JPS62275225A - Dispersing method for spacer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To disperse a spacer uniformly over an electrode substrate by inhibiting the electrode substrate from contacting an injection atmosphere while the injection of the spacer is carried on, and exposing the electrode substrate to an atomization atmosphere after the dispersed liquid fills a chamber. CONSTITUTION:The spacer dispersed liquid begins to be injected from a nozzle 5. The injection is carried out for a certain time and the dispersed liquid is dispersed during this period without being dripped nor atomized, but the electrode A is shielded by closed shield pieces 7 from the injection atmosphere, so it is not affected at all. Then, the injection of the dispersed liquid is stopped and dispersion or the large-mass dispersed liquid which is not atomized settles to form the atomization atmosphere filling the chamber 1 stably; and then the shield pieces 7 are opened by a liquid pressure cylinder 8. The opening operation of the shield pieces 7 by the liquid cylinder 8 is carried out with a command signal from a timer operating in synchronism with, for example, the injection time and the electrode substrate A contacts the stable atomization atmosphere.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to the manufacture of liquid crystal cells, and more specifically, the present invention relates to the manufacture of liquid crystal cells. This invention relates to a method of dispersing spacers evenly on the surface.

[Prior Art] A liquid crystal cell, which is known as a constituent material of various displays, has a pair of electrode substrates that are superposed with a predetermined distance between them with a spacer interposed therebetween, and It is composed of sealed liquid crystal material.

Plastic beads or glass fibers having a predetermined particle size or wire diameter are generally used as the spacers, and when forming a cell, the spacers are scattered on one electrode substrate in advance, and the spacers are sandwiched between the other electrode substrates. The electrode substrates are polymerized, and at the same time, the corner edges of both electrode substrates are adhesively sealed using a sealing material such as a resin adhesive. In order to scatter spacers on one of the electrode substrates, a method schematically shown in FIG. 4 has conventionally been adopted.

That is, a spray device 4 connected to a spacer supply pipe 2 and a compressed air supply pipe 3 is installed in the upper part of a chamber 1 constituting a spray chamber, and a dispersion liquid in which spacers are mixed in a solvent such as alcohol or fluorocarbon is supplied. A method is adopted in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzle 5 and sprayed onto the surface of the 1iiti substrate A placed on the plywood 6.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-described method of dispersing spacers, the dispersion liquid drips from the nozzle, and the dispersion liquid that has not been atomized is scattered, causing the spacers to be damaged by electricity! It is difficult to always uniformly distribute the spacer on the MW plate, and if it is extremely unevenly distributed, problems such as the spacer becoming visible even when taken internally after cell formation and the electrode substrate spacing becoming uneven occur.

The present invention aims to solve the technical problem of uniformly scattering spacers on an electrode substrate.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention intermittently injects a spacer dispersion liquid into a chamber, and during the continuation of the injection, the contact between the injection atmosphere and the electrode substrate is cut off, After the chamber is filled with the spacer dispersion atomized by the intermittent injection, the atomized atmosphere is brought into contact with the N-electrode substrate.

In addition to spraying the spacer as a dispersion mixed with a solvent such as alcohol or fluorocarbon, dry spraying may be used to transport the spacer particles directly by air, or a known airless spraying method may be used. You can also do it.

One form of bringing the above-mentioned mist atmosphere into contact with the electrode substrate is carried out by removing from the chamber a blocking piece that has prevented the contact between the above-mentioned spray IJJ atmosphere and the electrode substrate; This is done by introducing the electrode substrate into the chamber in synchronization with the formation of the atmosphere.

[Function] Therefore, according to the method of the present invention, droplets from the nozzle that occur during spraying of the dispersion liquid and scattering of the dispersion liquid without being atomized due to its large mass are suppressed, and a stable mist atmosphere is created in the chamber. Since the spacers are brought into contact with the electrode substrate after the formation, the spacers can be very uniformly scattered on the electrode substrate.

[Example] The method of the present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a chamber forming a spray chamber, and a spray device 4 connected to a spacer supply pipe 2 and a compressed air supply pipe 3 is provided at the upper part of the chamber. The compressed air supply pipe 3 communicates with a compressed air source (also not shown). Polystyrene beads having a predetermined particle size (for example, about 4 to 20μ) or glass Iln having a predetermined wire diameter are used for the spacer, and the spacer dispersion is intermittently and It is designed to be sprayed over a wide angle. Reference numeral 6 denotes a base plate forming the bottom surface of the chamber 1, and an appropriate number of electrode substrates A for liquid crystal cells to be mounted are set on the base plate 6 through opening/closing and returning (not shown). Reference numeral 7 denotes a pair of blocking pieces that close to and directly above the set electrode substrate A, and are configured to penetrate both side walls of the chamber 1 so as to be openable and closable, and are connected to, for example, a fluid pressure cylinder 8 (not shown). The drive is controlled via a solenoid operated valve.

