KR20190085467A - Method and apparatus of continuously inspecting optical display panel, and method and system of continuously manufacturing optical display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for continuously inspecting an optical display panel, capable of detecting defect at the same or higher level even if the number of photographing units is reduced in comparison with a conventional method, and a continuous inspection apparatus thereof. According to the present invention, the method for continuously inspecting an optical display panel comprises: a first process of irradiating a first linear light parallel to the lateral direction of the corresponding optical display panel, which is perpendicular to the transfer direction of the optical display panel, to a line inspection region of the optical display panel in the direction inclined toward the upstream of the transfer direction by a first angle (θ1) from verticality with respect to one surface of the optical display panel; a second process of irradiating a second linear light parallel to the lateral direction of the optical display panel to the line inspection region in the direction inclined toward the downstream of the transfer direction by a second angle (θ2) from verticality with respect to the one surface of the optical display panel; and a photographing process of allowing one photograph unit to continuously photograph the line inspection region, to which the first and second linear lights are irradiated, on a line parallel to the lateral direction of the optical display panel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous inspection method and a continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel, a continuous manufacturing method of an optical display panel,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous inspection method and a continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel, and a continuous manufacturing method and a continuous manufacturing system for an optical display panel.

In the inspection method of Patent Document 1, line-like light parallel to the width direction of the conveying apparatus is vertically irradiated from one surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and the other surface side of the liquid crystal display panel is conveyed in the panel conveying direction And the area irradiated with the line-shaped light is picked up by the two imaging units symmetrically arranged at a position inclined at a predetermined angle in the direction of the optical axis.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 194509

In the inspection method of Patent Document 1, there are provided two imaging units for imaging the inspection region from two different angles, and one of the two imaging units is strongly scattered toward the upstream side without being scattered strongly toward the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the irradiation direction And detects foreign matter scattering strongly toward the downstream side without strongly scattering to the upstream side from the other side thereof. That is, since there are defects (foreign objects) that can be detected only by the first imaging unit on the upstream side in the carrying direction and defects (foreign objects) that can be detected only by the second imaging unit on the downstream side in the carrying direction, I needed to deploy.

However, by arranging a plurality of imaging units, facility cost increases. Further, the time for adjusting the optical axis of the imaging unit is also prolonged in proportion to the logarithm. The capacity of a storage medium required for long-term storage of captured image data also increases in proportion to the number of storage media.

Further, in the inspection method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to image-process two pieces of image data acquired by two imaging units, and to prepare single defect information by matching the defect positions and coordinates obtained from the respective image data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a continuous inspection method of an optical display panel and a continuous inspection apparatus thereof, which can detect defects with the same accuracy or more, even if the number of imaging units is reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a continuous manufacturing system of an optical display panel and a continuous manufacturing method of an optical display panel capable of continuously producing high quality optical display panels at high speed by optically inspecting the optical display panel with high precision while conveying the optical display panel at high speed.

In order to solve the above problems, as a result of intensive studies, the present invention has been completed as follows.

The present invention is a continuous inspection method of an optical display panel in which an optical film having at least an optical function film is continuously optically inspected in a state of carrying an optical display panel provided on both sides or one side,

And a first irradiation section for irradiating a first line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in an orthogonal direction (d2) with respect to the carrying direction (d1) of the optical display panel, A first irradiating step of irradiating the first line-shaped light to a line inspection area of the optical display panel which is transported from a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (d1) from the perpendicular to the transport direction (d1)

And a second irradiation unit for irradiating a second line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in an orthogonal direction (d2) with respect to the carrying direction (d1) of the optical display panel, A second irradiation step of irradiating the second line-shaped light onto the line inspection area of the optical display panel which is transported from a direction inclined from the perpendicular to the downstream side in the transport direction (d1) at a second angle ,

The line inspection area irradiated with the light of the first line and the light of the second line is irradiated from the other surface of the optical display panel to a line parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel And also includes an imaging process for continuously capturing images.

In the above-described invention, in the imaging step, the line inspection area may be imaged through a slit part in which an imaging area corresponding to the line inspection area is defined from the other surface of the optical display panel.

