KR101099845B1

KR101099845B1 - Annealing apparatus of ito film for touch panel

Info

Publication number: KR101099845B1
Application number: KR1020110049138A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박형기
Original assignee: 박형기
Priority date: 2011-05-24
Filing date: 2011-05-24
Publication date: 2011-12-27

Abstract

PURPOSE: An annealing device of an ITO film for a touch panel is provided to prevent an ITO film from being crinkled and a belt pattern from being transited to the ITO film. CONSTITUTION: A drying furnace(10) heat-treated an ITO film with a Teflon belt transfer scheme and an air drying scheme. A film feeding unit(11) supplies the ITO film by being installed in an entrance of the drying furnace. A film collecting unit(12) collects the heat-treated ITO film by being installed in an exit of the drying furnace. The ITO film is separated and discharged from the Teflon belt in the exit of the drying furnace by installing a separated roller assembly(13). The separated roller assembly transfers the ITO film by rotating and evaluating up and down.

Description

IONIO film annealing device for touch panels {Annealing apparatus of ITO film for touch panel}

The present invention relates to an ITO film annealing apparatus for touch panels, and more particularly, to an apparatus for heat-treating an ITO film used for a touch panel of a display.

In general, a display terminal is a communication interface between a user and an information medium, and is currently being developed as a panel display.

Such panel displays mainly include organic electroluminescent displays (OLEDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the like.

Usually, the touch panel is installed on the surface of a panel display such as OLED, CRT, LCD, PDP, EL (Electro Luminescence), LED, etc., and the user presses the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film of the touch panel while viewing the image display device. It is what makes a signal to a computer.

That is, the ITO film refers to an electrode film used in the touch panel, and serves to smoothly transfer the touched information from the monitor to the controller and the drive drive.

Such an ITO film is not only used as a transparent electrode material having excellent conductivity, but also can be used for various applications in heating, heat reflection, electromagnetic shielding, anti-electrostatic charges, and the like.

Thus, ITO films can have various uses in TFT arrays, color filters, LEDs, organic electroluminescent displays, or different types of displays in PDPs.

However, the surface flatness of the ITO film clearly affects the stability of the device.

Taking the organic electroluminescent display as an example, when the surface flatness of the ITO film is relatively large, the cathode layer (when ITO is an anode) tends to be close to the protrusion of the ITO film.

This causes a large local electric field on the electrode surface, resulting in a large current flowing over this local region.

If a large current flows through this local region, the temperature in this region increases, then melting occurs in that local region.

This causes injury on the organic electroluminescent display.

Therefore, in order to have better film properties, for example, surface flatness or resistance to the ITO material, an ITO film is usually formed, and then annealing heat treatment is performed in a drying furnace having a certain section.

Conventionally, when the ITO film was first introduced into the drying furnace, the ITO film was heat-treated while being attached to the belt with an adhesive such as a tape and transported.

In this case, only one side of the ITO film, for example, the opposite side attached to the belt is heat-treated mainly, so that the film is crying due to the temperature difference from the opposite side, which causes the belt's own pattern to be transferred to the film side. There is a problem that a defect of the ITO film is generated due to the occurrence of a dent phenomenon in which fine pattern patterns are not visible.

In particular, this problem occurs mainly at the exit side of the drying furnace where the heating is terminated rather than at the inlet side of the drying furnace.

In addition, the phenomenon that the film sag occurs in the drying furnace inlet side and the drying furnace exit side section by the drying by the high temperature while the ITO film in the drying furnace is in progress, there is a problem that the defect of the ITO film occurs eventually.

Therefore, the present invention has been devised in view of the above, a new type of ITO film transfer having a spaced apart roller that is engaged with each other in the exit side section of the drying furnace to drive the Teflon belt and the ITO film spaced apart from each other. By implementing the method, the present invention provides an ITO film annealing device for a touch panel that can improve the heat treatment effect of the ITO film while completely eliminating the occurrence of defects, such as preventing the ITO film from crying or micro pattern transfer. There is a purpose.

In addition, the present invention by providing a means for vacuum adsorption of the ITO film on the feed roller for providing a traction for the transfer of the ITO film on the inlet and outlet end side of the drying furnace, when the input and discharge of the ITO film Another object of the present invention is to provide an ITO film annealing device for a touch panel, which can increase the feeding efficiency by maintaining the tension of the ITO film, such as preventing sagging.

