction moving mechanism 36 via a Y-axis moving bracket 32 (actuator).
It is connected to the. The width direction moving mechanism 36 is for moving the Y-axis moving bracket 32 reciprocally in the width direction of the nozzle 20, that is, in the Y-axis direction. The guide rod, feed screw, nut-type connector, AC servomotor, etc. necessary for the operation are provided with a lifting mechanism 3 inside the casing.
It is arranged in the same way as 0. The width direction moving mechanism 36 is fixed on the base 2 by the columns 34.

With these configurations, the nozzle 20 can be freely moved in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions.

The nozzle 20 extends horizontally in the direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction of the table 6, that is, in the Y-axis direction.
A U-shaped holder 22 for directly holding the holder is rotatably supported in an elevating bracket 28, and can freely rotate in a vertical direction in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

Above the holder 22, a horizontal bar 24 is also fixed to a lifting bracket 28. This horizontal bar 2
4 are electromagnetically actuated linear actuators 2 at both ends.
6 is attached. This linear actuator 2
Numeral 6 has telescopic rods projecting from the lower surface of the horizontal bar 24, and these telescopic rods can regulate the rotation angle of the holder 22 by contacting both ends of the holder 22. The degree can be set arbitrarily.

Still referring to FIG. 1, an inverted L-shaped sensor support 38 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 2, and the tip (top) of the convex portion of the base material 4 on the table 6 (height) )
Is mounted. Next to the height sensor 40, a camera 72 for detecting the position of the concave portion between the partition walls of the base material 4 is attached to the column 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 72 is connected to the image processing device 7.
4, and can quantitatively determine a change in the position of the concave portion between the partition walls.

Further, a sensor 66 for detecting the vertical position of the lower end surface (opening surface) of the nozzle 20 having an opening with respect to the table 6 is attached to one end of the table 6 via a sensor bracket 64. I have.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 20 has a manifold 41 filled with a coating liquid 42, and an ejection hole 44, which is an opening, is arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction on the opening end surface 45. (See FIG. 3). And this discharge hole 4
4, the coating liquid 42 is discharged. A supply hose 46 is connected to the nozzle 40.
8, a supply unit 50, a suction hose 52, an electromagnetic switching valve for suction 54, and a coating liquid tank 56. The coating liquid 42 is stored in the coating liquid tank 56. The coating liquid 42
It is composed of a paste containing a phosphor powder that emits light of any of red, green and blue colors.

Specific examples of the supply unit 50 include a piston, a constant displacement pump such as a diaphragm type, a tubing pump, a gear pump, a motor pump, and a pressure feed controller for pushing out a liquid by gas pressure. In response to a control signal from the supply device controller 58, the supply unit 50 and each of the electromagnetic switching valves are operated to suck the coating liquid 42 from the coating liquid tank 56 and supply the coating liquid 42 to the nozzle 20. be able to. In order to stabilize the suction operation of the coating liquid 42 from the coating liquid tank 56 to the constant volume pump, pressure may be applied to the coating liquid tank 56 with a gas such as air or nitrogen. The magnitude of the pressure is preferably 0.01 to 1 MPa, particularly preferably 0.02 to 0.5 MPa.

The feeder controller is further electrically connected to the general controller 60. The general controller 60 includes an image processing device 74 of a camera 72 such as a motor controller 62 and electric inputs of the height sensor 40.
All the control information, such as information from the computer, is electrically connected, so that the entire sequence control can be performed. The general controller 60 may be a computer, a sequencer, or any controller having a control function.

The motor controller 62 includes the AC servomotor 16 for driving the table 6 and the lifting mechanism 30.
And each actuator 7 of the width direction moving mechanism 36
6, 78 (for example, an AC servomotor), a signal from a position sensor 68 for detecting the moving position of the table 6, and a linear sensor (not shown) for each of the Y and Z axes for detecting the operating position of the nozzle 20. Is input. Instead of using the position sensor 68, an encoder may be incorporated in the AC servomotor 16 and the position of the table 6 may be detected based on a pulse signal output from the encoder.