In the above invention, the image sensing unit may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface of the optical display panel.

The first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are equal to each other, and the first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 have the same value, and the irradiation direction of the first line- The irradiation direction of the line-shaped light may be symmetrical.

In the above-described invention, in the case where the optical film is continuously optically inspected in a state of carrying the optical display panel provided on one side, inspection with an optical axis corresponding to the optical axis of the optical function film included in the optical film Is arranged between the first and second irradiation sections and the one imaging section and at a predetermined distance from the other surface different from one surface of the optical display panel on which the optical film is provided to perform imaging .

The predetermined distance is, for example, a distance that does not touch the surface of the optical display panel, and the arrangement relationship of the panel transportation section, the illumination section (for example, the first irradiation section and the second irradiation section) .

When the optically functional film has a polarizing film, the inspection filter has a polarizing film, and the inspection filter is disposed so that the absorption axes of the optically functional films are orthogonal to each other.

The inspection filter may be fixedly arranged or may be configured to be movable in response to the conveying state of the optical display panel.

Another aspect of the invention is a continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel that continuously optically inspects an optical film having at least an optical function film in a state of carrying an optical display panel provided on both sides or one side,

The first line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in an orthogonal direction (d2) with respect to the carrying direction (d1) of the optical display panel is arranged at a first angle to the line inspection area of the optical display panel which is conveyed from the inclined direction to the upstream side in the conveying direction d1,

The second line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in an orthogonal direction (d2) with respect to the conveying direction (d1) of the optical display panel is perpendicular to the one surface of the optical display panel at a second angle to the line inspecting area of the optical display panel which is transported from the inclined direction to the downstream side in the transport direction (d1)

The line inspection area irradiated with the light on the first line and the light on the second line is continuously and continuously picked up on the line parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel from the other surface of the optical display panel As shown in Fig.

The above invention may further comprise a slit portion disposed on the other surface side of the optical display panel and defining an imaging region corresponding to the line inspection region.

And the imaging section may pick up an image through the slit section.

In the present invention, the " one imaging unit " may be a monocular imaging or an imaging of a compound eye. A line sensor camera arranged in a line and a plurality of monocular cameras arranged in a straight line (line) corresponding to an imaging region (a predetermined region parallel to the film width direction) on a predetermined line.

In the above invention, the image sensing unit may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface of the optical display panel.

The first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are the same, and the first irradiation unit and the second irradiation unit are arranged such that the irradiation direction of the light on the first line and the irradiation direction of the light on the second line are symmetrical, The second irradiation unit may be arranged.

In the above invention, in the case where the optical film is continuously optically inspected in a state of carrying the optical display panel provided on one side, the optical film is provided between the first and second irradiation portions and the one imaging portion, And a test filter provided at a predetermined distance from the other surface different from one surface of the optical display panel on which the film is provided and arranged so as to have a predetermined arrangement relationship with the optical axis of the optical function film included in the optical film.

The predetermined distance is, for example, a distance that does not touch the surface of the optical display panel, and the arrangement relationship of the panel transportation section, the illumination section (for example, the first irradiation section and the second irradiation section) .

When the optically functional film has a polarizing film, the inspection filter has a polarizing film, and the inspection filter is disposed so that the absorption axes of the optically functional films are orthogonal to each other.

The inspection filter may be fixedly arranged or may be configured to be movable in response to the conveying state of the optical display panel.

The optical filter is arranged between the optical display panel and the image pickup section when the optical display panel and the image pickup section are arranged in the order of the illumination section, the illumination section, and the optical film. In the case where the slit portion is disposed between the optical display panel and the image pickup portion, the inspection filter may be disposed between the image pickup portion and the slit portion or between the optical display panel and the slit portion.

When the optical filter is disposed in the order of the illumination unit, the optical display panel provided with the optical film on the imaging unit side, and the imaging unit, the inspection filter is disposed between the illumination unit and the optical display panel, Respectively.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of imaging units while securing inspection capability with a simple configuration that only performs two illumination processes and one imaging process.

