KR101086486B1 - Apparatus for fabricating liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, which prevents printing irregularities by preventing drying of an alignment material.

An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to the present invention includes a supply tank in which an alignment material is stored; An inkjet head for discharging the alignment material supplied from the supply tank to a substrate; A pressurizing tank for supplying the alignment material to the inkjet head by applying pressure to the supply tank during the alignment film process and recovering the alignment material remaining in the inkjet head through an exhaust pipe when placed in the air during the alignment film process; And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating ultrasonic waves under the ink jet head to remove the alignment material remaining in the ink jet head through the exhaust pipe.

According to the present invention, ultrasonic waves are generated on the discharge surface of the ink jet head while the ink jet head is left in the air during the alignment film forming process using the ultrasonic wave generator to prevent the holes formed in the discharge surface from being blocked by the alignment material as well as the discharge surface. The discharge surface can be cleaned by removing the alignment material remaining in the. As a result, since the alignment material is uniformly discharged onto the substrate during the alignment film forming process, printing failure may be prevented.

Description

Manufacturing apparatus of liquid crystal display device {APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY}             

1 is a view showing a manufacturing apparatus of a conventional liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the inkjet head shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a view showing an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the present invention.

4 is a view illustrating a state in which the inkjet head shown in FIG. 3 is waited for a long time during the alignment film forming process.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

2, 52: inkjet head 4, 54: supply part

6, 56: exhaust part 8, 58: supply tank

10, 60: pressure tank 12, 62: exhaust pipe

14, 64: supply pipe 16, 66: printing table

18, 68: substrate 20: discharge surface

22: hole 24, 74: alignment material

80: ultrasonic generator 82: control unit

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, which prevents printing irregularities by preventing drying of an alignment material.

In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal using an electric field. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes pixel electrodes for applying an electric field to each of the liquid crystal cells and a reference electrode, that is, a common electrode. In general, the pixel electrode is formed for each liquid crystal cell on the lower substrate, while the common electrode is integrally formed on the front surface of the upper substrate. Each of the pixel electrodes is connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) used as a switching element. The liquid crystal cell is driven along with the common electrode in accordance with the data signal supplied through the TFT.

The manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device is divided into substrate cleaning, substrate patterning, alignment film formation, substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection, and mounting process. In the substrate cleaning process, foreign substances on the substrates are removed using a cleaning agent before and after the upper and lower substrates are patterned. Substrate patterning process is divided into deposition process, cleaning process, photoresist coating process, exposure process, development process, etching process, photoresist pattern peeling process and inspection process. In this substrate patterning process, the upper substrate is patterned and the lower substrate is patterned. A color filter, a common electrode, a black matrix, and the like are formed on the upper substrate by the upper substrate patterning process. In addition, the lower substrate patterning process forms a signal line such as a data line and a gate line on the lower substrate, forms a TFT at an intersection of the data line and the gate line, and connects the data line and the gate line to be connected to the source electrode of the TFT. A pixel electrode is formed in the pixel region therebetween. In the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, an alignment film is coated on the lower substrate and rubbed, followed by an upper / lower substrate bonding process using a seal material, liquid crystal injection, and an injection hole encapsulation process. Finally, in the mounting process, a tape carrier package (TCP) in which integrated circuits such as a gate drive and a data drive are mounted is connected to a pad portion on a substrate.

Among these, the alignment film forming step is performed by the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes an inkjet head 2 for discharging an alignment material 24 onto a substrate 18, and a supply for supplying the alignment material 24 to the inkjet head 2. The tank 8 and the pressurized tank 10 which pressurizes the supply tank 8 while recovering the alignment material 24 remaining in the inkjet head 2, and are loaded below the inkjet head 2. A substrate 18 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet head 2 is formed with a plurality of holes 22 for discharging the alignment material 24, for example, polyimide liquid, on the discharge surface 20, and the supply tank. When the alignment material 24 is supplied from the feeder 4 to the feeder 4 from the feed tank 8 through the plurality of holes 22 when the substrate 18 seated on the printing table 16 is loaded below. The oriented material 24 is discharged onto the substrate 18 to print the oriented material 24 on the substrate 18.

The supply tank 8 has the alignment material 24 stored therein, and when pressure is applied from the pressure tank 10, the alignment material 24 stored therein is supplied to the inkjet head 2 through the supply pipe 14. Supply.