Next, before describing the nozzles shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a coating method using this coating apparatus will be described first. First, when the origin return of each operation unit in the coating apparatus is performed, the table 6 and the nozzle 20 are respectively set to X.
Move to the preparation position of the axis, Y axis and Z axis. At this time, the coating liquid has already been filled from the coating liquid tank 56 to the nozzle 20, and the discharge electromagnetic switching valve 48 is opened and the suction electromagnetic switching valve 54 is closed. Then, lift pins (not shown) rise on the surface of the table 6, and the base material 4, whose partitions are formed in a stripe pattern at a constant pitch, is placed on the lift pins from a loader (not shown).

Next, the lift pins are lowered to place the substrate 4 on the upper surface of the table 6, and after the positioning on the table 6 is performed by an alignment device (not shown), the substrate 2 is sucked.

Next, the table 6 moves until the partition (the top of the convex portion) of the base material 4 comes just below the camera 72 and the height sensor 40, and stops. The position of the camera 72 is adjusted in advance so as to project the end of the partition wall on the base material 4 positioned on the table 6, and the position of the endmost concave portion is detected by image processing, and the position change from the camera reference point is performed. Find the quantity la. On the other hand, the reference point of the camera 72 and the nozzle 20 fixed to the holder 22 at the predetermined Y-axis coordinate position Ya
The length lb between the discharge holes 44 located at the end of the partition is measured at the time of advance adjustment, and is input to the overall controller 60 as information. When the change amount la is transmitted, the Y-axis coordinate value Yc at which the discharge hole 44 located at the end of the nozzle 20 is directly above the concave portion at the end of the partition wall is calculated (for example, Yc = Y).
a + lb-la), the nozzle 20 is moved to that position. The same function can be obtained by attaching the camera 72 to the nozzle 20 or the holder 22.

In the meantime, the height sensor 40 detects the vertical position of the top of the partition wall of the base material 4 and calculates the height of the top of the partition wall of the base material 4 from the difference in position from the upper surface of the table 6. To this height, a predetermined gap value between the opening of the nozzle 20 and the top of the partition wall of the substrate 4 is added, and a value to be lowered on the Z-axis linear sensor of the nozzle 20 is calculated. Move the nozzle to the position. Thus, even if the top position of the partition on the table 6 changes for each substrate, the gap between the opening of the nozzle 20 important for coating and the top of the partition on the substrate can always be kept constant.

Next, the operation is started by directing the table 6 toward the nozzle 20, and the speed is increased to a predetermined coating speed before the coating start position of the base material 4 reaches just below the opening of the nozzle 20. . The distance between the operation start position of the table 6 and the application start position must be sufficiently ensured that the speed can be increased to the application speed.

Further, the application start position of the substrate 4 is
A position sensor 68 for detecting the position of the table 6 is disposed immediately below the opening of the table 6.
When this reaches this position, the operation of the supply unit 50 is started, and the supply of the coating liquid 42 to the nozzle 20 is started. In order for the coating liquid 42 discharged from the opening of the nozzle 20 to reach the base material 4, a time delay occurs by the gap between the base material and the nozzle opening. Therefore, by supplying the coating liquid 42 to the nozzle 20 in advance, a predetermined amount of the coating liquid 42 discharged from the nozzle 20 is applied to the substrate 4 when the coating start position of the base material 4 is just below the opening of the nozzle 20. , The application can be started with almost no thickness unevenness. The position where the supply of the coating liquid 42 is started can be adjusted by changing the installation location of the position sensor 68. This position sensor 6
When an encoder is connected to the motor or the feed screw or a linear sensor is attached to the table instead of 8, a similar operation can be performed even if the value is detected by the encoder or the linear sensor.

