JPWO2006068068A1 - Temperature control plate and thermal transfer press machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Steam is circulated through the flow path of the pair of temperature control plates 16 to heat the temperature control plate 16. A plurality of the flow paths 163 are formed with a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16, and are formed in a substantially circular cross section. Further, the flow path 163 is disposed at the approximate center in the thickness direction of the temperature control plate 16. Therefore, since the temperature control plate 16 is formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to the thickness direction, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent warping when the temperature control plate 16 is heated and cooled. Thereby, the uneven | corrugated pattern of the stamper 17 can be satisfactorily transferred to the substrate 5.

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature control plate used in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern onto a substrate, and a thermal transfer press machine provided with the temperature control plate.

  As a method of manufacturing a light guide plate or the like having a fine uneven pattern on the surface, the stamper unevenness is formed by heating a stamper having an uneven pattern formed on the surface and applying pressure to a substrate such as a thermoplastic resin plate. A thermal transfer press machine that transfers a pattern onto a substrate has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this thermal transfer press machine, heating fluid passages are provided in the upper die and the lower die, and the upper die and the lower die are heated by circulating a fluid through these fluid passages. The stamper attached to is heated.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-62845 (FIG. 1)

  However, in such a thermal transfer press machine, when the upper mold and the lower mold are heated by circulating a fluid through the fluid passage, the upper mold and the lower mold themselves are expanded and deformed by heat, and the stamper is warped. There's a problem. In such a case, the uneven pattern of the stamper cannot be satisfactorily transferred to the substrate, and a light guide plate with good quality cannot be obtained.

  A main object of the present invention is to provide a temperature control plate capable of preventing warpage and transferring a concavo-convex pattern satisfactorily, and a thermal transfer press machine provided with the temperature control plate.

  The temperature control plate of the present invention is a temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to a stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper. A flow path through which a fluid for adjusting the temperature of the temperature control plate flows is formed inside, and the flow path is formed substantially at the center in the thickness direction of the temperature control plate.

  According to the present invention, since the flow path is formed substantially in the center with respect to the thickness direction of the temperature control plate, heat distribution can be achieved when the temperature control plate is heated or cooled by circulating a fluid through the flow path. Is substantially symmetrical with respect to the thickness direction of the temperature control plate. Therefore, even when the temperature control plate expands or contracts due to heat, warpage of the temperature control plate is prevented. Thereby, the occurrence of warping of the stamper is prevented, and the uneven pattern is reliably transferred to the substrate.

  In the temperature control plate of the present invention, the flow path is preferably formed in a substantially circular cross-sectional shape.

  According to the present invention, since the flow path is formed in a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, the operation of forming the flow path in the plate is simplified. Further, when the temperature control plate is used in a thermal transfer press machine, a certain degree of strength is required because it is pressed against the substrate. At this time, since the flow path is formed in a substantially circular cross section, stress concentration does not occur on the inner periphery of the flow path, and the strength of the temperature control plate is improved.

In the temperature control plate of the present invention, the flow path is formed to pass through at least one end face of the temperature control plate toward the other end face, and an opening portion opened at the one end face of the flow path is mechanically sealed. It is desirable.
Here, mechanical sealing refers to sealing performed without dissolving the member used for sealing, for example, press-fitting using a plug or screwing using a bolt with a seal. To do.

  According to the present invention, since the flow path is formed through at least one end surface in the width direction of the temperature control plate, the flow path can be formed in the plate from the outside. Since the portion is mechanically sealed, a work such as welding is not separately required for sealing, and the work of forming the flow path in the plate is simplified. Further, thermal distortion due to welding or the like does not occur in the plate.

  In the temperature control plate of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the flow paths are provided, and a pitch between the flow paths is smaller than a thickness dimension of the temperature control plate.

  According to the present invention as described above, the temperature adjustment of the temperature control plate and the stamper can be efficiently performed by heat exchange through the fluid in the plurality of flow paths. Moreover, since the pitch between each flow path is smaller than the thickness dimension of the temperature control plate, it is transmitted to the surface while being made uniform inside the temperature control plate. Therefore, uneven surface temperature distribution does not occur, and transfer defects due to variations in the temperature distribution of the stamper can be prevented.

In the temperature control plate of the present invention, a connection portion to which a communication header that connects the flow path and an external flow path is connected is formed at an end of the temperature control plate. It is desirable to be mechanically connected to the universal header.
Here, the mechanical connection refers to a connection made without dissolving the connecting portion, the communication header, and the members used for these connections. For example, the connection to the connecting portion of the communication header by a bolt is this. It corresponds to.

  According to the present invention, since the connecting portion and the communication header are mechanically connected, work such as welding is not separately required for connection, and the attachment work of the communication header to the connecting portion is simple. Become. Further, thermal distortion due to welding or the like does not occur in the plate.

  The temperature control plate of the present invention is a temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to a stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper. In addition, a flow path through which a fluid for adjusting the temperature of the temperature control plate flows is formed, and a communication header that connects the flow path and an external flow path is connected to the flow path. The connecting portion is formed, and the stamper can be attached to the region excluding the connecting portion.

  According to the present invention, since the stamper can be attached to the region excluding the connecting portion, the cross-sectional shape of the temperature control plate is equal to the entire stamper surface. Therefore, the occurrence of warping of the stamper is prevented, and the uneven pattern of the stamper is transferred to the substrate satisfactorily. In addition, the temperature of the entire stamper becomes uniform, which also improves the transfer of the uneven pattern.

  In the temperature control plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting portion is mechanically connected to the communication header.

  According to the present invention as described above, when connecting the connecting portion and the communication header, work such as welding is not required separately, and the attaching operation of the communication header to the connecting portion is simplified. Further, thermal distortion due to welding or the like does not occur in the plate.

  In the temperature control plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting portion is provided so as to protrude from the temperature control plate.

  According to the present invention as described above, since the protruding portion of the connecting portion can be used as a mounting margin for the communication header to the temperature control plate, the thickness of the temperature control plate at the stamper mounting portion can be reduced. . Thereby, a thermal transfer press machine can be made compact. Further, the temperature raising / lowering speed of the stamper mounting portion can be increased.

  The temperature control plate of the present invention is a temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to a stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper. A first positioning hole and a second positioning hole for defining a mounting position of the temperature control plate with respect to the thermal transfer press machine, the second positioning hole having a long hole shape and a long axis thereof Is arranged substantially parallel to a line connecting the center of the first positioning hole and the center of the second positioning hole.

  According to the present invention, since the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are formed, the position of the temperature control plate is defined with respect to the thermal transfer press machine. Work becomes easy. In addition, since the second positioning hole has a long hole shape, even when the temperature control plate expands or contracts due to heat, the expansion amount or contraction amount is allowed. Therefore, the temperature control plate is prevented from being deformed, thereby preventing the stamper from warping. Therefore, the uneven pattern of the stamper is transferred to the substrate satisfactorily. Further, since the deformation of the temperature control plate is prevented, stress concentration does not occur in the temperature control plate, and the durability of the temperature control plate is improved. Further, since the long axis of the second positioning hole is disposed along a line connecting the center of the first positioning hole and the center of the second positioning hole, the temperature control plate expands along the line. Or it shrinks. Accordingly, the temperature control plate is prevented from rotating around the first positioning hole, and the mounting angle of the stamper uneven pattern is prevented from changing. Therefore, the concave / convex pattern of the stamper is satisfactorily transferred in the correct direction with respect to the substrate.