It is also possible to determine a defect which can only be detected by the image pickup section on the upstream side in the transport direction and a defect which can be detected only by the image pickup section on the downstream side in the transport direction by processing the image data obtained from the single image pickup section. It is not necessary to create a single defect information by image processing each of the two pieces of image data acquired by the two image pickup units as in the prior art and it is possible to reduce work and troubles for that.

Further, in the present invention, the slit portion disposed on the other surface side of the optical display panel is smaller in the distance (D1) from the other surface of the optical display panel to the slit portion than the distance (D2) from the image pickup portion to the slit portion (D1 <D2), it is preferable to arrange the slit portion.

It is preferable to arrange the slit portion in the vicinity of the optical display panel (for example, D1 is more than 0 mm and not more than 150 mm, preferably not more than 100 mm, more preferably not more than 30 mm) near the imaging portion.

By arranging the slit portion in the vicinity of the optical display panel, it becomes impossible to perform inspection due to the influence of stray light (or reflected light) from the edge portion of the optical display panel when the optical display panel enters the imaging field of view of the imaging portion or deviates from the visual field . Further, disposing the slit portion in the vicinity of the image pickup portion is not preferable because the amount of light received by the image pickup portion itself is reduced or regulated.

Another method of continuously manufacturing an optical display panel according to another aspect of the present invention comprises joining a first optical film having at least an optical function film to a first surface of an optical cell and attaching a second optical film having at least an optical function film to a second surface A manufacturing step of manufacturing an optical display panel by joining to the surface,

And a step included in the continuous inspection method of the optical display panel,

The processes included in the manufacturing process and the continuous inspection method are performed in a series of conveying apparatuses for conveying the optical cell and the optical display panel.

Another continuous inventive optical display panel continuous manufacturing system comprises a first optical film having at least an optical function film bonded to a first surface of an optical cell and a second optical film having at least an optical function film, A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an optical display panel by bonding to a surface,

And a continuous inspection apparatus for the optical display panel,

The manufacturing apparatus and the continuous inspection apparatus are disposed in a series of transport apparatuses for transporting the optical cell and the optical display panel.

In the manufacturing process and the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention,

A first optical film obtained by cutting the first long optical film while feeding the first elongate film and the first elongate optical film from the first optical film roll is transferred onto the first surface of the optical cell to be transported Attaching a first optical film to the first surface of the optical cell,

And / or

A second optical film obtained by cutting the second long optical film while feeding out the second elongate film and the second long optical film from the second optical film roll is sandwiched between the optical axis of the first optical film and the second optical film, The second optical film is attached to the second surface of the optical cell to be transported so that the optical axis of the optical film is arranged at a predetermined angle, 2 optical film may be attached to the second surface of the optical cell so that the optical axis of the optical film is arranged at a predetermined angle.

According to this configuration, while conveying the optical display panel, two types of line-like lights L1 and L2 inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the optical display panel are irradiated, and the transmitted light P transmitted through the optical display panel is irradiated The image picked up by the single image pickup section in a line and continuously can capture the foreign matter mixed in between the optical cell and the optical film over the entire surface of the optical display panel at a high contrast while transporting the optical display panel at a high speed. That is, since the optical display panel can be inspected with high precision while being transported at a high speed, a high-quality optical display panel can be continuously produced at a high speed.

Further, in this inspection, not only foreign matter (for example, bonded bubbles, wave glass, seam, dust, dust, etc.) mixed in between the optical cell and the optical film but also contamination can be detected with high accuracy.

Since the irradiation directions of the first and second line lights by the first and second irradiation units are each inclined at a predetermined angle from the vertical direction with respect to the optical display panel, scattering strongly toward the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the irradiation direction of one line of light It is possible to simultaneously detect the foreign matter that is strongly scattered on the upstream side without scattering strongly on the upstream side and the foreign matter that is scattered strongly on the downstream side without being scattered strongly on the upstream side. Therefore, the optical display panel can be inspected with higher accuracy.

Further, from the viewpoint of inspecting the optical display panel with high accuracy, the first angle? 1 is 1 to 60 degrees from the vertical, preferably 5 to 45 degrees, more preferably 10 to 30 degrees. Further, the second angle? 2 is 1 to 60 degrees from the vertical, preferably 5 to 45 degrees, more preferably 10 to 30 degrees.

