KR20050120081A - Alignment printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is disclosed with respect to an alignment film printing apparatus. An alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention, comprising: a dispenser provided to supply an alignment liquid; A first roll receiving the alignment liquid from the dispenser; A second roll rotating adjacent to the first roll so that the supplied alignment liquid forms a uniform film on the first roll surface; A printing mask corresponding to the substrate on which the color filter or the switching element is formed, divided into an active region, a dummy region, and an edge portion and formed in an embossed and intaglio pattern; And a third roll attached to the alignment film printing mask and installed to rotate in contact with the first roll to transfer the alignment liquid from the first roll to the alignment film printing mask to retransfer the alignment film on the substrate. have.

The alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention can change the pattern of the printing mask attached to the alignment film printing apparatus to prevent glass breakage due to foreign matter.

Description

Alignment film printing device {ALIGNMENT PRINTING APPARATUS}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an alignment film printing apparatus, and more particularly, to an alignment film printing apparatus capable of preventing glass breakage due to foreign matter by changing a pattern of a printing mask attached to the alignment film printing apparatus.

In general, a liquid crystal display includes a lower plate that is a substrate on which thin film transistors are arranged, and an upper plate on which a color filter is formed, and a liquid crystal is positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate.

A brief manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell and its operation in the liquid crystal display are as follows.

Two substrates, namely, a common electrode is formed on one side of each inner side facing the upper plate and the lower plate, and a pixel electrode is formed on the other side, and the electrodes are arranged to face each other. Liquid crystal is injected into the gap and the inlet is sealed.

And a liquid crystal cell is completed by attaching a polarizing plate to the outer side of the said upper board and lower board, respectively.

In addition, the light transmittance of the liquid crystal cell is controlled as a voltage applied to each electrode (pixel electrode, common electrode), and characters / images are displayed by an optical shutter effect.

The liquid crystal cell process may be characterized in that the process is relatively few compared to the thin film transistor (TFT) process or the color filter process.

The overall process includes the steps of manufacturing the upper and lower panels of the liquid crystal cell forming the pixel unit, forming and rubbing the alignment layer for liquid crystal alignment, bonding the upper and lower plates, and bonding the upper plate And a process of injecting and encapsulating a liquid crystal between the lower plate and the like.

First, a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) are arranged on the lower plate as switching elements, and pixel electrodes are formed in one-to-one correspondence with the TFTs.

In addition, an alignment layer is formed on the lower plate by including a coating and rubbing process of the polymer thin film. The polymer thin film is commonly referred to as an alignment layer, and should be deposited with a uniform thickness over the entire lower plate, and rubbing should also be uniform.

The rubbing is a main process of determining the initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal. The rubbing of the alignment layer enables the normal liquid crystal to be driven and has a uniform display characteristic.

In general, a polyimide series, which is an organic organic alignment layer, is mainly used as an alignment layer. In addition, the rubbing process refers to rubbing the alignment layer in a predetermined direction using a cloth, and the liquid crystal molecules are aligned according to the rubbing direction.

In addition, after forming the common electrode on the color filter on the upper plate, the alignment layer is also formed on the upper plate in the same manner as the alignment layer formed on the lower plate.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a conventional alignment film printing apparatus. As shown therein, the alignment film printing apparatus includes a printing stage 105 on which the substrate 106 is loaded, a dispenser 104 for dropping the alignment liquid, a doctor roll 102 for rotationally driving, and an anilox roll 103. ) And a printing roll 101. In addition, a printing mask 107 is attached to the printing roll 101.

The alignment liquid supplied between the cylindrical anilox roll 103 and the doctor roll 102 is applied to the entire anilox roll 103 as the anilox roll 103 and the doctor roll 102 rotate. Evenly spread over.

Then, when the surface of the anilox roll 103 is rotated in contact with the printing roll 101 with the printing mask 107 is attached to a predetermined area, the alignment liquid on the surface of the anilox roll 103 Transferred to the printing mask 107.