In the application, the application end position of the substrate 4 is
The process is performed until the position is just below the opening of 0. That is,
Since the base material 4 is always placed at a predetermined position on the table 6, the coating end position of the base material 4 is (a) 5 mm before, for example, just below the opening of the nozzle 20, or (b) just below. The position sensor and its encoder value are set in advance at the position of the table 6 corresponding to the position
When the table 6 comes to the position corresponding to (a), a stop command is issued from the general controller 60 to the supply device controller 58 to stop supplying the coating liquid 42 to the nozzle 20.
The squeegee coating is performed up to the position (b), and when the table 6 comes to the position corresponding to the position (b), the nozzle 20 is raised to completely turn off the coating liquid 42. When the coating liquid 42 is a liquid having a relatively high viscosity, it is difficult to stop the supply of the coating liquid from the opening of the nozzle 20 due to the residual pressure instantaneously simply by stopping the supply of the coating liquid. Therefore, when the supply of the coating liquid is stopped, the manifold 4 in the nozzle 20 is stopped.
When the pressure is set to atmospheric pressure, the discharge of the coating liquid from the opening can be stopped in a short time. Therefore, the supply unit may be provided with such a function, or the discharge electromagnetic switching valve 48 to the nozzle 20 of the supply unit may be provided. It is desirable to provide an atmosphere release valve between them.

The table 6 continues to operate even after passing the coating end position, and stops when it reaches the end position. At this time, if the portion to be applied still remains, the nozzle is moved by the application width (nozzle pitch × number of holes) in the Y-axis direction to the next start position to be applied, and then the table 6 is moved in the opposite direction. Coating is performed in the same procedure except that it is moved. 1
If the application is performed in the same moving direction of the table 6 as the first time, the nozzle 20 is moved in the Y-axis direction to the next start position to be applied, and the table 6 is returned to the X-axis preparation position.

When the coating process is completed, the table 6 is moved to the place where the substrate 4 is transferred by the unloader and stopped, and the suction of the substrate 4 is released, and the substrate 4 is released to the atmosphere. The material 4 is separated from the surface of the table 6 and lifted.

At this time, the lower surface of the substrate 4 is held by an unloader (not shown), and the substrate 4 is transported to the next step. When the substrate 4 is delivered to the unloader, the table 6 lowers the lift pins and returns to the original position.

At this time, the discharge electromagnetic switching valve 48 is closed,
With the suction electromagnetic switching valve 54 opened, the supply unit 5
0 is operated, and the coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid tank 56 in an amount necessary for coating one substrate.

In the present invention, a coating liquid discharge device (nozzle) 100 of the type shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example, is used for applying the coating liquid as described above. 4 and 5
Nozzle 100 of the type shown in FIG.
02A, 102B, and 102C, to each of which a coating liquid containing a phosphor powder that emits red, green, and blue light is supplied. Each manifold 102A,
102B and 102C are coating liquid supply ports 104A and
4B, 104C. In addition, the discharge ports 108 for the coating liquid are arranged in a line in the width direction so as to correspond to each of the manifolds 102A, 102B, and 102C, thereby forming the opening rows 106A, 106B, and 106C. Each opening row 106A, 106B, 106C is
Each is fluidly connected to (communicates with) the manifolds 102A, 102B, 102C, and can discharge different coating liquids for each row of openings.

The coating liquid supply ports 104A, 104B, 1
Numeral 04C is connected to a separate coating liquid supply device, for example, a supply unit including the above-described pump, and the start and end timings and discharge amounts of the coating liquid are separately supplied to each of the opening rows 106A, 106B, and 106C. Can be set.

Further, in the present embodiment, the discharge ports 108 of each opening row are arranged at three pitches (p) of the concave portions of the base material 4 in each row, that is, at a pitch of 3p in the width direction of the base material 4 (p). (The width direction of the nozzle 100). Further, each row is shifted by one pitch (p) of the concave portion.
This makes it possible to apply the three types of coating liquids sequentially and periodically only to the concave portions. In addition, the pitch (p) of the concave portion is 100 to 100 in the plasma display substrate.
It is about 500 μm.

Further, a tip portion (tip surface) 110 where the discharge port 108 of the nozzle 100 is open protrudes from other portions. The protrusion 110 is continuous in the width direction for each opening row, but is interrupted in the application direction. This is to improve the liquid drainage in the coating direction.
In other words, if the discharge ports are in the same plane in the coating direction, the liquid may flow along this surface and mix with the next coating liquid, which may cause inconvenience. We prevent inconvenience.