In the present invention, the term &quot; optical film roll &quot; includes a long release film and a long optical film (pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, optical function film and surface protection film) laminated in this order and in a roll form.

In the "roll-to-panel method", a release film and a long optical film fed from an optical film roll are cut in the width direction (half cut) while leaving the release film, and the pressure- The long release film is peeled off from each leaf optical film obtained by cutting, and each leaf optical film is bonded to the optical cell through the exposed pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

On the other hand, as a joining method of optical films different from the roll-to-panel method, there is a &quot; sheet-to-panel method &quot;. In the &quot; sheet-to-panel method &quot;, a sheet-like optical film preliminarily placed in a sheet-like state is bonded to an optical cell through a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer exposed by peeling off a release film or a long release film.

The "perforated line forming optical film roll" refers to a roll formed by laminating an optical film (a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an optical functional film, and a surface protective film) on a long release film in a leaf form.

1 is a schematic view showing an example of a continuous manufacturing system of an optical display panel.
2 is a schematic view showing an example of a procedure of laminating an optical film on an optical cell.
Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing an embodiment for inspecting foreign objects. Fig.
4 is a schematic view showing an example of the inspection apparatus.
5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the inspection apparatus.
Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a conveyance appearance of the optical display panel from the waiting for inspection to the end of inspection. Fig.
7A is a schematic view showing an example of the inspection apparatus of another embodiment.
7B is a schematic view showing an example of the inspection apparatus of another embodiment.

Hereinafter, a continuous manufacturing system and a continuous manufacturing method of an optical display panel will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1, but the present invention is not limited to the aspects of this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)

The optical display panel is described as a liquid crystal display panel, the optical cell as a liquid crystal cell, and the optical film as a polarizing film.

A continuous manufacturing system of a liquid crystal display panel has a continuous manufacturing apparatus (100). The continuous manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first optical film roll R1 and a second long film polarizer film 11 which are obtained by cutting the first long polarizer film 11 while feeding the first long release film 12 and the first long polarizer film 11 from the first optical film roll R1, The polarizing film 111 is attached to the first surface 4a of the liquid crystal cell 4. [ The continuous manufacturing apparatus 100 cuts the second long polarizing film 21 while feeding out the second long release film 22 and the second long polarizing film 21 from the second optical film roll R2 The obtained second sheet polarizing film 211 is disposed so that the absorption axis of the first sheet polarizing film 111 and the absorption axis of the second sheet polarizing film 211 are perpendicular to each other, (4b) to manufacture a liquid crystal display panel (Y).

The continuous manufacturing system of the liquid crystal display panel has a continuous inspection apparatus 300 for optically inspecting the liquid crystal display panel Y while conveying it. The continuous manufacturing system of the liquid crystal display panel is arranged in a series of conveying apparatuses 400 in which the continuous manufacturing apparatus 100 and the continuous inspection apparatus 300 convey the liquid crystal cell 4 and the liquid crystal display panel Y.

(Optical film roll)

Examples of the optical film roll formed by winding a long polarizing film include (1) a long optical film laminate in the form of a continuous web having a release film and a long polarizing film including a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release film, Can be heard. In this case, in order to form a sheet polarizing film (sheet film) from a long polarizing film, a continuous production system of a liquid crystal display panel is provided with a long polarizing film (including a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) (Half cut) in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet.

As the optical film roll, for example, there are (2) a release film and a release film having a sheet of polarizing film (including a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) adjacent to each other through a perforated line in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the release film And a long optical film laminate is wound in a roll (a so-called perforated line polarizing film roll).

The first optical film roll R1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a first elongate film 12 and a second elongate film 12 having an absorption axis parallel to the conveying direction (longitudinal direction) formed through the adhesive layer on the first elongate film 12 1 long optical film laminate 10 having a long polarizing film (including the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) 11 is wound in a roll form.

The second optical film roll R2 comprises a second elongate film 22 and a second elongate film 22 having an absorption axis parallel to the conveying direction (longitudinal direction) formed through the adhesive layer to the second elongate film 22 (Including the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) 21 is rolled up in a rolled form.