In order to achieve the above object, the ITO film annealing device for a touch panel provided by the present invention has the following characteristics.

The touch panel ITO film annealing apparatus includes a drying furnace for performing heat treatment on the ITO film by a Teflon belt transfer method and a hot air drying method, a film supply unit installed at an inlet side of the drying furnace to supply an ITO film, and It is basically composed of a film recovery unit which is installed on the outlet side to recover the heat treated ITO film, and in particular, in the exit section of the drying furnace, the ITO film is rotated while interlocking with each other from the top and bottom by the traveling force of the Teflon belt. Since the separation roller assembly for transporting is installed, the ITO film can be discharged away from the Teflon belt at the outlet end of the drying furnace.

Here, the spacer roller assembly may be composed of a plurality of sets of roller combinations of the upper spacer roller in contact with the lower surface of the ITO film and the lower spacer roller in contact with the upper surface of the Teflon belt as a set, wherein each roller combination is an ITO film It is preferable to arrange them side by side while maintaining a constant interval along the direction of travel.

And, in the case of the film supply unit and / or film recovery unit, by using a vacuum pressure may include at least one vacuum adsorption roller for adsorbing the ITO film on the surface of the roller to provide a traction for film transport, accordingly By using the traction force exerted by the vacuum suction roller, the tension of the ITO film can be kept constant at all times.

The ITO film annealing device for touch panels provided by the present invention has the following advantages.

First, since the Teflon belt and the ITO film are spaced apart from each other by the spacer roller installed in the exit section of the drying furnace, the ITO film can be prevented from crying and the transition of the belt pattern to the film. By minimizing the deformation of the film has the advantage of ensuring a good quality product.

Second, the ITO film is pulled and transported by the vacuum adsorption rollers installed at the inlet end and the outlet end of the drying furnace, thereby minimizing damage to the surface of the ITO film such as maintaining the tension of the internal ITO film in the drying furnace. It can be, there is an advantage that can improve the transfer efficiency of the ITO film.

1 is a front view showing an ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention
Figure 2 is a plan view showing an ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention
Figure 3 is a side view showing an ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention
Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the separation roller assembly in the ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the spaced roller assembly in the ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 are front, plan and side views illustrating an ITO film annealing apparatus for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ITO film annealing device is a device for heat treating the ITO film 100 used in the touch panel, and the film supply unit 11 for supplying the ITO film and the finished ITO Spacer roller assembly including a film recovery unit 12 for recovering the film, and a drying furnace 10 for performing heat treatment on the ITO film, in particular installed in the inner outlet side section L of the drying furnace 10. By using the 13 to proceed in a state in which the ITO film and the Teflon belt 200 at the exit end of the drying furnace, the deformation of the ITO film due to rapid drying is made in a manner that can be minimized.

Here, the spaced roller assembly 13 is composed of a plurality of roller combinations to function to space the ITO film and the Teflon belt as a specific configuration thereof will be described later.

The drying furnace 10 is a place for performing heat treatment on the ITO film by a Teflon belt transfer method and a hot air drying method, and heaters 26 which are installed side by side at regular intervals while following the traveling direction of the ITO belt. For example, a ceramic plate heater is provided up and down, and a plurality of blowers 25 are provided below the heater 26 for circulation of hot air in the drying furnace.

In this case, the heater 26 is disposed above and below the advancing path of the ITO film and the Teflon belt, respectively, so that both surfaces of the ITO film can be heat treated in a balanced manner.

Teflon belt is provided as a means for the transfer of the ITO film, the Teflon belt is made of a closed circulation loop to serve to transport the Teflon belt while constant motion by the motor.

For example, an electric roller 23 and a driving roller 22 are installed at the front and the rear of the drying furnace frame 27, respectively, and a servo motor 21 is installed adjacent to the driving roller 22. The servo motor 21 and the driving roller 22 are connected to each other by a belt transmission device 24, that is, a pulley is mounted on the motor shaft and the driving roller shaft, respectively, and a belt is connected between the pulleys to transmit power. do.

Therefore, as the driving roller 22 is operated by the operation of the servo motor 21, the Teflon belt can move the ITO film while continuing in one direction while drawing a closed circulation trajectory.

In addition, a plurality of belt guide rollers may be disposed on the progress track of the Teflon belt to guide the progress of the Teflon belt.

Here, the rollers as well as the various rollers to be described later are installed in a structure that is freely rotated while being supported on both sides of the frame via a bearing.

The interior of the drying furnace 10 is a temperature environment of about 150 ~ 200 ℃, the drying time is an average of 50 minutes, the drying rate can be carried out under the conditions of about 0.2m / min.

The film supply unit 11 is provided at the inlet side of the drying furnace 10 to supply the ITO film, and supplies the ITO film in a manner of releasing the ITO film wound in a roll form.

To this end, an unwinder 28 for winding up the ITO film is provided, and the unwinder 28 at this time is installed in a structure in which both ends are freely rotatable on the supply unit frame 30.

In particular, the film supply unit 11 is provided with a vacuum suction roller 19 as a means for imparting a suitable tension to the film.

The vacuum adsorption roller 19 is a roller for attracting and pulling the ITO film to the roller surface by using a vacuum pressure, a plurality of vacuum holes are formed on the roller surface over the entire area, the vacuum applied to the vacuum hole at this time The pneumatic pressure allows the film to be adsorbed onto the roller surface and to be pulled.

These vacuum suction rollers 19 are arranged side by side along the film traveling direction, and are installed in a structure in which both ends are supported on the supply unit frame 30 and rotated by the power of the roller driving motor 30.

At this time, the power for rotating the vacuum suction roller 19 can be provided through a belt transmission.

Then, the vacuum pressure applied to the vacuum suction roller 19 can be provided in a conventional manner using a vacuum motor (ring blower) or the like.

On the other hand, in the film supply unit 11, when the ITO film is discharged away from the Teflon belt by the spaced roller assembly 13, measures are taken to prevent the ITO film from coming into the roller.

For example, when the ITO film is put into the drying furnace 10, the ITO plate is attached to a thick film or a thin plate (a plate having a thickness of about a bearing) to be transported.

This action is performed by an operator, for example, before the ITO film is introduced at the inlet side of the drying furnace, the worker puts the ITO film on the plate using tape and puts it in the drying furnace 10. When the plate attached to the ITO film is discharged to the outlet of the drying furnace 10, the operator removes the plate.

The film recovery unit 12 is a means for recovering the heat treatment is completed ITO film is installed on the outlet side of the drying furnace 10, the ITO film exiting the drying furnace 10 is rolled again to recover by rolling in the form of rolls It will play a role.

To this end, a rewinder 29 for winding up the ITO film is provided, and the rewinder 29 at this time is installed in a structure in which both ends are freely rotatable on the recovery unit frame 31.

In particular, the film recovery unit 12, like the film supply unit 11, is provided with a vacuum suction roller 19 as a means for imparting a suitable tension to the film, the film is tensioned by the vacuum suction roller 19 After proceeding in the maintained state, it can be wound on the rewinder 29.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the separation roller assembly in the ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 4, here shows an ITO film and Teflon belt to be transported together to separate the spaced apart roller assembly 13 to separate each from the exit end section of the furnace.

The spaced roller assembly 13 is installed in the outlet side section of the drying furnace, and a plurality of sets of roller combinations 16, that is interlocked with each other from above and below, rotated by engaging with each other from above and below by the traveling force of the Teflon belt. Combinations of four rollers.

For example, the lower roller of the roller combination 16 is rotated by contact with the upper surface of the Teflon belt, and the upper roller is engaged with the rotating lower roller to rotate, and eventually the upper roller of the roller combination 16. By contact with the ITO belt can also be transported.

To this end, the roller combination 16 is composed of a set of rollers, that is, the upper separation roller 14 in contact with the lower surface of the ITO film and the lower separation roller 15 in contact with the upper surface of the Teflon belt. Each set of) is installed in a structure arranged side by side while maintaining a constant interval along the advancing direction of the ITO film.

In addition, a pair of separation rollers disposed in the front and rear of the film conveying direction in the front of the separation roller assembly 13, that is, in front of the roller assembly 16 located in front of the drying furnace 10 17) is installed, and the separation roller 17 at this time induces the Teflon belt downward while bending the progress path of the Teflon belt, so that the Teflon belt and the ITO film can be spaced apart from each other by different paths. .

In addition, at the rear end side of the spaced roller assembly 13, a coalescing roller 18 serving to reintegrate the ITO film and the Teflon belt is installed, and the traveling path of the Teflon belt is formed by the coalescing roller 18 at this time. The ITO film is recovered back to the level of the transport path level, and from this time, the ITO film can be transferred on the Teflon belt.

In addition, a plurality of belt guide rollers 20 for guiding the belt progression are disposed in the outlet section of the drying furnace while contacting and supporting the lower surface of the Teflon belt, and the belt guide roller 20 and the lower spaced apart rollers 15 at this time are disposed. As the Teflon belt proceeds in a zigzag form, the tension force is applied to the belt, and thus the binding force between the Teflon belt and the lower spaced roller 15 becomes more firm. This composition is to be able to rotate the spaced apart lower roller 15 stably.

5 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the spaced roller assembly in the ITO film annealing device for a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ITO film 100 supplied from the film supply unit is transferred together with the Teflon belt 200 proceeding from the bottom while being introduced into the drying furnace, and heat treatment is performed while passing through the drying furnace.

When the ITO film 100 and the Teflon belt 200 enter the exit side section of the drying furnace, the Teflon belt 200 is bent by the separation roller 17 while the traveling direction is bent down to the Teflon belt ( 200, the ITO film 100 continues to be transported along the original transport trajectory while receiving the guide and contact traction force of the roller combination 16 disposed forward in the transport direction.

At this time, during the progress of the Teflon belt 200, the lower separation roller 15 which is in contact with the upper surface of the belt is rotated, and the upper separation roller 15 engaged with it also rotates, eventually the ITO film 100 Is to be transported while in contact with the rotating upper spaced roller 15.

Then, after passing through the exit side section of the drying furnace, the ITO film 100 exiting the drying furnace proceeds in a state of being merged up and down with the Teflon belt 200 whose direction is bent upward by the coalescence roller 18. Then, the ITO film 100 proceeds to the film recovery unit 12 side and is recovered, while the Teflon belt 200 continues to circulate.

As such, the present invention implements a method in which the Teflon belt and the ITO film are spaced apart from each other in the exit side section of the drying furnace by using the spaced roller means, so that the phenomenon of ITO film crying or the belt itself pattern is transferred to the film side. As a result, a phenomenon in which a fine pattern pattern is generated can be completely excluded, and thus, deformation of the ITO film can be minimized, and thus, a good quality product can be secured.

10: drying furnace 11: film supply unit
12 film recovery unit 13 spaced roller assembly
14: upper separation roller 15: lower separation roller
16: roller combination 17: separation roller
18: coalescing roller 19: vacuum adsorption roller
20: belt guide roller 21: servo motor
22: driving roller 23: electric roller
24: belt transmission 25: blower
26: heater 27: drying furnace frame
28: Unwind 29: Rewinder
30: supply unit frame 31: recovery unit frame
32: roller driving motor
100: ITO film 200: Teflon belt

Claims

A drying furnace 10 for performing heat treatment on the ITO film by a Teflon belt transfer method and a hot air drying method, a film supply unit 11 installed at an inlet side of the drying furnace 10 to supply an ITO film, and A film recovery unit 12 installed at an exit side of the drying furnace 10 to recover the heat treated ITO film,
In the exit section of the drying furnace, a spaced apart roller assembly 13 is installed to move the ITO film while rotating and engaged with each other from the top and the bottom by the traveling force of the Teflon belt, so that the ITO film is separated from the Teflon belt at the exit of the drying furnace. ITO film annealing device for a touch panel, characterized in that can be discharged.

The plurality of sets of roller combinations (16) according to claim 1, wherein the spacer roller assembly (13) comprises a set of an upper spacer roller (14) in contact with the lower surface of the ITO film and a lower spacer roller (15) in contact with the upper surface of the Teflon belt. ITO film annealing device for a touch panel, characterized in that consisting of).

The ITO film for a touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roller combinations 16 of the spaced roller assembly 13 are arranged side by side in a line while maintaining a constant distance along the advancing direction of the ITO film. Annealing device.

The separation roller assembly (13) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spaced roller assembly (13) is located in front of and behind the assembly front side of the drying furnace to separate the ITO film and the Teflon belt (17) and the separation roller outside the drying furnace. An ITO film annealing device for a touch panel, further comprising: a coalescing roller (18) positioned at the rear end of the assembly to reintegrate the ITO film and the Teflon belt.

The method of claim 1, wherein the film supply unit 11 and the film recovery unit 12 is at least one vacuum adsorption roller 19 to provide a traction for film transport by adsorbing the ITO film on the roller surface using a vacuum pressure ITO film annealing device for a touch panel comprising a.