This coating liquid discharge device (nozzle) 100 is shown in FIG.
Is applied in place of the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. However, at this time, simply attaching the nozzle 100 in place of the nozzle 20 and simultaneously supplying and discharging the three colors of coating liquids may apply or coat unnecessary portions at the beginning and end of the base material 4. There arises a problem that a part to be applied is not applied. That is, the supply of the coating liquid must be controlled for each opening row at the beginning and end of the substrate.

For example, when the substrate 4 travels in the application direction, first, the coating liquid is discharged from the opening row 106A, and then the discharge timing is delayed in the opening rows 106B and 106C. At the end, the opening row 106
The control timing is delayed so that the discharge of the coating liquid is stopped in the order of A, 106B, and 106C. The time for delaying the coating operation for each opening row depends on the coating speed and the length of the coating direction between the opening rows. Discharge of coating liquid for each opening row
In order to change the timing of the stop, each coating liquid supply port 10
The operation control timing of the coating liquid supply device connected to 4A, 104B, and 104C is changed.

By controlling such ejection timing,
The coating liquid discharged from each of the opening rows 106A, 106B, 106C is accurately applied from a desired start position, and the discharge is stopped at a desired end position.

Each of the coating liquid supply ports 104A, 104B,
The coating liquid supplied to 104C may be the same or three different liquids. When applying a phosphor for a plasma display, a coating liquid corresponding to red, green, and blue is supplied.

FIGS. 6 to 9 show the structure of a coating liquid discharge device (nozzle) according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, three nozzles 200A, 200B, 20
0C are superposed in the application direction. Each nozzle 200A,
Each of 200B and 200C has a manifold 202 as a reservoir and a coating liquid supply port 204 and a discharge port 208 communicating therewith, as shown in FIGS. The discharge ports 208 are arranged in a row in the width direction to form an opening row 206. In this embodiment, the discharge port 2
The arrangement pitch of 08 is three pitches (3p) of the pitch (p) of the concave portion of the base material 4. And the nozzle 20
0A, 200B, and 200C are attached such that each opening row is shifted by the pitch (p) of the concave portion of the base material 4,
In a certain application region of the base material 4, the coating liquid can be applied to all the concave portions in the application region.

Each of the coating liquid supply ports 204 may be supplied with the coating liquid from a separate coating liquid supply device, or may be supplied with the same coating liquid supply device. As described in the section of the embodiment, in order to accurately apply a predetermined portion at the leading / ending portion of the base material 4, the discharge operation of the coating liquid is individually controlled using separate coating liquid supply devices. Have to do it.

The nozzles 200A, 200B, 200
Since C is mounted on the same elevating device, all three move up and down simultaneously and move in the Y-axis direction (width direction).

The nozzles 200A, 200B, 200C
The fine adjustment devices 220 and 23 as shown in FIG.
It is preferable to perform the adjustment through 0 because the relative position between the Y axis and the Z axis (elevation direction) can be easily adjusted. Fine adjustment mechanism 22
0, 230 may be of substantially the same configuration, for example, micrometer heads 222, 224, 232, 2
By rotating the nozzle 34, the nozzles 200B and 200C can be moved by a small amount in the Y axis and the Z axis (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface). This makes it possible to correct the pitch deviation of the openings in the Y axis (width direction) and the deviation of the clearance, which is the gap between the opening of each nozzle and the substrate.

Further, in the present invention, the following measures can be taken even for a few concave portions of the base material 4. For example, in FIG. 1, another lifting unit 300 and a nozzle 320 attached to it are provided (shown in parentheses in FIG. 1). Both the nozzle 20 and the nozzle 320 have the same structure as the nozzle 200 shown in FIGS. The nozzle 320 has a smaller number of discharge ports than the nozzle 20, and when applying with the nozzle 20, at the time of the final application of repeated coating, the number of discharge ports of the nozzle 20 is larger than the number of discharge ports and the portion other than the application area is coated. It is used in the case where it is done, so that it can be applied exactly for several minutes of the concave portion. Nozzle 3
The smaller the number of 20 is, the wider the range that can cope with the surplus number is. In particular, if the number of discharge ports is one, it can cope with any case, but the number of times of application increases and the efficiency decreases. If the specifications of the irregular substrate to be applied are known in advance, the number of discharge ports that requires the minimum number of application times should be selected so that they can be accommodated.