The first and second long polarizing films 11 and 21 are made of a polarizer (having a thickness of about 5 to 80 탆) and a polarizer protective film (having a thickness of about 1 to 500 탆) on one or both sides of the polarizer, (For example, a polarizer protective film of the self-adhesive type).

As the other films constituting the first and second long polarizing films 11 and 21, for example, a retardation film (the thickness is generally 10 to 200 μm), a time compensating film, a luminance improving film, . The thickness of the first and second long polarizing films 11 and 21 may be in the range of, for example, 10 μm to 500 μm.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive constituting the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the first and second long polarizing films 11 and 21 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives, silicone pressure-sensitive adhesives, and urethane pressure-sensitive adhesives. The thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is preferably in the range of, for example, 10 to 50 mu m. As the first and second release films 12 and 22, conventionally known films such as a plastic film (for example, a polyethylene terephthalate film, a polyolefin film, etc.) can be used. Further, if necessary, a suitable one conventionally suitable may be used, such as one obtained by coating with a suitable stripping agent such as silicone, long-chain alkyl, or fluorine-based molybdenum sulfide.

(Liquid crystal display panel)

The liquid crystal display panel Y has at least a polarizing film formed on one side or both sides of the liquid crystal cell 4, and a driving circuit is built in if necessary. As the liquid crystal cell 4, any type of liquid crystal cell such as a vertically aligned (VA) type or an in-plane switching (IPS) type may be used. The liquid crystal cell 4 has a structure in which a liquid crystal layer is sealed between a pair of substrates arranged opposite to each other (the first substrate 4a and the second substrate 4b).

(Continuous manufacturing apparatus)

The continuous production apparatus 100 has a first release film transport apparatus 101, a first attachment section 102, a second release film transport apparatus 103, and a second attachment section 104.

The first release film transport apparatus 101 transports the first long release film 12 and the first long polarizing film 11 (first long optical film laminate 10) from the first optical film roll R1, 1 attaching portion 102 of the apparatus.

In this embodiment, the first release film transport apparatus 101 has a first cut section 31, a first dancer roll 32, a first peel section 41, and a first takeup section 61.

The first cut portion 31 fixes the first long optical film laminate 10 from the first release film 12 side in the first suction portion 31a and holds the first long release film while leaving the first long release film. The polarizing film (including the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) 11 is cut in the width direction, and the first sheet polarizing film 111 is formed on the first elongate film 12.

Examples of the first cut portion 31 include a cutter and a laser device. The first adsorption section 31a may be, for example, an adsorption plate having a plurality of holes connected to a vacuum pump and capable of sucking air from the holes under negative pressure.

The first dancer roll 32 has a function of maintaining the tension of the first elongate film 12.

The first peeling section 41 folds the first elongate film 12 inward at its tip end and peels the first one leaflet polarizing film 111 from the first elongate film 12. The peeled first one-piece polarizing film 111 is supplied to the first attaching portion 102.

In the present embodiment, a sharp knife edge portion is used as the first peeling portion 41 at its tip, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The first winding portion 61 winds the first long release film 12 on which the first one-piece polarizing film 111 has been peeled off. The first winding section 61 may be constituted by an automatic rotating roller.

The first attachment portion 102 is separated from the upper side (first side 4a) of the liquid crystal cell 4 conveyed by the conveyance device 400 by the first separation portion 41 to the first long release film 12 ) Is peeled off from the first polarizing film 111 through the adhesive layer.

In the present embodiment, the first attachment portion 102 is composed of a first attachment roller 51a and a first drive roller 51b.

Various devices for attaching the second one-piece polarizing film 211 to the other surface (second surface 4b) of the liquid crystal cell 4 can use various components, devices, and the like described above.

The second release film transport apparatus 103 transports the second long release film 22 and the second long polarizer film 21 (the second long optical film laminate 20) from the second optical film roll R2, 2 attaching portion 104 of the apparatus.

In the present embodiment, the second release film transport apparatus 103 has the second cut section 33, the second dancer roll 34, the second peeling section 42, and the second winding section 62.

The second release film transport apparatus 103 can be constructed by the same apparatus as the first release film transport apparatus 101 and the second attachment section 104 can be constructed with the same apparatus as the first attachment section 102 have.