  In the temperature control plate of the present invention, it is desirable that the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate.

  According to the present invention, since the temperature control plate is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plane, when the fluid is passed through the flow path, the temperature control plate is greatly expanded or contracted in the longitudinal direction by the heat. Here, since the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate, this expansion amount or contraction amount is reliably allowed.

  The thermal transfer press machine of the present invention is a thermal transfer press machine provided with the above-described temperature control plate of the present invention, wherein a pair of temperature control plates are provided facing each other, and the first positioning hole of one temperature control plate is The other temperature control plate is arranged to face the first positioning hole.

  According to the present invention as described above, the first positioning hole of one temperature control plate is arranged to face the first positioning hole of the other temperature control plate in the pair of temperature control plates arranged opposite to each other. Therefore, when the pair of temperature control plates expands or contracts thermally, the temperature control plates expand or contract in the same direction, so that the relative displacement of the temperature control plates is prevented. Thereby, the uneven | corrugated pattern of a stamper is transferred to a base material favorably.

  A thermal transfer press machine according to the present invention is a thermal transfer press machine including the above-described temperature control plate according to the present invention.

  According to the present invention, since the thermal transfer press machine includes the above-described temperature control plate, the same effect as the above-described temperature control plate is obtained, the stamper is prevented from warping, and the uneven pattern is good. Is transferred to the substrate.

1 is an overall view showing a thermal transfer press machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the thermal transfer press machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view of the thermal transfer press machine according to the first embodiment. The bottom view which shows the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The sectional side view which shows the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacture procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacture procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacture procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacture procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the thermal transfer press system which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the thermal transfer press method which concerns on the said 1st Embodiment. The bottom view which shows the temperature control plate which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The sectional side view which shows the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacturing procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacturing procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacturing procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram for showing the manufacturing procedure of the temperature control plate which concerns on the said 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the modification of the thermal transfer press system of this invention. The top view which shows the modification of the temperature control plate of this invention. The bottom view which shows another modification of the temperature control plate of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Thermal transfer press machine, 13 ... Slide, 16 ... Temperature control plate, 17 ... Stamper, 21 (21A, 21B) ... Pressure regulator (pressure adjustment means), 22 ... Flow rate regulator (flow rate adjustment means), 23 ... Opening and closing Valve, 24 ... Temperature sensor (temperature detection means), 100 ... Thermal transfer press system, 163 ... Flow path, 166 (166A) ... Positioning hole (first positioning hole), 166 (166B) ... Positioning hole (second positioning) Hole).

[First Embodiment]
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an overall view of a thermal transfer press machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the thermal transfer press machine 1 manufactures a light guide plate used for a backlight of a liquid crystal display by thermally transferring a concavo-convex pattern to a substrate 5 (see FIG. 3). Here, as a dimension of the light guide plate, for example, a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 8 mm and 17 inches can be considered. In addition, as the base material 5, the plate-shaped member comprised, for example with thermoplastic resins, such as an acryl and a polycarbonate, is employable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer press machine 1 includes four uprights 11 (two of which are shown in FIG. 1) standing on a bed 10 and a crown 12 installed on the upper surface of the upright 11. A slide 13 provided below the crown 12 so as to be movable up and down, a bolster 14 disposed on the bed 10 so as to face the slide 13, and a heat insulating material 15 attached below the slide 13 and above the bolster 14, respectively. And a temperature control plate 16 attached via the heat insulating material 15, a stamper 17 attached to the temperature control plate 16, and a vacuum for pressing to make the periphery of the stamper 17 vacuum when the thermal transfer press machine 1 performs the pressing process. Device 18.
Inside the crown 12, a slide drive device 130 (see FIG. 10) for moving the slide 13 up and down is built in. When the slide 13 is moved up and down by the slide drive device 130, the opposing stamper 17 approaches and separates, and the stamper The base material 5 disposed between 17 is pressed. Between the slide 13 and the bolster 14, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) guides 13 </ b> A are arranged in the vertical direction to guide the vertical movement of the slide 13. The slide driving device 130 includes a servo motor or a hydraulic cylinder that can control the slide 13 at an arbitrary position.

FIG. 2 shows a partially enlarged view of the thermal transfer press machine 1 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 3 shows a top view of the thermal transfer press machine 1. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heat insulating material 15 has a predetermined thickness, and heat transfer from the temperature control plate 16 to the slide 13 and the bolster 14 is prevented by the heat insulating material 15. Yes.
The temperature control plate 16 is attached in close contact with the heat insulating material 15.
Two temperature control plates 16 and stampers 17 are arranged in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) of the thermal transfer press machine 1, that is, two light guide plates are manufactured for one press process. .

  FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the temperature control plate 16 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of the temperature control plate 16. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the temperature control plate 16 is made of iron and has a plate portion 161 formed in a plate shape and a connecting portion 162 formed integrally on both sides of the plate portion 161. And.

  The plate portion 161 has a thickness of about 10 mm and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and one surface thereof is attached in close contact with the heat insulating material 15. A plurality of flow paths 163 for fluid flow are formed inside the plate portion 161. The flow paths 163 are formed at a pitch of about 7 mm parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 161, and are formed so as to penetrate from one end surface of the plate portion 161 to the other end surface. All the opening portions at the ends of these flow paths 163 are sealed by press-fitting of plugs 163A (see FIG. 2). The channel 163 is formed in a substantially circular cross section having a diameter of about 5 mm, and the center of the circle is disposed at the approximate center in the thickness direction of the plate portion 161. Since the cross-sectional shape of the flow path 163 is formed in a substantially circular shape, the flow path 163 can be easily manufactured even when the flow path 163 is formed along the planar direction of the plate-like plate portion 161. Further, since the flow path 163 is formed in line symmetry with the center of the flow path 163 as the center line with respect to the thickness direction of the plate portion 161, the fluid is passed through the flow path 163 to heat or cool the temperature control plate 16. In this case, the expansion and contraction of the temperature control plate 16 is symmetric with respect to the thickness direction. Therefore, the warpage of the temperature control plate 16 can be prevented satisfactorily, and the occurrence of transfer failure of the uneven pattern of the stamper 17 can be reliably prevented.

Here, the flow path 163 is such that the heat of the fluid flowing through the inside is well transmitted to the temperature control plate 16 so that the temperature control plate 16 and the stamper 17 attached thereto are rapidly heated and / or cooled. It is desirable to set the inner peripheral area to be large. Specifically, a method of increasing the cross-sectional diameter of the flow channel 163 and narrowing the pitch between the flow channels 163 can be considered. However, since the temperature control plate 16 is pressurized between the slide 13 and the bolster 14, it is necessary to ensure a certain level of strength. Therefore, it is desirable that the shape, dimensions, pitch, and the like of the flow path 163 are appropriately set in consideration of these conditions.
If the pitch between the flow paths 163 is too wide, the distance between the flow paths 163 and the surface of the temperature control plate 16 becomes shorter than the distance between the flow paths 163, and the heat of the fluid flowing through the flow paths 163 is warm. The surface of the temperature adjustment plate 16 is reached before being uniformly distributed inside the adjustment plate 16. As a result, unevenness occurs in the surface temperature of the temperature control plate 16, and the temperature distribution of the stamper 17 attached to the surface of the temperature control plate 16 varies, which may cause transfer failure. Therefore, the pitch between the flow paths 163 should be smaller than the thickness dimension of the plate portion 161 so that the distance between the flow paths 163 is shorter than the distance between the flow path 163 and the temperature control plate 16 surface. Is desirable.