The printing mask 107 corresponds to the substrate 106 to which the alignment liquid is to be applied. As the printing stage 105 on which the substrate is mounted moves in contact with the printing roll 101, the alignment liquid transferred to the printing mask 107 is retransmitted onto the substrate 106 to form an alignment layer. .

2 is a plan view showing a pattern formed on a conventional printing mask. As shown in the drawing, the print mask 107 includes a pattern portion of an active region 201, a dummy region 202, and an inactive region 203, which are an intaglio portion and an embossed portion. At this time, the white portion represents the intaglio portion, and the hatched portion represents the embossed portion.

The pattern portion is determined according to the number and size of cells formed on the substrate, and shows a mask applied when an alignment layer is printed on a substrate on which six cells are formed.

On the other hand, in the printing mask 107 attached to the printing roll 101, the alignment liquid opened between the doctor roll 102 and the anilox roll 103 is formed in the pattern portion of the printing mask 107. It is transferred and printed on the substrate with an alignment film.

That is, when the printing roll 101 rotates in contact with the anilox roll 103, the alignment liquid transferred onto the anilox roll 103 is transferred to the embossed portion of the printing mask 107, and is transferred. The prepared alignment liquid is printed on the substrate on the printing stage 105.

Therefore, the alignment layer is also applied to the dummy region 202 in addition to the portion occupied by the active region 201.

However, when the alignment film printing process is performed as described above, when the color filter protrusion 108 or the foreign matter is present between the printing stage 105 and the back surface of the substrate 106, the substrate 106 may have the printing roll ( The problem of being pressed and broken by the printing mask 107 of 101 is generated.

An object of the present invention is to provide an alignment film printing apparatus which can prevent glass breakage due to foreign matter by changing the pattern of the printing mask attached to the alignment film printing apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention,

A dispenser installed to supply the alignment liquid;

A first roll receiving the alignment liquid from the dispenser;

A second roll rotating adjacent to the first roll so that the supplied alignment liquid forms a uniform film on the first roll surface;

A printing mask corresponding to the substrate on which the color filter or the switching element is formed, divided into an active region, a dummy region, and an edge portion and formed in an embossed and intaglio pattern;

And a third roll attached to the alignment film printing mask and installed to rotate in contact with the first roll to transfer the alignment liquid from the first roll to the alignment film printing mask to retransfer the alignment film on the substrate. have.

Here, in particular, there is a feature in that a printing stage for loading the substrate so that the alignment film is printed is further included.

In particular, the first roll is characterized in that the anilox roll, the second roll is a doctor roll, and the third roll is a printing roll.

In this case, in particular, the active area and the dummy area of the printing mask are embossed, and the corner portion is formed by being intaglio patterned.

Here, in particular, the edge portion of the print mask is characterized in that it is patterned intaglio to prevent the substrate from being damaged by the foreign matter.

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to prevent the glass breakage due to the foreign matter by changing the pattern of the printing mask attached to the alignment film printing apparatus.

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

3 is a view schematically showing the structure of an alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown therein, the alignment film printing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a dispenser 304 provided to supply the alignment liquid; Anilox roll (303) receiving an alignment liquid from the dispenser (304); A doctor roll 302 rotating adjacent to the anilox roll 303 so that the supplied alignment liquid forms a uniform film on the surface of the anilox roll 303; A printing mask 307 corresponding to the substrate on which the color filter or the switching element is formed and divided into an active region, a dummy region, and an edge portion in an embossed and intaglio pattern; The alignment film printing mask 307 is attached and installed to rotate in contact with the anilox roll 303. The alignment liquid is transferred from the anilox roller 303 to the alignment film printing mask 307 to align the alignment film on the substrate 306. It comprises a printing roll 301 to retransfer the.

The axes of the anilox roll 303, the doctor roll 302, and the printing roll 301 are parallel to each other, are provided adjacent to each other, and rotate.

The printing mask 307 is attached to the surface of the printing roll 301. The substrate 306 is placed on the printing stage 305 so as to contact the printing roll 301 and is loaded.

A dispenser 304 is provided on the anilox roll 303 to supply the alignment liquid. At this time, the alignment liquid supplied between the cylindrical anilox roll 303 and the doctor roll 302 is applied to the entire anilox roll 303 as the anilox roll 303 and the doctor roll 302 rotate. Evenly spread over.