The pressurizing tank 10 applies pressure to the supply tank 8 to supply the alignment material 24 stored in the supply tank 8 to the inkjet head 2 and to maintain the alignment material 24 remaining in the inkjet head 2. ) Is recovered through the exhaust pipe 12. Accordingly, the alignment material 24 recovered from the inkjet head 2 is stored in the pressure tank 10.

However, such a conventional apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is provided with an orifice surface, which is the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 2 due to a natural drying phenomenon when the inkjet head 2 is left in the air during the alignment film forming process. The holes 22 are blocked by the alignment material 24. Due to the clogging of the holes 22, the alignment material 24 is not discharged or the alignment material 24 is not uniformly discharged to the substrate 18 during the alignment layer formation process, thereby causing printing stains on the substrate 18. There is.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, which can prevent printing irregularities by preventing drying of an alignment material.

In order to achieve the above object, the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a supply tank in which the alignment material is stored; An inkjet head for discharging the alignment material supplied from the supply tank to a substrate; A pressurizing tank for supplying the alignment material to the inkjet head by applying pressure to the supply tank during the alignment film process and recovering the alignment material remaining in the inkjet head through an exhaust pipe when placed in the air during the alignment film process; And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating ultrasonic waves under the ink jet head to remove the alignment material remaining in the ink jet head through the exhaust pipe.

The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to the present invention further includes a printing table on which the substrate is mounted, and a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic generator.

The ultrasonic generator may be in close contact with the lower portion of the inkjet head when the inkjet head is arranged in the air during the alignment layer process during the alignment layer process.
The pressure tank is characterized in that the alignment material recovered from the inkjet head is stored.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

3 is a diagram illustrating an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an inkjet head 52 for discharging an alignment material 74 on a substrate 68, and an alignment material 74 on the inkjet head 52. ), A pressurized tank 60 for recovering the alignment material 74 remaining in the inkjet head 52, a pressurized tank 60 for applying pressure to the supply tank 58, and an inkjet head 52. The ultrasonic generator 80 for preventing the alignment material 74 remaining on the discharge surface of the ink from being dried, the controller 82 for controlling the movement of the ultrasonic generator 80, and the inkjet head 52 It has a substrate 68 loaded downward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet head 52 has a plurality of holes 22 formed therein for discharging the alignment material 74, for example, polyimide liquid, on the discharge surface 20, and the supply tank ( When the alignment material 74 is supplied from the supply portion 54 to the supply portion 54, the alignment material 74 supplied from the supply tank 58 is supplied through the plurality of holes 22 when the substrate 68 is loaded downward. By uniformly discharging to the 68, the alignment material 74 is uniformly printed on the substrate 68. At this time, after the inkjet head 52 discharges the alignment material 74 to the substrate 68, the alignment materials 74 remaining therein are displaced by the alignment material 74 supplied through the supply unit 54. It is ejected to the exhaust pipe 62 through the base 56. The inkjet head 52 is provided in plurality, depending on the size of the substrate 68. In other words, as the size of the substrate 68 increases, the number of inkjet heads 52 for discharging the alignment material 74 onto the substrate 68 also increases.

The supply tank 58 has an alignment material 74 stored therein, and when pressure is applied from the pressure tank 60, the alignment material 74 stored therein is supplied to the inkjet head 52 through the supply pipe 64. Supply. Accordingly, the inkjet head 52 discharges the alignment material 74 onto the substrate 68 during the alignment film forming process.

The pressurizing tank 60 applies pressure to the supply tank 58 to supply the alignment material 74 stored in the supply tank 58 to the inkjet head 52, and the alignment material remaining in the inkjet head 52. 74 is recovered through the exhaust pipe 62. Accordingly, the alignment material 74 recovered from the inkjet head 52 is stored in the pressure tank 60.