In the present embodiment, the nozzle 320 is connected to a coating liquid supply device different from the nozzle 20 so that the operation of discharging the coating liquid can be controlled independently. Further, the nozzle 320 may be attached to the same elevating unit 30 as the nozzle 20. In this case, it is desirable that the vertical positions of the openings be substantially the same.

Further, in the above embodiment, the application example in which the base material moves in the X-axis direction and the nozzle moves in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions has been described. The table and the nozzle may be moved in any manner as long as the structure and the form can be moved three-dimensionally.

In the above-described embodiment, the application is performed by moving the table and the unevenness in the pitch direction is moved by moving the nozzle. However, the application is performed by moving the nozzle and moving the unevenness in the pitch direction. May be performed by moving the table.

Further, the substrate in the present invention may be any sheet-like material such as an iron plate, an aluminum plate, etc., in addition to a glass plate. Further, the case where one type of coating liquid is applied has been described in detail, but the present invention can be applied to a case where phosphors of three colors such as red, blue, and green are applied simultaneously.

[0073]

As described above in detail, according to the apparatus and method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to the present invention, a plurality of types of coating liquids can be applied substantially simultaneously and efficiently. In addition, productivity can be improved by shortening the tact time.

Further, a plurality of nozzles having a plurality of openings are provided, and one of the nozzles has a smaller number of openings than the other nozzles. Can be applied with the substrate as it is. As a result, wasted time can be saved and productivity can be further improved.

According to the apparatus and method for manufacturing a plasma display of the present invention, since the apparatus and method for applying a coating liquid to the uneven substrate are used, a high quality plasma display panel can be manufactured with high productivity and at low cost. Can be manufactured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the overall configuration of a coating liquid application apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration around a table and a nozzle of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the nozzle in the apparatus of FIG. 1 as viewed from below.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a coating liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the coating liquid ejection device of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a coating liquid ejection device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of one nozzle in the coating liquid ejection device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the nozzle of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a fine adjustment device attached to the coating liquid ejection device of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Base 4 Base 6 Table 8 Guide groove rail 10 Feed screw 16 AC servomotor 20 Nozzle 26 Linear actuator 30 Lifting mechanism 36 Width moving mechanism 40 Height sensor 42 Coating liquid 44 Opening (discharge hole) 45 Opening surface Reference Signs List 50 supply unit 56 coating liquid tank 58 supply device controller 60 general controller 66 sensor 72 camera 100, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C, 32
0 Coating liquid discharge device (nozzle) 102A, 102B, 102C, 202 Manifold (liquid reservoir) 104A, 104B, 104C, 204 Coating liquid supply ports 106A, 106B, 106C, 206 Opening row 108, 208 Discharge holes 220, 230 Fine adjustment device 300 lifting mechanism