When the surface of the anilox roll 303 rotates in contact with the printing roll 301 having the printing mask 307 attached to a predetermined region, the alignment liquid on the surface of the anilox roll 303 Transferred to the printing mask 307.

The printing mask 303 corresponds to the substrate 306 to which the alignment liquid is to be applied. As the printing stage 305 on which the substrate 306 is loaded moves in contact with the printing roll 301, the alignment liquid transferred to the printing mask 307 is retransmitted onto the substrate 306 to form an alignment layer. To form.

4 is a plan view showing a pattern formed on the alignment film printing mask according to the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the printing mask 307 is patterned with an intaglio representing a white portion and an embossed portion representing a hatched portion. That is, the active region 401 and the dummy region 402 are patterned with an embossed portion, and the corner portion 404 and the inactive region 403 surrounding the outer portion of the active region are patterned with an intaglio portion.

At this time, the printing mask 307 is determined according to the number and size of the cells formed on the substrate 306, here shows a mask applied when the alignment film is printed on the substrate 306 having six cells formed. .

On the other hand, the printing mask 307 patterned as described above is attached to the printing roll 301, the alignment liquid that is opened between the doctor roll 302 and the anilox roll 303 is the printing mask 307 ) Is transferred to the pattern portion of the substrate and printed on the substrate 306 as an alignment film.

That is, when the printing roll 301 rotates in contact with the anilox roll 303, the alignment liquid transferred onto the anilox roll 303 is transferred to the embossed portion of the printing mask 307, and is transferred. The prepared alignment liquid is printed on the substrate on the printing stage 305.

Accordingly, an alignment layer is formed in the active region 401 and the dummy region 402 corresponding to the relief portion, and no alignment layer is formed in the corner portion 404 and the inactive region 403 corresponding to the relief portion.

That is, the inactive region 403 is formed to secure one cell region, and the corner portion 404 is formed so that the substrate 306 and the printing mask 307 do not touch each other.

Therefore, the substrate 306 and the printing mask 307 is not in contact with each other, even if there is a foreign material 308 between the substrate 306 and the printing stage 305, the substrate is not pressed and will not be damaged.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

As described above, the alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention may prevent the glass breakage due to the foreign matter by changing the pattern of the printing mask attached to the alignment film printing apparatus.

1 is a view schematically showing the structure of a conventional alignment film printing apparatus.

2 is a plan view showing a pattern formed on a conventional printing mask.

3 is a view schematically showing the structure of an alignment film printing apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a pattern formed on the alignment film printing mask according to the present invention.

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

301 --- Printing Roll 302 --- Doctor Roll

303 --- anilox roll 304 ---- dispenser

305 --- Print Stage 306 --- Board

307 --- Print Mask 401 --- Active Area

402 --- dummy area 403 --- inactive area

404 --- corner

Claims (5)

A dispenser installed to supply the alignment liquid; A first roll receiving the alignment liquid from the dispenser; A second roll rotating adjacent to the first roll so that the supplied alignment liquid forms a uniform film on the first roll surface; A printing mask corresponding to the substrate on which the color filter or the switching element is formed, divided into an active region, a dummy region, and an edge portion and formed in an embossed and intaglio pattern; And a third roll to which the alignment film printing mask is attached and installed to rotate in contact with the first roll to transfer the alignment liquid from the first roll to the alignment film printing mask to retransmit the alignment film on the substrate. Printing device. The method of claim 1, An alignment film printing apparatus, characterized in that it further comprises a printing stage for loading the substrate so that the alignment film is printed. The method of claim 1, And the first roll is an anilox roll, the second roll is a doctor roll, and the third roll is a printing roll. The method of claim 1, The active area and the dummy area of the printing mask is embossed, the corner portion is formed in a negative pattern is formed in the printing apparatus. The method of claim 1, The edge portion of the printing mask is intaglio patterned to prevent the substrate from being damaged by the foreign matter alignment film printing apparatus.