Attachment holes 164 for attaching the temperature control plate 16 to the heat insulating material 15 are formed on both sides in the lateral direction in the plan view of the plate portion 161 (state of FIG. 4). The attachment holes 164 are formed on both sides in the lateral direction of the plate portion 161 from the region where the flow path 163 is formed, and are formed in a total of six locations along the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 161. The bolts 164A (see FIG. 3) pass through these attachment holes 164, whereby the temperature control plate 16 is attached to the heat insulating material 15.
The attachment holes 164 are formed in different arrangements for each of the pair of temperature control plates 16. That is, in the state where the pair of temperature control plates 16 are disposed to face each other, the mounting holes 164 facing each other are formed at positions adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 161 without matching the center positions thereof. With such an arrangement, when the pair of temperature control plates 16 come close to each other, the head of the bolt 164A that passes through the mounting hole 164 of one temperature control plate 16 passes through the mounting hole 164 of the opposing temperature control plate 16. Interference with the head of the bolt 164A is prevented.
Further, the diameter dimension of the mounting hole 164 is formed slightly larger than the diameter dimension of the bolt 164A, and even when the plate part 161 expands and contracts by circulating steam or water through the flow path 163 of the plate part 161, This expansion / contraction amount is allowed. Therefore, the occurrence of stress concentration or distortion due to expansion and contraction of the plate portion 161 is prevented.

In the vicinity of each mounting hole 164, a bolt hole 165 having a larger diameter than the mounting hole 164 is formed at a position adjacent to the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16. The bolt hole 165 is formed so that the head of the bolt 164A penetrating the mounting hole 164 of the opposing temperature control plate 16 does not interfere with the temperature control plate 16 when the pair of temperature control plates 16 come close to each other. It is a thing. For example, when the thickness dimension of the base material 5 or the stamper 17 is small, the bolts 164A of the temperature control plate 16 interfere with the opposing temperature control plate 16 when the temperature control plates 16 come close to each other during press working. there is a possibility. In this embodiment, since the bolt hole 165 is formed, such a problem can be solved. Thereby, even if the thickness dimension of the base material 5 is small, the thermal transfer press process can be performed, so that the versatility of the thermal transfer press machine 1 can be improved. Further, since the thickness dimension of the stamper 17 can be reduced, the heat capacity of the stamper 17 can be reduced, and the stamper 17 can be heated and cooled in a short time.
Here, the bolt hole 165 has a diameter larger than that of the head of the bolt 164A, like the mounting hole 164, and this shape allows the temperature control plate 16 to expand and contract within a certain range of dimensions. However, the expansion and contraction is allowable.

  A positioning hole 166 for positioning the temperature control plate 16 with respect to the heat insulating material 15 is formed in the plate portion 161. The positioning holes 166 are provided at two locations on one end side in the short direction of the plate portion 161, and these positioning holes 166 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 161. Positioning pins 14 </ b> A (see FIG. 3) that protrude from the heat insulating material 15, the slide 13, or the bolster 14 pass through the positioning holes 166. Of the positioning holes 166, one positioning hole (first positioning hole) 166A is formed in a substantially circular shape, and the diameter of the hole is set to be substantially the same as the diameter of the positioning pin 14A. The other positioning hole (second positioning hole) 166B of the positioning holes 166 is formed in a substantially elliptical long hole shape, and the long axis thereof is the center of one positioning hole 166A and the other positioning hole. It arrange | positions along the line | wire which connected the center of the hole 166B, ie, it arrange | positions along the longitudinal direction of the plate part 161. FIG. Further, the dimension in the short axis direction of the positioning hole 166B is set to be substantially the same as the diameter dimension of the positioning pin 14A.

Therefore, the position of the temperature control plate 16 in the short direction is determined by the positioning hole 166A and the positioning hole 166B, and the position in the longitudinal direction is determined by the positioning hole 166A. Further, when the position of the positioning pin 14A is displaced due to expansion / contraction of the plate portion 161 or a processing error, the positional displacement is absorbed by the elongated hole shape of the positioning hole 166B. Therefore, when the temperature control plate 16 expands and contracts due to heat, the temperature control plate 16 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16 along the positioning hole 166B, and the rotation of the temperature control plate 16 can be prevented. Therefore, the stamper 17 attached to the temperature control plate 16 can be prevented from rotating, and the relative position of the concave / convex pattern with respect to the base material 5 can be prevented from shifting.
The major axis direction of the other positioning hole 166B is not limited to being arranged along a line connecting the center of one positioning hole 166A and the center of the other positioning hole 166B, but is substantially parallel to the line. If so, they may be arranged with some angle.

  Here, the positioning holes 166 formed in the pair of temperature control plates 16 are provided on the long sides facing each other, but one temperature control plate 16 faces the positioning hole 166A of the other temperature control plate 16. A positioning hole 166A is formed at the position to be operated. In one temperature control plate 16, a positioning hole 166B is formed at a position facing the positioning hole 166B of the other temperature control plate 16. With such an arrangement, the position of the pair of temperature control plates 16 is regulated by the positioning holes 166A facing each other, and the moving direction thereof is regulated by the positioning holes 166B facing each other. For this reason, the pair of temperature control plates 16 are attached to each other so as to be stretchable to some extent with reference to the positioning holes 166A. Therefore, when the pair of temperature control plates 16 expands and contracts, the relative displacement of the pair of stampers 17 is reduced. Occurrence can be prevented. Here, when the major axis direction of the other positioning hole 166B has a predetermined angle with respect to a line connecting the center of one positioning hole 166A and the center of the other positioning hole 166B, the predetermined angle is It is desirable that the pair of temperature control plates 16 are set at substantially the same angle, that is, in this case, the major axis direction of the positioning hole 166B is substantially the same in a plan view with the pair of temperature control plates 16 facing each other. Match. In this way, since the expansion and contraction directions of the pair of temperature control plates 16 coincide with each other, the relative displacement between the pair of stampers 17 can be prevented.

  In this embodiment, the positioning hole 166 is formed in the temperature control plate 16 and the positioning pin 14A is formed in the heat insulating material 15 or the slide 13 or the bolster 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and positioning is performed on the temperature control plate 16. Pins may be provided, and positioning holes may be formed in the heat insulating material 15 or the slide 13 or the bolster 14. In short, it is only necessary that a positioning pin is formed on one of the temperature control plate 16 and the heat insulating material 15 or the slide 13 or the bolster 14 and a positioning hole is formed on the other.