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A coating liquid having a table for fixing an uneven base material having uneven portions formed on the surface thereof in one direction in a stripe pattern at a constant pitch, and a plurality of openings facing the uneven portions of the uneven substrate. Apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate, comprising: a discharge device; a coating liquid supply device for supplying a coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device; and a moving means for three-dimensionally moving the table and the coating liquid discharge device relative to each other. In the coating liquid discharge device, the coating liquid has a plurality of rows of openings arranged at equal pitches in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction in the coating direction, and the coating liquid supply device further includes a coating liquid An apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an uneven base material, wherein the coating liquid is provided in a number corresponding to the number of rows. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the openings in each of the plurality of rows are shifted from each other in a direction perpendicular to a coating direction. 3. A coating liquid supply control device for controlling each coating liquid supply device so as to perform a coating liquid discharge operation from an opening of each row of the coating liquid discharge device in the order of application. Item 6. An apparatus for applying a coating liquid to the uneven substrate according to item 1 or 2. 4. A coating liquid discharging apparatus has a plurality of liquid reservoirs and a plurality of rows of openings in the same direction in the application direction, and each liquid reservoir can discharge the same coating liquid from a corresponding one row of openings. The apparatus for applying a coating liquid to the uneven substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coating liquid communicates with the opening and the corresponding coating liquid supply port. 5. A coating liquid discharging apparatus comprising: a discharging unit having a liquid reservoir, a coating liquid supply port communicating therewith, and openings arranged in a line at a constant pitch in a longitudinal direction; The apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is configured by arranging a plurality of units in an arrangement direction perpendicular to the application direction. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a fine adjustment device capable of finely adjusting a relative position between the respective discharge units. 7. An apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an uneven base material according to claim 5, wherein there are three discharge units, each of which corresponds to a coating liquid that emits red, green and blue light. 8. A table for fixing an uneven base material having uneven portions formed on a surface thereof in one direction in a stripe pattern at a constant pitch, and a coating liquid having a plurality of openings facing the uneven portions of the uneven base material. Apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate, comprising: a discharge device; a coating liquid supply device for supplying a coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device; and a moving means for three-dimensionally moving the table and the coating liquid discharge device relative to each other. Wherein there are a plurality of types of coating liquid discharge devices, including those having a smaller number of openings, wherein the coating liquid is applied to the uneven base material. 9. An uneven base material having uneven portions formed on a surface thereof in one direction in a stripe pattern at a constant pitch, and a coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings facing the uneven portions of the uneven base material. A coating method for supplying the coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device and discharging the coating liquid from the opening, and applying a predetermined thickness to the concave portion of the uneven substrate, A plurality of coating liquid supply devices having openings arranged at equal pitches in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction and having a plurality of rows in the coating direction. A method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate, comprising supplying a coating liquid from the substrate and applying the coating liquid. 10. The openings in each of the plurality of rows are shifted from each other in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction, and the coating liquid discharged from the openings in each of the rows is placed in different recesses of the uneven base material. The method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to claim 9, wherein the coating liquid is applied substantially simultaneously. 11. The uneven base according to claim 9, wherein the timing of starting and ending the discharge of the coating liquid from the openings of each row of the coating liquid discharge device is controlled in order in the coating direction. How to apply the coating liquid to the material. 12. A coating liquid discharging apparatus having a plurality of liquid reservoirs and a plurality of rows of openings in the same direction in the coating direction, wherein each liquid pool discharges the same coating liquid from a corresponding one row of openings. The application of the coating liquid to the uneven substrate according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the coating liquid is applied by using one that is in communication with the opening so as to be able to communicate with the corresponding coating liquid supply port. Coating method. 13. A coating liquid discharging apparatus, comprising: a discharging unit having a liquid reservoir, a coating liquid supply port communicating therewith, and openings arranged in a line at equal pitch in a longitudinal direction. The method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the coating is performed using a plurality of units arranged in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction. 14. The uneven substrate according to claim 13, wherein the relative position between the discharge units is finely adjusted so that the coating liquid can be discharged from each of the discharge units to the concave portions of the uneven substrate. How to apply the coating liquid. 15. The method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven substrate according to claim 13, wherein the number of the discharging units is three, and each of the discharging units applies a coating liquid that emits red, green and blue light. . 16. An uneven base material having uneven portions formed on the surface thereof in a stripe pattern at a constant pitch in one direction, and a coating liquid discharge device having a plurality of openings facing the uneven portions of the uneven base material. A coating method of relatively moving, and supplying a coating liquid to the coating liquid discharge device and discharging the coating liquid from the opening, and applying a predetermined thickness to the concave portion of the uneven substrate, wherein the number of openings is smaller. A method for applying a coating liquid to an uneven base material, wherein the coating is performed using a plurality of coating liquid discharge devices including a coating material. 17. The coating liquid application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating liquid is a paste containing a phosphor powder that emits light of any one of red, green and blue colors. An apparatus for manufacturing a plasma display, comprising: 18. A method for applying a coating liquid according to claim 9, wherein the coating liquid is a paste containing a phosphor powder that emits light in any one of red, green and blue colors. A method for manufacturing a plasma display, comprising: