KR101303053B1 - Dispensing apparatus for fabricating the liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a first stage capable of raising and lowering movement and rotational movement; The present invention provides a dispensing device for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device including a second stage, which is fixed around the first stage, and a method of manufacturing a substrate for a liquid crystal display device using the same.

Dispensing Equipment, Liquid Crystal Display, Rotating Stage

Description

Dispensing apparatus for fabricating the liquid crystal display device

1 is an exploded perspective view of a general liquid crystal display device.

2 is a simplified illustration of a stage of equipment for dispensing conventional sealants or liquid crystals.

3 is a perspective view of a stage of a sealant or liquid crystal dispensing apparatus according to the present invention.

4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the lowered and raised states of the stage of the sealant or liquid crystal dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, respectively.

5 is a plan view briefly showing a sealant dispensing equipment having a stage having a configuration in accordance with the present invention;

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

101: Dispensing Equipment (of Sealant or Liquid Crystal)

110: stage 110a: first area (of the stage)

110b: second area 113a, 113b of first and second adsorption holes

115: shaft 120: motor

125: groove 160: substrate

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device including a rotatable swivel portion.

Recently, the liquid crystal display, which is one of the flat panel display devices, has been actively applied to a notebook or a desktop monitor due to its excellent resolution, color display, and image quality.

In general, a liquid crystal display device arranges two substrates on which electrodes are formed so that the two electrodes face each other, injects a liquid crystal between the two substrates, and then applies a voltage to the two electrodes to form liquid crystal molecules. It is a device to express the image by adjusting the light transmittance by moving the.

In more detail, the structure of the liquid crystal display will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is an exploded perspective view of a general liquid crystal display. As shown in FIG. 1, the array substrate 10 and the color filter substrate are interposed between the liquid crystal layer 30. 20 has a configuration in which the bottom surface is bonded to each other, wherein the lower array substrate 10 has a plurality of gate lines 14 vertically and horizontally arranged on the upper surface of the transparent substrate 12 to define a plurality of pixel regions P. A thin film transistor Tr is provided at the intersection of the two wires 14 and 16, and is connected one-to-one with the pixel electrode 18 provided in each pixel region P.

Also, the upper color filter substrate 20 facing the array substrate may cover a non-display area such as the gate line 14, the data line 16, and the thin film transistor Tr on the rear surface of the transparent substrate 22. Grid-like black matrix 25 is formed so as to border each pixel region P, and the red, green, and blue color filter layers 26 are sequentially arranged to correspond to each pixel region P in the grid. ) Is formed, and a transparent common electrode 28 is provided over the entirety of the black matrix 25 and the red, green, and blue color filter layers 26.

Although not shown in the drawings, these two substrates 10 and 20 are sealed with a sealant or the like along the edges to prevent leakage of the liquid crystal layer 30 interposed therebetween. In the boundary portion of each substrate (10, 20) and the liquid crystal layer 30 is interposed upper and lower alignment layer that provides reliability in the molecular alignment direction of the liquid crystal, and at least one outer surface of each substrate (10, 20) A polarizing plate is provided.

A back-light is provided on the outer surface of the array substrate to supply light. An on / off signal of the thin film transistor T is sequentially scanned by the gate wiring 14, When the image signal of the data line 16 is transferred to the pixel electrode 18 of the selected pixel region P, the liquid crystal molecules therebetween are driven by the vertical electric field therebetween. As a result, It is possible to display branch images.

The liquid crystal display includes a process of manufacturing an array substrate in which a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor, which is a switching element, are formed for each pixel, and the common electrode and the colors of red, green, and blue correspond to each pixel so as to face the array substrate. After forming the formed color filter substrate, the liquid crystal layer between the array substrate and the color filter substrate produced through the two processes, and then proceeds to the cell process of bonding to complete the liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal It is completed by attaching a polarizing plate, a driving circuit board, and a backlight unit to the panel.

Meanwhile, in the cell process, a sealant, which is an adhesive material, forms a seal pattern along an edge of one of the array substrate and the color filter substrate in order to bond the array substrate and the color filter substrate. The liquid crystal dropping process must be performed.

The seal pattern and the liquid crystal dispensing process are in-line, and the two-step process is continuously performed or the dispensing process is performed on the array substrate and the liquid crystal dispensing on the color filter substrate. Going on.

In this case, for example, the array substrate or the color filter substrate should be positioned as equipment for seal dispensing and liquid crystal dispensing. For example, the seal dispensing apparatus and the liquid crystal dispensing process may be performed. The liquid crystal dispensing device is woven into a single line, and a robot is positioned between these two devices to move to the stage of each device.

In this case, the stage of the equipment for dispensing the sealant and the stage of the equipment for dispensing the liquid crystal are fixed without rotation or the like, and include a suction hole for fixing the substrate, and the like. The dispenser is positioned on the stage on which the substrate is seated, and the process is performed by forming a seal pattern by dispensing after disposing the substrate after mounting the substrate or dispensing the liquid crystal at an appropriate position.

However, the equipment for dispensing such sealants or liquid crystals is not equipped with a rotating unit. Often, an array or a color filter substrate in which an experimental model or the like is put or repaired out of a general process line is used to dispense the sealant or liquid crystal. In the case of input into the fencing equipment, the position of the substrate is often inverted by 180 degrees.

In this case, as shown in Fig. 2 (schematic diagram of a stage of a device for dispensing a conventional sealant or liquid crystal), an array of workers placed on the stage 70 of the sealant or liquid crystal dispensing apparatus, or After the color filter substrate 75 is rotated 180 degrees, the process must be performed, and thus, the substrate 75 may be damaged due to an operator error, and a worker's safety accident may occur due to the fragmentation of the damaged substrate 75. Doing.

In addition, productivity is reduced due to an increase in process time due to manual progress.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and when the inversion of the substrate, by providing a stage characterized in that by automatically rotating the inverted substrate 180 degrees without manual operation to prevent the safety accident of the operator, It aims at improving productivity by shortening process time.

Dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above object, the first stage is characterized in that the lifting and lowering movement and rotational movement and has a smaller area than the substrate; A second stage positioned around the first stage, the second stage being always maintained in the same position without a change in position through movement separately from the first stage; A dispenser positioned above the first or second stage; And first and second robots positioned on both sides of the second stage, wherein vacuum suction is performed independently of each other as a means for adsorbing and fixing the substrate on surfaces of the first and second stages, respectively. A plurality of first adsorption holes and second adsorption holes are provided.

delete

In addition, the first and second stages are characterized in that a plurality of grooves in the connected state is formed to form the entrance and exit of the robot arm.

In addition, the first stage is characterized in that the size of 30% to 60% of the total area of the first and second stage, the first stage is 30% to 60% of the total load of the first and second stage It is characterized by having the size of.

In addition, the rotational motion of the first stage is characterized in that the rotational motion of 180 degrees.

And a dispenser over the first or second stage; Further comprising first and second robots on both sides of the second stage, wherein the dispensing equipment for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device is a sealant dispensing equipment or a liquid crystal dispensing equipment.

In the method for manufacturing a substrate for a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the first region having a smaller area than the substrate, which is capable of raising, lowering and rotating movements, is positioned around the first region, Is composed of a second region, characterized in that it always maintains the same position without a change in position through movement separately, and vacuum means independent of each other as a means for adsorbing and fixing the substrate on each of the surfaces of the first and second regions. And a stage having a plurality of first and second adsorption holes, a dispenser located above the first or second area, and a first side located at both sides of the second area. And inserting the substrate into a dispensing device for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a second robot; Mounting the substrate on the stage via the first robot; Fixing the substrate to the first region by performing vacuum suction through the plurality of first adsorption holes provided in the first region; Raising the first region; Rotating the raised first region 180 degrees; Lowering the first region rotated by 180 degrees; Fixing the substrate to the front surface of the stage by performing vacuum suction through the plurality of second suction holes provided in the second area; Dispensing a specific material onto the substrate using the dispenser; Releasing the fixing of the substrate to the stage by stopping vacuum adsorption of the plurality of first and second adsorption holes; Removing from the stage the substrate located on the stage via the second robot.

At this time, the specific material is characterized in that the sealant or liquid crystal.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a perspective view of a stage of a sealant or liquid crystal dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the stage of the sealant or liquid crystal dispensing apparatus of the present invention in a lowered and raised state, respectively.

As shown, the stage 110 of the seal and liquid crystal dispensing apparatus 101 according to the present invention is characterized in that the first and second regions 110a and 110b separated from each other. At this time, the center portion thereof becomes the first region 110a and the portion surrounding the first region 110a becomes the second region 110b.

The stage 110 has a rectangular plate shape as a whole, and the first region 110a at the center thereof has a function of raising and lowering by including a shaft 115 connected to a cylinder (not shown) at the bottom thereof. 115 is rotated by 180 degrees in one direction by being connected to the gear (not shown) and the motor 120 and the like to enable the rotational movement.

In this case, the size of the first region 110a is 30% to 60% of the total area of the stage 110, that is, the stage 110 of the full size is 30% based on the center of the stage 110. It is characterized by having a size of from 60% to a reduced shape resembling.

In general, the substrate 160 has a rectangular shape and has a long axis and a short axis. The substrate 160 is supported only with a central portion of the substrate 160 without corresponding to the entire area of the substrate 160. When raised, deflection occurs in the long axis direction of the substrate 160, and is to prevent the deflection in the long axis direction of the substrate 160 to some extent.

That is, the first region 110a is formed to have a longer width in the long axis direction of the substrate 160 to increase the number of portions supported in proportion to its length in the long axis direction of the substrate 160.

On the other hand, on the surface of the entire first and second regions 110a and 110b of the stage 110, a plurality of first and second adsorption holes 113a and 113b are formed, so that the substrate 160 is formed on the stage 110. When seated, the substrate 160 is fixed to the surface of the stage 110 by vacuum adsorption through the plurality of first and second adsorption holes 113a and 113b.

In this case, the plurality of first adsorption holes 113a formed in the first region 110a and the plurality of second adsorption holes 113b formed in the second region 110b may be configured to be driven separately.

That is, each of the plurality of first adsorption holes 113a formed in the first region 110a and the plurality of second adsorption holes 113b formed in the second region 110b are respectively adsorbed in the stage 110. The pipes connecting the holes 113a and 113b are configured to be independent of each other so that different driving is possible.

In this case, the first region 110a of the center portion of the stage 110 needs to move up and down to rotate the substrate 160 by 180 degrees, and performs a normal operation for the rotation of the substrate 160. This is because vacuum adsorption should be performed to fix the substrate 160 while the substrate 160 is in progress. However, the vacuum adsorption may be performed only in the dispensing process of the sealant or the liquid crystal in the second region 110b.

In addition, when the suction hole of the second region 110b performs vacuum suction at the time when the first region 110a performs the ascending operation, the substrate 160 of the substrate 160 is raised in a state where the first region 110a is raised. Since the edges are adsorbed on the surface of the second region 110b, since the substrate 160 may be damaged, the first and second adsorption holes 113a and 113b of the first and second regions 110a and 110b may be damaged. ) Is characterized in that it is formed so as to drive separately.

In addition, the stage 110 having the above-described structure is characterized in that the portion having a groove portion 125 is formed on the surface, this groove portion 125 is seated on the stage 110 the substrate 160 If it is, it is for access of the robot's arm. Therefore, at least two grooves 125 are spaced apart from each other with respect to the surface of the stage 110, and the grooves 125 form a rectangular hole when viewed from the side when the substrate 160 is seated. It is characterized by the formation.

On the other hand, as configured in such a way that only the central portion of the stage 110 can be raised, lowered and rotated, when the stage 110 is raised, lowered and rotated as a whole, the stage 110 is made of tungsten (SUS). It is made of a metal material such as) bar, because its own load is very large, the motor 120 and the shaft 115 to withstand such a large load when the entire stage 110 is raised and lowered or rotated The cost of the initial equipment investment is increased, and relatively higher costs are also required to drive and maintain such a large capacity motor 120. If the long time passes by rotating itself, there is a possibility that the equipment itself is distorted, and the stage 110 itself due to the rotational movement has an error in alignment. This is because the possibility of patterning defects is increased when dispensing the sealant, thereby forming a seal pattern.

However, in the case of the stage 110 according to the present invention, only the first region 110a of the center portion 110a of the stage 110 moves up, down, and rotates, and the stage 110 other than the first region 110a. ) Itself is fixed, so that the error due to the twisting and rotation of the stage 110 does not occur, and the central first region 110a is in a plane of 30% to 60% of the entire stage 110. It is formed having an area of%, and even in the load, it is 30% to 60% of the entire stage 110 in proportion to the area, so that the capacity of the motor 120 can be reduced, thereby reducing investment cost and maintenance cost. It can be seen that it has an effect.

At this time, the raising, lowering and rotation of the first region 110a in the stage 110 are collectively processed from the time when the substrate 160 of the inverted model is inputted to the time when the substrate 160 of the model is completed. Or a button for applying a signal so that an operator can raise, rotate, and lower the stage 110 of the first region 110a when the substrate 160 is seated on the stage 110. By being provided outside the stage 110 is characterized in that it is configured to proceed by applying a separate signal through the button (not shown).

The process progress using the sealant or liquid crystal dispensing device having the stage 110 having such a characteristic will be briefly described.

5 is a plan view briefly illustrating a sealant dispensing equipment having a stage having a configuration in accordance with the present invention. In this case, since the liquid crystal dispensing apparatus performs the same operation as the sealant dispensing apparatus, a description thereof will be omitted.

The cassette 181 on which the array substrate 160 or the color filter substrate 160 is loaded is seated on the loader LD, and the first robot 183 configured at one side of the loader LD is connected to the cassette 181. One array or color filter substrate 160 (hereinafter referred to as substrate 160) is ejected and seated on the stage 110 of the silat dispensing apparatus.

At this time, if the seated substrate 160 is a substrate 160 inverted by 180 degrees, the batch substrate 160 before the input of the inverted substrate 160 or by the application of the rotation signal of the substrate 160 of the operator. By applying the rotation signal, vacuum suction is performed only on the first region 110a of the stage 110 so that the substrate 160 of the portion corresponding to the first region 110a is attracted only to the first region. .

Then, in this state, the upward movement of the first region 110a of the stage 110 proceeds, and the axis (not shown) of the first region 110a is exposed to the upper surface of the second region 110b. After the 180 degree rotation of the first region 110a and the substrate 160 positioned thereon is performed, and after being rotated 180 degrees, the substrate 160 is seated on the entire surface of the stage 110. In this state, even the second adsorption hole of the second region 110b is operated to perform vacuum adsorption so that the entire surface of the substrate 160 is fixed to the surface of the stage 110.

Subsequently, after disposing a dispenser (not shown) on the substrate 160 fixed on the page 110 and aligning the same, the sealant is dispensed to form a seal pattern (not shown). After formation is completed, the other side of the stage 110 in a state in which vacuum adsorption of the first and second adsorption holes (113a and 113b of FIG. 3) of the first and second regions 110a and 110b is stopped. The substrate 160 is moved from the stage 110 to the process equipment (not shown) by the second robot 185 located at to complete the seal pattern process.

On the other hand, when the substrate 160 that is not inverted is introduced into the sealant dispensing apparatus 101, the substrate 160 is moved to the stage 110 without the rising, rotating, and lowering movement of the first region 110a. The substrate 160 is fixed to the surface of the stage 110 by vacuum suction of all of the first and second adsorption holes (113a and 113b of FIG. 3) located at the same time as it is seated. Then, the sealant dispensing process is immediately performed, and then the seal pattern process is completed by proceeding in the same manner as the above-described inversion of the substrate 160.

Liquid crystal dispensing also proceeds in the same manner as the seal pattern forming process described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the stage for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is configured such that a portion having a predetermined area in the center thereof is capable of an up and down movement and a 180 degree rotational movement. Since it does not proceed 180 degrees rotation, there is an effect of improving the productivity by preventing the process time increase by manual labor.

In addition, it is possible to raise, lower, and rotate only a part of the stage without performing the whole up, down, and rotational movements of the stage. There is.

In addition, there is an effect of preventing the accident of workers due to the exclusion of manual work.

Claims (11)

A first stage capable of up and down movements and rotational movements and having a smaller area than the substrate; A second stage positioned around the first stage, the second stage being always maintained in the same position without a change in position through movement separately from the first stage; A dispenser positioned above the first or second stage; First and second robots located on both sides of the second stage And a plurality of first adsorption holes and second adsorption holes, wherein the vacuum adsorption is independently performed on each other as a means for adsorbing and fixing the substrate on the surfaces of the first and second stages. Dispensing equipment for the manufacture of liquid crystal displays. delete delete The method of claim 1, Dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, characterized in that the first and second stages are formed with a plurality of grooves in the connected state to form the entrance and exit of the robot arm. The method of claim 1, And the first stage has a size of 30% to 60% of the total area of the first and second stages. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein the first stage has a size of 30% to 60% of the total load of the first and second stages. The method of claim 1, Dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, characterized in that the rotational movement of the first stage is a 180-degree rotational movement. delete The method of claim 1, The dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is a dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, which is a sealant dispensing equipment or a liquid crystal dispensing equipment. A first area having a smaller area than the substrate and a periphery of the first area, which is capable of ascending, descending and rotating movements, are always kept in the same position without changing the position through movement separately from the first area. And a plurality of first adsorption holes, wherein the plurality of first adsorption holes are independently applied to each other as means for adsorbing and fixing the substrate on the surfaces of the first and second areas, respectively. And a stage provided with a second suction hole, a dispenser positioned above the first or second region, and first and second robots positioned on both sides of the second region. Injecting the substrate into a dispensing equipment for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a; Mounting the substrate on the stage via the first robot; Fixing the substrate to the first region by performing vacuum suction through the plurality of first adsorption holes provided in the first region; Raising the first region; Rotating the raised first region 180 degrees; Lowering the first region rotated by 180 degrees; Fixing the substrate to the front surface of the stage by performing vacuum suction through the plurality of second suction holes provided in the second area; Dispensing a specific material onto the substrate using the dispenser; Releasing the fixing of the substrate to the stage by stopping vacuum adsorption of the plurality of first and second adsorption holes; Removing from the stage the substrate located on the stage via the second robot Method of manufacturing a substrate for a liquid crystal display device comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10, And said specific material is a sealant or a liquid crystal.

Images