In this embodiment, first, the electrode substrate A is set on the base plate 6,
After the opening of the blocking piece 7 based on the drive of the fluid pressure cylinder 8, the injection of the spacer dispersion liquid from the nozzle 5 is started by the control I tW command. The injection continues for a certain period of time, and during this period, droplets from the nozzle 5 and scattering of the dispersion without being atomized occur, but the electrode substrate A is closed by the closed blocking piece 7.
Since contact with the above-mentioned injection atmosphere is cut off by this, it is not affected by it in any way. Thereafter, the injection of the dispersion liquid is stopped, and when the scattering of the un-atomized dispersion liquid with a large mass has subsided and a mist atmosphere stably filled in the chamber 1 has been created, the 'Ix fragment 7 is It will be released. The opening operation of the blocking piece 7 by the fluid pressure cylinder 8 is performed by a command signal from a timer or the like that operates in synchronization with the injection time, for example. In this way, the 'd1 electrode substrate A is allowed to come into contact with the above-mentioned stable atomized atmosphere, so that the spacers carried by the atomized dispersion liquid falling under its own weight are extremely exposed to the electrode substrate A. It is evenly scattered and coated.

FIG. 3(a) is an enlarged view showing the state in which spacers are uniformly scattered on the electrode substrate A in this way, and the third
Figure (b) is an enlarged view showing, for reference, a state in which the substrates are unevenly distributed by the conventional method.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a second embodiment of the apparatus for implementing the method of the present invention, which is the same as the conventional example and the first embodiment.
Or equivalent components are indicated by the same reference numerals.

In this embodiment, a chamber 1 is arranged on the trajectory of an endless carrier 9, and a shutter 1o is provided at the lower part of both side walls of the chamber 1 to allow the electrode substrate A transferred by the endless carrier 9 to enter and exit. The shutter 10 is opened and closed appropriately by a shutter opening/closing device 11. The endless conveyor 9 is operated intermittently or continuously, but in any case, the chamber 1 is kept empty while the dispersion is being sprayed, and then the chamber 1 is coated. [The electrode substrate A is in the standby position, and the electrode substrate A is introduced into the chamber 1 through the shutter 10rlIA port, which is opened in synchronization with the injection being stopped and a stable mist atmosphere being created in the chamber 1.] Ru.

Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the electrode substrate A is contacted only with the stable atomized atmosphere after the injection of the dispersion liquid is stopped, so that the spacers are extremely uniformly scattered and coated on the electrode substrate A. .

In both of the above examples, the density of spacers on the electrode substrate A is generally 50 to 50, depending on the concentration of the dispersion liquid and the amount of ejection.
The number of spacers is adjusted to about 150 pieces/10 mm2, but in particular, the efficient dispersion of spacers by the continuous operation of the endless conveyor 9 depends on the concentration of the dispersion liquid, the amount of ejection, the transfer speed of the endless conveyor 9, and the electrode substrate. This can be fully achieved by adjusting and setting the arrangement interval of A.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the spraying of spacers onto the electrode substrate by the method of the present invention is such that the spraying is stopped and the spacer dispersion is sprayed from the nozzle without bringing the electrode substrate into contact with the atmosphere in which the spacer dispersion is sprayed in the chamber. After the dropping of the liquid and the scattering of the un-atomized dispersion have subsided and a mist-like atmosphere that stably fills the chamber has been created, the mist-like atmosphere is brought into contact with the electrode substrate. Therefore, the spacers can be scattered extremely uniformly on the electrode substrate without extreme uneven distribution. If a spacer is placed underneath during the process of continuously transporting the electrode substrate, it can contribute to making the processing process more self-supporting and improving productivity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show a first diagram of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention.
and a schematic diagram showing the second embodiment; FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the state in which spacers are scattered; (a) is an enlarged view showing the method according to the present invention; (b) is an enlarged view showing the method according to the conventional method; FIG. FIG. 1... Chamber 4... Spray device 5...
Nozzle 6... Base plate 7... Blocking piece
9... Endless carrier 10... Shutter 11... Shutter opening/closing device A... Electrode substrate

Claims (1)

[Claims] intermittently injecting a spacer dispersion into the chamber, and cutting off contact between the injection atmosphere and the electrode substrate while the injection continues;
A method for dispersing spacers, characterized in that after a chamber is filled with a spacer dispersion atomized by the above-mentioned intermittent injection, the atomized atmosphere is brought into contact with an electrode substrate.