For example, the second cut portion 33 and the second suction portion 33a can be configured by the same device as the first cut portion 31 and the first suction portion 31a. The second dancer roll 34 may be constructed of the same device as the first dancer roll 32. The second winding section (62) can be constituted by the same device as the first winding section (61). The second attaching roller 52a and the second drive roller 52b can be configured with the same mechanism as the first attaching roller 51a and the first drive roller 51b.

(Investigation department)

The continuous inspection apparatus 300 is configured to detect the first line-shaped light L1 parallel to the width direction d2 (the vertical direction in FIG. 3) of the liquid crystal display panel Y orthogonal to the conveying direction d1 of the liquid crystal display panel Y, (See FIG. 3) of the liquid crystal display panel Y transported from a direction inclined from the vertical direction to the upstream side in the transport direction at a first angle? 1 with respect to one side (the first side 4a in FIG. 3) The first irradiation unit 311 irradiates the first irradiation unit 311 with the first irradiation unit 311.

The continuous inspection apparatus 300 is configured to detect the second line-shaped light L2 parallel to the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel Y in the orthogonal direction d2 with respect to the conveying direction d1 of the liquid crystal display panel Y, 3 to the line inspecting area E of the liquid crystal display panel Y which is transported from the perpendicular direction to the downstream side in the transport direction at the second angle? 2 from the vertical direction with respect to the transporting direction (the first surface 4a in FIG. 3) .

In the present embodiment, the first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are the same value, and are set to 17 degrees. In this embodiment, the first irradiating unit 311 and the second irradiating unit 312 are arranged such that the irradiation direction of the first-line light L1 and the irradiation direction of the second-line light L2 are symmetrical. The first angle &amp;thetas; 1 and the second angle &amp;thetas; 2 are not limited to 17 DEG but may be 5 DEG to 30 DEG, preferably 10 DEG to 30 DEG.

The first and second irradiators 311 and 312 are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of irradiating the first and second linear lights L1 and L2 having straightness. For example, a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, . The first and second line lights L1 and L2 are lights extending in a line direction d2 of the transport apparatus 400 and are arranged in a short direction of the first and second line lights L1 and L2 400) in the conveying direction d1 is shorter than the conveying direction length of the liquid crystal display panel Y. Further, the first and second irradiation units 311 and 312 may be provided with lens portions for narrowing the widths of the first and second line lights L1 and L2 in the short direction. As the lens portion, for example, a lens with a round rod shape formed along the longitudinal direction of the first and second line lights L1 and L2 may be mentioned. By focusing the widths of the first and second line lights L1 and L2 in the shorter direction, the light with high intensity can be irradiated on the surface of the liquid crystal display panel and the data processing capacity can be suppressed , It is preferable from the point of view that the calculation processing time can be shortened (higher speed can be achieved) and high inspection accuracy can be obtained. The distance between the first and second irradiation units 311 and 312 and the transport apparatus 400 is appropriately adjusted in accordance with the type, size, transport speed, etc. of the liquid crystal display panel Y.

(Imaging section)

The continuous inspection apparatus 300 separates the line inspecting area E irradiated with the first-line light L1 and the second-line light L2 from the other surface (the second surface 4b in Fig. 1) of the liquid crystal display panel Y And one imaging section 316 for continuously imaging the image on a line parallel to the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel Y (direction d2 orthogonal to the transfer direction d1). One imaging unit 316 may be, for example, an optical camera such as one or more CCD cameras arranged in a line, a CMOS sensor camera, and a line sensor camera. One imaging section 316 is configured to pick up one line-shaped area corresponding to the line inspection area E, which is one line image irradiated with two lines of light. In this embodiment, four CCD cameras are arranged in a straight line Respectively.

In the present embodiment, one imaging section 316 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface (second surface 4b) of the liquid crystal display panel Y.

Further, as another embodiment, one imaging section 316 may be disposed so as to be inclined at a third angle with respect to the other surface (second surface 4b) of the liquid crystal display panel Y from the vertical axis. The third angle is exemplified by, for example, exceeding 0 DEG and not more than 30 DEG from the vertical axis.