The ultrasonic generator 80 is installed below the ink jet head 52 so as to be movable up and down, and generates an ultrasonic wave to cause the alignment material 74 to discharge from the ink jet head 52 by natural drying. To prevent drying. The ultrasonic generator 80 moves to the lower portion of the inkjet head 52 by the controller 82 when the inkjet head 52 is left unattended, that is, not used for a long time, during the alignment film forming process. It comes in close contact with the discharge surface 20. At this time, the ultrasonic generator 80 generates ultrasonic waves to prevent the alignment material 74 from blocking the holes 22 formed in the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52 by natural drying. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of printing unevenness due to the clogging of the holes 22 in the alignment layer forming process or the discharge uniformity of the alignment material 74 due to the discharge uniformity. In addition, the ultrasonic wave generator 80 generates ultrasonic waves while being in close contact with the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52 to remain in alignment with the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52. ) Is removed through the exhaust pipe 62 to clean the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52.

The control unit 82 moves the ultrasonic wave generator 80 to the lower portion of the inkjet head 52 while keeping the inkjet head 52 in the air during the alignment film forming process, so as to closely contact the discharge surface 20. In addition, the controller 82 moves the ultrasonic generator 80 to the lower portion of the printing table 66 during the alignment film forming process. Accordingly, the ultrasonic wave generation unit 80 prevents the holes 22 formed in the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52 from being blocked by the alignment material 74 while the inkjet head 52 is left to stand in the alignment film forming process. In addition to preventing, the alignment material 74 remaining on the discharge surface 20 is removed, and the alignment material 74 is disposed below the printing table 66 during the alignment film forming process. The controller 82 discharges the ultrasonic wave generator 80 to the discharge surface 20 to remove the alignment material 74 remaining on the discharge surface 20 of the inkjet head 52 according to a user's request during the alignment film formation process. ) Can also be in close contact.

In the apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when pressure is applied from the pressure tank 60, the supply tank 58 supplies the alignment material 74 stored therein to the inkjet head 52. do. At this time, when the printing table 66 on which the substrate 68 is mounted is loaded under the ink jet head 52 by a loading device (not shown), the ink jet head 52 may close the holes 22 formed in the discharge surface 20. The alignment material 74 supplied from the supply tank 58 is discharged to the substrate 68 to print the alignment material 74 on the substrate 68. Subsequently, when the inkjet head 52 is left in the atmosphere during the alignment film forming process, the controller 82 moves the ultrasonic wave generator 80 to the lower portion of the inkjet head 52 to closely contact the discharge surface 20. In this case, the ultrasonic generator 80 may generate ultrasonic waves to prevent the holes 22 formed in the discharge surface 20 from being blocked by the alignment material 74, as well as the alignment material 74 remaining on the discharge surface 20. ) Is removed through the exhaust pipe 62 to clean the discharge surface 20. When the alignment film process is performed again, the controller 82 moves the ultrasonic generator 80 under the print table 66.

As described above, the apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to the present invention uses ultrasonic waves 80 to apply ultrasonic waves to the discharge surface 20 of the ink jet head 52 while the ink jet head 52 is left in the air during the alignment film forming process. Not only prevents the holes 22 formed in the discharge surface 20 from being blocked by the alignment material 74, but also removes the alignment material 74 remaining in the discharge surface 20 so as to remove the discharge surface 20. It can be washed. As a result, since the alignment material 74 is uniformly discharged onto the substrate 68 during the alignment film forming process, printing failure may be prevented.

As described above, the apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to the present invention generates ultrasonic waves in the discharge surface of the ink jet head while the ink jet head is left in the air during the alignment film formation process using the ultrasonic wave generating unit so that the holes formed in the discharge surface are aligned materials. It is possible to prevent the blockage caused by the blocking process and to remove the alignment material remaining on the discharge surface to clean the discharge surface. As a result, since the alignment material is uniformly discharged onto the substrate during the alignment film forming process, printing failure may be prevented.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (4)

A supply tank in which the alignment material is stored; An inkjet head for discharging the alignment material supplied from the supply tank to a substrate; A pressurizing tank for supplying the alignment material to the inkjet head by applying pressure to the supply tank during the alignment film process and recovering the alignment material remaining in the inkjet head through an exhaust pipe when placed in the air during the alignment film process; And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating ultrasonic waves under the ink jet head to remove the alignment material remaining in the ink jet head through the exhaust pipe. The method of claim 1, A printing table on which the substrate is mounted; And a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic wave generating unit. The method of claim 1, And the ultrasonic generator is in close contact with the lower portion of the ink jet head when the ink jet head is arranged in the air during the alignment layer process. The method of claim 1, And the pressurized tank stores an alignment material recovered from the inkjet head.

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