  The connecting portions 162 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 161 along the short direction, and project from the plate portion 161 in the thickness direction. Therefore, the temperature control plate 16 has a substantially U-shaped side section as a whole. The connecting portions 162 are respectively formed with recesses 167 along the short direction of the plate portion 161, and the plurality of flow paths 163 communicate with each other by the recesses 167. A plug 168 (see FIG. 2) is attached to one of the two recesses 167 so that the opening of the recess 167 is sealed. In addition, a wall portion 169 that partitions the recess 167 is provided at approximately the center in the short direction of the other recess 167, and the recess 167 is separated into two by this wall portion 169. That is, half of the flow path 163 communicates with one recess 167A partitioned by the wall 169, and the other half communicates with the other recess 167B.

  A manifold 19 (communication header, see FIGS. 2 and 3) is mechanically connected to the connecting portion 162 on which the wall portion 169 is provided with bolts with a sealing material interposed therebetween. The manifold 19 includes a concave portion 191 having a shape corresponding to the concave portion 167 of the connecting portion 162, and a plurality (six in this embodiment) of pipes 192 communicating with the concave portion 191. Half (three) of these pipes 192 communicate with one recess 167A partitioned by the wall 169, and the other half (three) communicate with the other recess 167B. The pipe 192 protrudes outside through the pressing vacuum device 18, and can be connected to a fluid supply device 30 (see FIG. 10) that supplies fluid to the flow path 163 at the end. In the present embodiment, steam or water is employed as the fluid flowing through the flow path 163.

The pair of temperature control plates 16 having such a structure is attached in a direction in which the connecting portions 162 facing each other are separated from each other. That is, the connecting portion 162 of the temperature control plate 16 attached to the slide 13 is arranged upward, and the connecting portion 162 of the temperature control plate 16 attached to the bolster 14 is arranged downward. With such an arrangement, even when the pair of temperature control plates 16 are close to each other, the opposing connecting portions 162 do not interfere with each other.
The longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16 is arranged along a direction (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1) that is substantially orthogonal to the workpiece conveyance direction of the thermal transfer press machine 1. For this reason, for example, even when the bolster 14 is moved in the left-right direction of the thermal transfer press machine 1 at the time of mold change or the like, the pipe 192 does not interfere with the upright 11. Can move.

And such a temperature control plate 16 is manufactured in the following procedures. Here, FIG. 6 to FIG. 9 are schematic diagrams for simplifying the description.
First, as shown in FIG. 6, a gun drill or the like penetrates from one end surface to the other end surface along the longitudinal direction of the plate material 16A at a position closer to the stamper 17 than the center in the thickness direction of the plate material 16A used for manufacturing. A plurality of through holes having the same pitch parallel to each other are formed to form the flow path 163.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the plate portion 161 is formed by broadly cutting the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the plate material 16 </ b> A. The machined surface of the plate portion 161 serves as a mounting surface for the heat insulating material 15, and the projecting portions at both ends serve as connecting portions 162. At this time, it is necessary to determine the cutting amount of the plate material 16 </ b> A so that the flow path 163 is positioned substantially at the center in the thickness direction of the plate portion 161.
Further, in the connecting portion 162, the concave portion 167 is formed by cutting through the attachment surfaces of the plug 168 and the manifold 19 along the short direction of the temperature control plate 16, that is, along the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 162.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8, plugs 163 </ b> A are press-fitted into the opening portions at both ends of each flow path 163 to mechanically seal the flow paths 163.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, holes are formed on both sides of the concave portion 167 of the connecting portion 162 to form the tap 170 for attaching the plug 168 and the manifold 19 to the connecting portion 162.

  The stamper 17 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, is made of nickel, and has a thickness dimension of about 0.3 mm. The stamper 17 is attached to the temperature control plate 16 below the slide 13 and the temperature control plate 16 above the bolster 14, and fine uneven patterns are formed on the surfaces (surfaces) of these stampers 17 facing each other. . In this embodiment, the stamper 17 forms a light guide plate for a backlight of a liquid crystal display. Therefore, the concavo-convex pattern is a prism pattern. However, the concavo-convex pattern is not limited to this and depends on the pattern to be transferred. It can be arbitrarily adopted, and examples thereof include a dot pattern.

The stamper 17 is attached in close contact with the temperature control plate 16 by an appropriate method such as tape or suction. The size of the stamper 17 is smaller than that of the plate portion 161 of the temperature control plate 16, and the stamper 17 is disposed in a portion inside the temperature control plate 16 where the connecting portion 162 is provided (one point in FIG. 3). (Shown with chain lines). According to such an arrangement, the stamper 17 is arranged on the plate portion 161 having a uniform thickness dimension in the temperature control plate 16, so that the temperature distribution of the stamper 17 can be made uniform. Thereby, the transcription | transfer performance of an uneven | corrugated pattern can be made favorable.
Here, the temperature control plate 16 and the stamper 17 are preferably made of a material having a close thermal expansion coefficient, and more preferably made of the same material, in order to prevent a relative position shift due to expansion and contraction. . In the present embodiment, the temperature control plate 16 is made of iron, and the stamper 17 is made of nickel, which is a combination of materials having similar thermal expansion coefficients.

  The press vacuum device 18 vacuums a region surrounded by a pair of wall portions 181 provided to project from the lower side of the slide 13 and the upper side of the bolster 14, an O-ring 182 provided on the wall portion 181, and the wall portion 181. And an air suction device (not shown). The wall portion 181 is arranged in a substantially rectangular ring shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the stamper 17, the temperature control plate 16, and the heat insulating material 15. The O-ring 182 is provided on the end surface where the pair of wall portions 181 face each other.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the thermal transfer press system 100 when the thermal transfer press machine 1 is used to perform thermal transfer press processing. As shown in FIG. 10, the thermal transfer press system 100 includes the thermal transfer press machine 1 and a fluid supply device 30 that supplies fluid to the flow path 163 of the temperature control plate 16.
In addition to the above-described components, the thermal transfer press machine 1 includes a pressure adjuster (pressure adjusting means) 21 that adjusts the pressure of the steam that flows through the flow path 163 of the temperature control plate 16, and water that flows through the flow path 163. A flow rate regulator (flow rate adjusting means) 22 for adjusting the flow rate of the temperature adjusting plate 16, open / close valves 23 provided on both sides of the flow path 163 of the temperature adjusting plate 16, and a temperature sensor as temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the temperature adjusting plate 16 24, and a controller 25 as a control means for controlling operations of the pressure regulator 21, the flow rate regulator 22, the on-off valve 23, the slide 13, and the like based on a signal from the temperature sensor 24.

The pressure regulator 21 is provided independently for each of the pair of temperature control plates 16. With such a configuration, it is possible to independently control the pressure of the steam flowing through the flow path 163 of the pair of temperature control plates 16, and to control and adjust the heating temperature of the temperature control plate 16 independently.
Further, the pressure regulators 21 are provided on the inlet side (pressure regulator 21A) and the outlet side (pressure regulator 21B) of the flow path 163 with respect to each temperature control plate 16. With such a configuration, the pressure regulator 21 (21A, 21B) adjusts the pressure of the steam flowing through the flow path 163 on both sides of the flow path 163, so that the pressure adjustment can be performed with higher accuracy.
The flow rate regulator 22 is provided independently for each of the pair of temperature control plates 16. With such a configuration, the flow rate of water flowing through the flow path 163 of the pair of temperature control plates 16 can be controlled independently, and the cooling temperature of the temperature control plate 16 can be controlled and adjusted independently. The flow rate adjuster 22 is provided on the inlet side of the flow path 163 of the temperature adjustment plate 16.