The continuous inspection apparatus 300 includes a slit section 314 disposed on the other surface (second surface 4b) side of the liquid crystal display panel Y and defining an image pickup area 314a corresponding to the line inspection area E, . Each of the first and second irradiation units 311 and 312, the imaging unit 316 and the slit unit 314 is fixed to the transfer device 400. The imaging unit 316 includes a slit 314, (Transmitted light image) that has passed through the imaging region 314a of the imaging lens 314a.

The distance D1 from the other surface (second surface 2b) of the liquid crystal display panel Y to the slit portion 314 is smaller than the distance D2 from the image pickup portion 316 to the slit portion 314 (D1 <D2) And a slit portion 314 are disposed.

In the present embodiment, the slit portion 314 is disposed in the vicinity of the liquid crystal display panel Y (for example, D1 is within 10 mm to 50 mm).

As another embodiment, the first and second light irradiating units 311 and 312 may be disposed on the upper side of the transfer device 400 and the one imaging unit 316 may be disposed on the upper side of the transfer device 400, depending on the state of the liquid crystal display panel Y at the time of inspection. And the slit portion 314 may be arranged on the lower side of the transfer device 400. [

In the present embodiment, when there is foreign matter between the liquid crystal cell 4 and the first one-leaf polarizing film 111 or the second one-polarizing polarizing film 211, as shown in Fig. 3, It is possible to selectively pick up the light scattered by the foreign object which has passed through the imaging area 314a in the state where the slit part 314 is interposed between the slits 314. Therefore, one imaging unit 316 can capture the foreign object with a clear contrast.

(Conveying device)

The transport apparatus 400 is a series of transport apparatus for transporting the liquid crystal display panel Y in which the first and second sheet polarizing films 111 and 211 are attached to both surfaces of the liquid crystal cell 4 and the liquid crystal cell 4. The conveying device 400 includes, for example, a conveying roller 70, an attracting plate, and the like. In the present embodiment, the conveying device 400 is provided with a pivoting mechanism for horizontally rotating the liquid crystal cell 4 to which the first one-piece polarizing film 111 is attached and the first to-be-laminated polarizing film 111 And a reversing mechanism for inverting the liquid crystal cell 4 up and down. Further, the transport apparatus 400 transports the liquid crystal display panel Y during the inspection by the inspection apparatus 300.

(Inspection flow)

In this embodiment, based on the image data obtained by using the image pickup section 316, it is determined whether the liquid crystal display panel Y is good or defective. 4, the inspection apparatus 300 has an image processing section 317, a memory 302, an image aggregation processing / image assembling section 303, and a positive / negative determination section 301. [ Will be described with reference to Figs.

First, the control unit (not shown) controls the transport apparatus 400 to temporarily stop the liquid crystal display panel Y at the inspection waiting position (see FIG. 6A).

Then, the control unit controls the transport apparatus 400 and the inspection apparatus 300 to start transporting the liquid crystal display panel Y (step S1), and starts inspection by the inspection apparatus 300 (step S2).

In this inspection, from the start of inspection to the end of inspection, the control unit controls the conveying device 400 to continuously convey the liquid crystal display panel Y in the conveying direction d1. The control unit controls the inspection apparatus 300 so that the first and second irradiation units 311 and 312 irradiate the first and second line lights L1 and L2 to the liquid crystal display panel Y, The first and second line-shaped lights L1 and L2 of the liquid crystal display panel Y are irradiated with the transmitted light P passing through the imaging region 314a of the slit portion 314 in a line image.

The line image pickup data obtained by the image pickup section 316 is processed by the image processing section 317, and the line image data subjected to the image processing is stored in the memory 302 (steps S3, S4. And Fig. 6 (b) shows the state during inspection). This process is repeated until the control unit (not shown) controls the conveying device 400 and returns the liquid crystal display panel Y to the inspection end position as shown in Fig. 5 (see Fig. 6 (c) Are sequentially performed.

Then, the image aggregation processing / image assembling section 303 reads line image data subjected to image processing by the image processing section 317 from the memory 302, performs image aggregation processing, and stores the entire image data of the liquid crystal display panel Y (Step 5). Subsequently, the entire image data is stored in the memory 302 (step 6).