Here, the flow path 41 from the pressure regulator 21A provided on the inlet side of the flow path 163 and the flow path 42 from the flow rate regulator 22 are connected to the same flow path 43. The pipe 192 of the adjustment plate 16 is connected. Here, the flow path 43 communicates with the three pipes 192 that communicate with one of the recesses 167 </ b> A partitioned by the wall portion 169 in the pipe 192 of the temperature control plate 16. The three pipes 192 communicating with the other recess 167B are connected to a flow path 44 for discharging the fluid in the flow path 163, and the flow path 44 is a flow path for discharging steam. 45 and a flow path 46 through which water is discharged. A pressure regulator 21B is attached to the flow path 45.
With such a configuration, the steam and water from the fluid supply device 30 are connected to the common pipe 192 of the temperature control plate 16 and can flow through the same flow path 163. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide heating and cooling channels exclusively for the temperature control plate 16, so that a large contact area of steam or cooling water in the temperature control plate 16 can be obtained. The heating efficiency or cooling efficiency can be improved.

The opening / closing valve 23 is provided on each of the inlet side and the outlet side of the flow path 163. Specifically, the opening / closing valve 23 is provided in the middle of the flow paths 41, 42, 45, 46. The opening / closing valve 23 opens and closes the flow paths 41, 42, 45, 46 by a signal from the controller 25.
The temperature sensor 24 is attached to the temperature control plate 16. As shown in FIG. 4 described above, a mounting hole 241 for mounting the temperature sensor 24 is formed along the short side direction of the temperature control plate 16 on the long side of the temperature control plate 16 in the middle of the thickness direction. ing. The attachment holes 241 are formed at two locations on the long side on the same side of the temperature control plate 16 with a predetermined distance from each other, and are respectively disposed in the vicinity of the connecting portion 162. Each of the temperature sensors 24 detects the temperature of the part and outputs a temperature detection signal to the controller 25.

  The controller 25 transmits an adjustment signal to the pressure regulator 21 or the flow rate regulator 22 based on the temperature detection signal of the temperature sensor 24, and the temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 16 is always set to a predetermined temperature (a predetermined heating temperature or a predetermined cooling temperature). The pressure or flow rate is controlled so as to be equal to (temperature). Further, the controller 25 controls the opening / closing timing of the opening / closing valve 23 based on the temperature detection signal of the temperature sensor 24 or a signal such as a timer built in the controller 25, and steam and water flowing in the flow path 163. Switching is performed to control heating and cooling timing. The slide driving device 130 is provided with a pressure sensor 26 that detects the pressure applied to the slide 13 and a slide position sensor 27 that detects the lift position of the slide 13. The pressure detection signal and the slide position detection signal from the slide position sensor 27 are output to the controller 25. Based on the temperature detection signal of the temperature sensor 24 of the temperature sensor 24, the controller 25 monitors the pressure detection signal from the pressure sensor 26 and the slide position detection signal from the slide position sensor 27, while monitoring the slide drive device 130. A drive signal for raising and lowering the slide 13 is transmitted to control the timing of press working.

The fluid supply device 30 includes a steam supply device 31 that supplies steam as a heating fluid to the temperature control plate 16 and a cooling water supply device 32 that supplies water as a cooling fluid to the temperature control plate 16.
The steam supply device 31 includes a steam boiler 33 and a steam / hot water recovery device 34. The steam boiler 33 is connected to the pressure regulator 21 and supplies steam to the temperature control plate 16 via the pressure regulator 21. The steam / warm water collector 34 is connected to the flow path 45 and recovers steam and warm water discharged from the temperature control plate 16. A part of the hot water collected by the steam / hot water collector 34 is returned to the steam boiler 33, heated again to become steam, and supplied to the temperature control plate 16.
Here, since steam is used as the heating medium of the temperature control plate 16, the condensation temperature of the steam is determined by the saturated steam pressure. Therefore, by adjusting the pressure of the flow path 163 of the temperature control plate 16, stable and temperature Temperature control with less unevenness is possible. Further, since steam is used as the heating medium, the heat transfer rate to the temperature control plate 16 can be improved, so that the heating time of the temperature control plate 16 can be shortened and the cycle time of the thermal transfer press process can be shortened.

  The cooling water supply device 32 includes a cooling water circulation device 35 and a factory cooling water supply device 36. The cooling water circulation device 35 incorporates a pump (not shown) and is connected to a pipe 192 on the inlet side of the temperature control plate 16. Cooling water is supplied to the temperature control plate 16 via a flow rate regulator 22 attached in the middle. Further, the cooling water circulation device 35 is connected to the flow path 46, and the water discharged through the flow path 46, the steam discharged from the steam / hot water recovery device 34, and a part of the hot water are the cooling water circulation device. 35. The cooling water circulation device 35 has a built-in heat exchanger 351, and performs heat exchange with the factory cooling water supplied from the factory cooling water supply device 36, whereby the temperature control plate 16 and the steam / hot water recovery device. The steam and water discharged from 34 are cooled to a predetermined temperature and supplied to the temperature control plate 16 again.

  Here, since steam is employed as the heating medium and water is employed as the cooling medium, the heating performance and the cooling performance are not deteriorated even if the common flow paths 163 are alternately circulated. Stable heating and cooling can be performed. In addition, since the heating medium and the cooling medium are mixed by flowing through the flow paths 163 alternately, there is no inconvenience, so that the handling of the heating medium (steam) and the cooling medium (water) can be improved. Further, since there is no problem even if the steam and water are mixed, the steam or hot water discharged from the steam / hot water recovery unit 34 that is a part of the steam supply device 31 is a part of the cooling water supply device 32. By supplying steam to the cooling water circulator 35 and cooling the steam, the steam quickly becomes water and the volume is reduced, so that the pressure of the steam / hot water recovery device 34 can be kept low. The flow of steam passing through the can be kept smooth.

In such a thermal transfer press machine 1, the uneven pattern of the stamper 17 is thermally transferred to the substrate 5 by the following thermal transfer press method.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a thermal transfer press method by the thermal transfer press machine 1 of the present embodiment. In FIG. 11, first, the thermal transfer press machine 1 includes a heating process in which the temperature control plate 16 is heated to a predetermined temperature with steam, a transfer process in which the uneven pattern on the surface of the stamper 17 is transferred to the substrate 5, and the temperature control plate 16. And a cooling step of solidifying the concavo-convex pattern on the surface of the substrate 5 by cooling the substrate to a predetermined temperature with water. In addition, a vacuum process is provided between the heating process and the transfer process to evacuate the periphery of the stamper 17.

First, in the heating process, in step S <b> 1, the controller 25 supplies the steam from the steam boiler 33 to the temperature control plate 16 by opening the opening / closing valve 23 connected to the flow paths 41 and 45. The steam flows from the three pipes 192 out of the six pipes 192 to the flow path 163 through one recess 167 partitioned by the wall part 169 in the temperature control plate 16, and enters the connection part 162 on the opposite side. When it reaches, it passes through the recess 167 on the opposite side and flows through the remaining half of the flow path 163 in the opposite direction. Then, it passes through the other concave portion 167 partitioned by the wall portion 169, reaches the manifold 19, and is discharged from the remaining three pipes 192 to the flow path 44 on the outlet side. Therefore, the steam flows in a substantially U shape in the plan view of the temperature control plate 16 through the flow path 163.
When the steam flows through the flow path 163, a part of the steam is condensed into hot water in the flow path 163. The temperature control plate 16 is heated to a predetermined temperature by latent heat (condensation heat) and steam heat generated at this time. Here, the predetermined temperature is appropriately set in consideration of the material of the base material 5 and the size of the concave / convex pattern of the stamper 17. In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature is set to about 130 ° C. Moreover, the pressure of the vapor | steam in the flow path 163 is suitably set in the range of 0.15-0.20 MPa.

Next, in parallel with the heating process, in step S <b> 2, the base material 5 is positioned and placed on the stamper 17 on the bolster 14, and the base material 5 is disposed between the opposing stampers 17. In step S <b> 3, the controller 25 transmits a drive signal for lowering the slide 13 to the slide drive device 130. The slide driving device 130 lowers the slide 13 to a predetermined position, brings the wall portions 181 of the press vacuum device 18 into contact with each other, and seals the space surrounded by the wall portion 181 by the O-ring 182. In this state, the stamper 17 held on the slide 13 does not contact the base material 5. In step S4, vacuuming of the space is started by sucking air in the space inside the wall 181 by the air suction device. In step S5, it is determined whether the space inside the wall portion 181 has reached a predetermined pressure (predetermined vacuum pressure), and evacuation is continued until the predetermined pressure is reached.
By performing such a vacuum process from step S3 to step S5, it is possible to prevent air from being caught between the stamper 17 and the base material 5. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent transfer defects of the uneven pattern of the stamper 17 and the like.

  Next, in step S <b> 6, the temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 16 is detected by the temperature sensor 24. A temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor 24 is output to the controller 25. In step S7, the controller 25 monitors the temperature detection signal to determine whether or not the temperature of the temperature control plate 16 has reached a predetermined temperature. At this time, two temperature sensors 24 are provided on each temperature control plate 16, but the controller 25 determines whether the average of the temperature detection signals from these two temperature sensors 24 has reached a predetermined temperature. Alternatively, it may be determined whether one or both of the temperature detection signals from the two temperature sensors 24 have reached a predetermined temperature.

Here, two temperature sensors 24 are provided on each of the pair of temperature control plates 16, and the pressure regulators 21 are independently provided on the pair of temperature control plates 16 on both sides of the base material 5. For this reason, steam pressure control is performed independently for each of the pair of temperature control plates 16. Therefore, the temperature adjustment of the temperature control plate 16 can be performed with higher accuracy, and the heating temperature of the pair of temperature control plates 16 can be easily controlled to be equal. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the curvature of the base material 5 by the difference in temperature of a pair of temperature control plate 16 can be prevented.
Moreover, since the pressure regulator 21 is provided in the inlet side and outlet side of the temperature control plate 16, respectively, the steam pressure can be adjusted in the two places. This is because, when the temperature adjustment plate 16 is heated by the circulation of the steam in the flow path 163, the temperature of the steam changes and the pressure fluctuates, so that a decrease in the temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 16 due to this pressure fluctuation is prevented. Useful to do. Further, when the steam condenses in the flow path 163 and becomes hot water, the pressure in the flow path 163 is likely to fluctuate. Therefore, by providing the pressure regulator 21 on the outlet side of the flow path 163, the temperature adjustment plate is provided. Since it becomes easy to manage the temperature of 16, it is especially useful.

When the temperature of the temperature control plate 16 reaches a predetermined temperature, the controller 25 outputs a drive signal for lowering the slide 13 to the slide drive device 130 in step S8. The slide driving device 130 further lowers the slide 13 and brings the stamper 17 into contact with both surfaces of the base material 5. In step S <b> 9, the controller 25 switches the control of the holding position of the slide 13 from the position control for detecting and controlling the position of the slide 13 to the pressure control for detecting and controlling the pressure applied to the slide 13. The pressure with respect to the base material 5 is adjusted, and the stamper 17 is pressurized on both surfaces of the base material 5 with a predetermined pressure.
Since the operation of the slide 13 is controlled by the pressure control, for example, even when a manufacturing dimensional error occurs in the base material 5 or the stamper 17, a gap is generated between the stamper 17 and the base material 5, or an excessive pressure is applied. Since the stamper 17 can be pressurized to the base material 5 with an appropriate pressure without being pressurized, it is possible to reliably prevent the transfer of the uneven pattern onto the base material 5 from occurring.

In step S10, the controller 25 monitors whether or not a predetermined time has passed with the pressure applied to the base material 5 of the slide 13 (transfer process). In the present embodiment, the predetermined time is set to 10 seconds, for example. By this transfer step, the stamper 17 heated by the heating of the temperature control plate 16 is pressed against the base material 5, and only the surface of the base material 5 is melted, so that the uneven pattern formed on the surface of the stamper 17 becomes the base material 5. Transferred to the surface.
In the present embodiment, the heating process is continuously performed in parallel during the transfer process, and the controller 25 monitors the temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor 24 to control the pressure regulator 21 to control the vapor pressure. By adjusting, the temperature of the temperature control plate 16 is kept at a predetermined temperature. Specifically, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 24 is lower than a predetermined temperature, an adjustment signal for increasing the steam pressure is output, and when the temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, the steam pressure is decreased. Output adjustment signal.

Here, since the transfer process starts after the temperature control plate 16 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating process, when the stamper 17 is pressed against the base material 5 for a predetermined time, the melting amount of the base material 5 is sufficient. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the transfer defect of the uneven pattern of the stamper 17 from occurring.
In addition, since the concavo-convex pattern of the stamper 17 is transferred by melting only the vicinity of the surface of the base material 5 in the transfer step, the concavo-convex pattern can be formed in a shorter time than when forming the concavo-convex pattern by conventional injection molding, for example. In other words, in the case where the concave / convex pattern is conventionally formed by, for example, injection molding, if the size of the product increases or the thickness of the product increases, it takes time for cooling and the cycle time cannot be shortened. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, only the vicinity of the surface of the base material 5 is melted by the transfer process to transfer the uneven pattern, so even when the base material 5 to be transferred is enlarged or the plate thickness is increased. In addition, the concavo-convex pattern can be transferred in a short time, and the substrate 5 can be flexibly adapted to an increase in size.

In step S10, after a predetermined time has elapsed with the stamper 17 being pressurized against the base material 5, the process proceeds to step S11, where the controller 25 opens and closes the steam open / close valve 23 connected to the flow paths 41 and 45. Is closed to finish the heating process. In step S12, the water opening / closing valve 23 connected to the flow paths 42 and 46 is opened, and cooling water is supplied from the cooling water circulation device 35, whereby the water flows through the flow path 163 of the temperature control plate 16. The cooling process is started by switching the fluid to be changed from steam to water.
Since steam and water are switched and circulated through the common flow path 163 of the temperature control plate 16, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated flow path for each, and the contact area to the temperature control plate 16 can be increased. Therefore, the heating efficiency and the cooling efficiency can be improved, and the temperature control plate 16 and the stamper 17 can be heated or cooled in a short time.

After starting the cooling of the stamper 17 in step S12, in step S13, the vacuum state of the space in the wall portion 181 by the press vacuum device 18 is released, and the vacuum process is ended. Here, because the stamper 17 is already in close contact with the base material 5 and the concave / convex pattern is transferred to the base material 5, it is not necessary to hold a vacuum any more.
In step S14, the temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 16. The temperature sensor 24 outputs a temperature detection signal to the controller 25. The controller 25 outputs a control signal to the flow rate regulator 22 based on this temperature detection signal, and controls the temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 16 by adjusting the flow rate of water flowing through the flow path 163.
In step S15, the controller 25 monitors the temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor 24, and determines whether or not the temperature detection signal has reached a predetermined temperature.

The predetermined temperature for cooling the temperature control plate 16 is appropriately set in consideration of the material of the base material 5 and the size of the uneven pattern of the stamper 17, and is set to about 70 ° C. in this embodiment.
Here, also in the cooling step, since the flow rate regulators 22 are provided independently for the pair of temperature control plates 16, the controller 25 can independently control the temperatures of the pair of temperature control plates 16. Therefore, the temperature adjustment of the temperature control plate 16 can be performed with high accuracy. That is, by controlling the temperature of the pair of temperature control plates 16 to be the same, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of warping when the substrate 5 is cooled.
In the present embodiment, the stamper 17 is pressed against the substrate 5 at a predetermined pressure even during the cooling process, and therefore the pressurizing process is performed through the transfer process and the cooling process, and the cooling process is performed during the pressurizing process. Will be performed.

In step S15, when the temperature of the temperature control plate 16 reaches a predetermined temperature, the process proceeds to step S16, and the controller 25 transmits a drive signal for raising the slide 13 to the slide drive device 130. Based on this drive signal, the slide drive device 130 raises the slide 13 to a predetermined removal position in order to remove the substrate 5.
In step S <b> 17, air is blown between the base material 5 and the stamper 17 by an air blower (not shown) so that the base material 5 is easily peeled from the stamper 17.
In step S <b> 18, the controller 25 transmits a drive signal for further raising the slide 13 to the slide drive device 130. Based on this drive signal, the slide drive device 130 raises the slide 13 to a predetermined unloading position for unloading the substrate 5 out of the thermal transfer press machine 1.

When the slide 13 rises to a predetermined position in step S18, in step S19, the base material 5 (product) having the concavo-convex pattern transferred on the surface is carried out from the bolster 14 to the outside of the thermal transfer press machine 1.
Thereafter, in step S20, the controller 25 closes the opening / closing valve 23 connected to the flow paths 42 and 46, and the cooling process is ended.
When performing the next cycle continuously, after closing the on-off valve 23 in step S20, the on-off valve 23 connected to the flow paths 41, 45 is opened to allow the steam to flow through the flow path 163, and the heating process is performed. Start again (return to step S1).

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, based on FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the temperature control plate 16 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. Here, the other configurations in the thermal transfer press machine 1 and the thermal transfer press system 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.
In the first embodiment described above, the temperature control plate 16 includes the connecting portions 162 that protrude from the plate portion 161 at both ends in the longitudinal direction.
On the other hand, in the temperature control plate 16 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the connecting portion 162 does not have a shape protruding from the plate portion 161, but the planar shape of the plate portion 161. The point which is formed as a part of is significantly different from the first embodiment.

  In such a temperature control plate 16, as shown in FIG. 13, the plate portion 161 is thicker than that in the first embodiment. In this case, since the heat capacity of the temperature control plate 16 is increased, it takes time to heat or cool the temperature control plate 16 and the stamper 17 as compared with the case of the first embodiment. Since the surface of 161 is separated from the flow path 163, the surface temperature of the plate portion 161 becomes uniform, so that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of transfer failure due to variations in the temperature distribution of the stamper 17. Moreover, since the intensity | strength of the temperature control plate 16 goes up, the curvature of the temperature control plate 16 can be prevented more effectively.

The temperature control plate 16 of the present embodiment is manufactured by the following procedure. 14 to 17 are schematic diagrams for the sake of brevity, as in the case of the description of the manufacturing procedure in the first embodiment.
First, as shown in FIG. 14, through-holes of the same pitch parallel to each other are opened at the center in the thickness direction of the plate material 16 </ b> A to form a flow path 163.
Next, as shown in FIG. 15, both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the plate material 16A are cut out along the short direction of the plate material 16A to form a recess 167.
Then, as shown in FIG. 16, after plugs 163A are press-fitted into the opening portions at both ends of each flow channel 163 to mechanically seal the flow channel 163, as shown in FIG. Taps 170 are formed on both sides.

That is, in the manufacturing method of the temperature control plate 16 according to the present embodiment, a step of opening a through-hole in the thickness direction of the plate material 16A and a step of cutting out the central portion of the plate material 16A for forming the plate portion 161 are performed. This is different from the first embodiment. In this case, positioning of the flow path 163 is facilitated and the number of manufacturing steps of the temperature control plate 16 is reduced, so that the manufacturing time of the temperature control plate 16 can be shortened.
Although it is not necessary to cut out the central portion of the plate material 16A in order to form the plate portion 161, it is necessary to slightly cut or polish the surface of the plate portion 161 when the stamper 17 is attached. As a result, the stamper 17 can be attached in close contact with the plate portion 161, so that the uniform heat on the surface of the temperature control plate 16 can be transmitted to the stamper 17 while maintaining a uniform state.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
The pressure adjusting means is provided on both the outlet side and the inlet side of the flow path of the temperature control plate. However, the pressure adjustment means is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. It may be provided only in. Alternatively, the pressure adjusting means may be provided only on the outlet side of the temperature control plate 16. In this case, although the accuracy of the pressure setting is somewhat sacrificed, the number of pressure adjusting means is reduced, so that the configuration of the thermal transfer press machine can be simplified.
The flow rate adjusting means is provided only on the inlet side of the flow path of the temperature control plate, but is not limited thereto, and may be provided, for example, only on the outlet side of the flow path. It may be provided on both the outlet side. Further, the flow rate adjusting means is disposed on the upstream side of the opening / closing valve, but not limited thereto, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the downstream side of the opening / closing valve 23, that is, the opening / closing valve 23 and the temperature control plate 16. Between them.
The cooling medium circulated in the flow path in the cooling step is not necessarily limited to water, and any cooling medium such as a fluorine-based inert liquid such as perfluoropolyether can be employed. Further, the method for adjusting the cooling temperature of the temperature control plate is not limited to adjusting the flow rate of the fluid by the flow rate adjusting means. For example, the temperature of the temperature control plate is adjusted by adjusting the pressure or temperature of the fluid. It may be a method.

As a method for fixing the stamper to the temperature control plate, an appropriate method can be selected so that the entire surface of the stamper is in good contact with the temperature control plate. For example, when the stamper is adsorbed to the temperature control plate by air suction, for example, FIG. A structure as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 19, the plate portion 161 of the temperature control plate 16 has grooves 52 along the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16 on the outer side (both sides in the short direction) of the region where the flow path 163 is formed. Is formed. In addition, a through hole 51 communicating with the groove 52 is formed at substantially the center in the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate 16. A stamper may be installed on the temperature control plate 16 having such a shape so as to cover the groove 52, and the stamper may be adsorbed from the through hole 51 through the groove 52. In order to increase the size of the stamper, a plate-like stamper holder is installed between the temperature control plate 16 and the stamper when the central portion of the stamper is reliably adsorbed. The stamper holder is formed with a plurality of grooves along the short direction on the surface facing the temperature control plate 16, and both ends of each groove communicate with the grooves 52 of the temperature control plate 16. Then, through holes communicating with these grooves may be formed, and the stamper may be adsorbed through the through holes. In this case, since the through hole can be formed on the entire surface of the stamper holder, the stamper can be adsorbed over the entire surface, and the adhesiveness with the temperature control plate 16 is improved.
Further, when the stamper holder is used as described above, the positioning hole 53 may be formed in the temperature control plate 16 to position the stamper holder with respect to the temperature control plate 16.

  The stamper is provided below the slide and above the bolster, and the thermal transfer press machine transfers the uneven pattern on the stamper surface to both surfaces of the base material. However, the stamper is not limited to this. For example, the stamper is located below the slide or above the bolster. It may be provided on either one, and the thermal transfer press machine may transfer the concavo-convex pattern only on one side of the substrate. In this case, the temperature control plate on which the uneven pattern is not transferred does not have to be attached with a stamper, or the uneven temperature pattern is not formed on the temperature control plate because the temperature distribution on both surfaces of the substrate is the same. A stamper may be attached as a dummy.

  The concave portion 167 of the temperature control plate 16 was formed in the connecting portion 162 along the short direction of the temperature control plate 16 so as to communicate the plurality of flow paths 163 with each other. For example, as shown in FIG. An individual hole may be formed for each channel 163. Even in this case, it is possible to ensure fluid sealing without changing the shape of the recess 191 of the manifold 19, but the shape of the recess 191 on the side connected to the connecting portion 162 is the temperature control plate 16. By making it correspond to the concave portion 167, the sealing property can be made more reliable.

The flow path of the temperature control plate has been sealed with a plug at the opening, but it may be of any type as long as it can prevent fluid leakage from the flow path. For example, it can be sealed using a bolt and a sealing material. Good.
Further, the flow path of the temperature control plate is formed with a through-hole penetrating from one end surface to the other end surface of the plate portion, but may be a hole that does not penetrate the other end surface. That is, it is good also as a hole extended from the one end surface of a plate part to the recessed part provided in the connection part of the other end side. In this case, it is not necessary to seal the opening at the other end surface by press-fitting of the plug, and the manufacture of the temperature control plate is further facilitated.

The flow path of the temperature control plate is formed in a substantially circular cross section, but is not limited thereto, and can be formed in an arbitrary cross sectional shape such as a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially rectangular shape, or a substantially rhombus shape. When the cross-sectional shape of the flow path of the temperature control plate is rectangular or rhombus, it is desirable to form rounded corners, and this corner shape can relieve stress applied to the temperature control plate during press processing. . In this case, it is desirable that the corner roundness be a radius of 0.5 mm or more. Further, the temperature control plate is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the flow path is formed along the longitudinal direction of the temperature control plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the flow path is along the short direction of the temperature control plate. It may be formed. In this case, since the flow path length is shortened, the flow path forming operation can be simplified. In addition, the connecting portions are formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction along with this, but when the flow path is formed along the short direction, the connecting portions are also formed on both sides in the short direction of the temperature control plate. It will be. In this case, since the amount of expansion and contraction in the short direction is reduced, it is possible to prevent the stamper from being displaced.
When the thickness of the stamper and the thickness of the base material are sufficient, the temperature control plate does not necessarily need to be formed with a bolt hole for avoiding the head of the bolt attached to the opposing temperature control plate.

The temperature control plate is configured so that the fluid flows in a substantially U shape in the flow path. However, the temperature control plate is not limited to this. For example, pipes are connected to both ends of the flow path, and the fluid flows in the same direction for all the flow paths. You may make it make it.
The flow path of the temperature control plate is not limited to one formed in a straight line, and any shape can be adopted in consideration of heat transfer efficiency such as a curved shape or a spiral shape.

The best configuration, method and the like for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the invention has been illustrated and described primarily with respect to particular embodiments, but may be configured for the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art in terms of materials, quantity, and other detailed configurations.
Therefore, the description limited to the shape, material, etc. disclosed above is an example for easy understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The description by the name of the member which remove | excluded the limitation of one part or all of such restrictions is included in this invention.

The present invention can be used not only as a thermal transfer press machine used for manufacturing a light guide plate for a backlight of a liquid crystal panel, but also as a thermal transfer press machine for manufacturing a separator of a fuel cell or a design plate, for example.

Claims (12)

A temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to the stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper,
A flow path through which a fluid for adjusting the temperature of the temperature control plate flows is formed inside,
The said flow path is formed in the approximate center regarding the thickness direction of the said temperature control plate. The temperature control plate characterized by the above-mentioned. The temperature control plate according to claim 1,
The flow path is formed in a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. In the temperature control plate according to claim 1 or 2,
The flow path is formed through at least one end surface of the temperature control plate toward the other end surface,
The opening part opened at the said one end surface of the said flow path is sealed mechanically. The temperature control plate characterized by the above-mentioned. In the temperature control plate according to claim 3,
A plurality of the flow paths are provided,
The pitch between the said flow paths is smaller than the thickness dimension of the said temperature control plate. The temperature control plate characterized by the above-mentioned. In the temperature control plate according to claim 4,
At the end of the temperature control plate, a connecting portion is formed to which a communication header that connects the flow path and the external flow path is connected.
The temperature control plate, wherein the connecting portion is mechanically connected to the communication header. A temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to the stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper,
A flow path through which a fluid for adjusting the temperature of the temperature control plate flows is formed inside,
At the end of the temperature control plate, a connecting portion is formed to which a communication header that connects the flow path and the external flow path is connected.
The temperature control plate, wherein the stamper is configured to be attachable to an area excluding the connecting portion. In the temperature control plate according to claim 6,
The temperature control plate, wherein the connecting portion is mechanically connected to the communication header. In the temperature control plate according to claim 7,
The connecting part is provided so as to protrude from the temperature control plate. A temperature control plate that is provided in a thermal transfer press machine that transfers a concavo-convex pattern formed on a stamper surface to a substrate surface, is configured to be attachable to the stamper, and adjusts the temperature of the stamper,
A first positioning hole and a second positioning hole for defining a mounting position of the temperature control plate to the thermal transfer press machine;
The second positioning hole has a long hole shape, and its long axis is arranged substantially parallel to a line connecting the center of the first positioning hole and the center of the second positioning hole. Temperature control plate characterized by In the temperature control plate according to claim 9,
The temperature control plate is formed in a substantially rectangular plane shape,
The temperature adjusting plate, wherein the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are disposed along a longitudinal direction of the temperature adjusting plate. A thermal transfer press machine comprising the temperature control plate according to claim 9 or 10,
A pair of the temperature control plates are provided opposite to each other,
The thermal transfer press machine, wherein the first positioning hole of one of the temperature control plates is disposed to face the first positioning hole of the other temperature control plate. A thermal transfer press machine comprising the temperature control plate according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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