Then, the positive / negative judgment section 301 reads the entire image data from the memory 302 and judges the positive / negative of the liquid crystal display panel Y based on the total image data (step S7). Here, when the positive / negative determination section 301 determines that the liquid crystal display panel Y is good, the determination result with the good product is stored in the memory 302 in a form associated with the identification information and the like of the liquid crystal display panel Y Step S9). And the liquid crystal display panel Y is transported to the good-quality port by the transport apparatus 400. [

On the other hand, when the positive / negative determination section 301 determines in step S7 that the liquid crystal display panel Y is defective, the determination result of the defective product is stored in the memory 302 (Step S10). The liquid crystal display panel Y is transported to the defective port by the transport apparatus 400.

A control unit (not shown) may have a processor and a memory, and a program indicating a control procedure may be stored in a memory and executed by a processor, or may be a dedicated circuit or a firmware.

The image processing unit, the image aggregation processing / image assembling unit, and the positive / negative determination unit may have a processor and a memory, a program indicating a processing procedure may be stored in a memory, a processor may execute the program, .

(Continuous Inspection Method of Liquid Crystal Display Panel)

A continuous inspection method of a liquid crystal display panel is continuously optically inspected in a state in which an optical film having at least an optical function film (for example, a polarizing film) is conveyed on a liquid crystal display panel provided on both sides or one side. The continuous inspection method of the liquid crystal display panel can suitably use the continuous inspection apparatus.

The continuous inspection method for a liquid crystal display panel uses a first irradiation unit that irradiates first-line-level light parallel to the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the liquid crystal display panel, A first irradiating step of irradiating the first line-shaped light onto a line inspection area of the optical display panel which is transported from a direction inclined from the vertical to the upstream side in the transport direction at a first angle (? 1)

A second irradiation unit that irradiates a second line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the liquid crystal display panel is used to form a second angle with respect to one surface of the liquid crystal display panel, a second irradiating step of irradiating the second line-shaped light to the line inspecting area of the liquid crystal display panel which is transported from a direction inclined to the downstream side in the conveying direction by the angle? 2,

The line inspecting region irradiated with the first line light and the second line light is imaged continuously and continuously on the line parallel to the width direction of the liquid crystal display panel from the other surface of the liquid crystal display panel in one imaging unit And an image capturing process.

The imaging step may be performed by imaging the line inspecting area through the slit part in which the imaging area corresponding to the line inspecting area is defined from the other surface of the liquid crystal display panel.

The image sensing unit may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface of the liquid crystal display panel.

In the first irradiation step and the second irradiation step, the first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are the same value, and the irradiation directions of the first line-based light and the second line-based light may be symmetrical.

(Continuous Production Method of Liquid Crystal Display Panel)

A continuous production method of a liquid crystal display panel includes a step of bonding a first optical film having at least an optical function film (for example, a polarizing film) to a first surface of an optical cell, A second optical film having at least a first optical film and a second optical film bonded to a second surface of the optical cell to manufacture a liquid crystal display panel; and a step included in the continuous inspection method of the liquid crystal display panel, Is carried out in a series of conveying apparatuses for conveying liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal display panels.

(Other Embodiments)

In this embodiment, the first one-piece polarizing film 111 is attached from the upper side of the liquid crystal cell 4, and then the liquid crystal cell 4 to which the first one-piece polarizing film 111 is attached is reversed And 90 degrees as necessary), and the second sheet polarizing film 211 is attached from the upper side of the liquid crystal cell 4. However, it is also possible to adhere the second one-leaf polarizing film from the lower side of the liquid crystal cell 4 by attaching the first one-leaf polarizing film from the lower side of the liquid crystal cell 4 and inverting the liquid crystal cell 4, The second one-leaf-like polarizing film may be attached from the lower side of the liquid crystal cell without inverting the liquid crystal cell, and the first one-leaf-like polarizing film may be attached from the lower side of the liquid crystal cell , The second sheet polarizing film may be attached from the upper side of the liquid crystal cell without inverting the liquid crystal cell. Further, the first and second sheet polarizing films may be attached simultaneously from the upper side and the lower side of the liquid crystal cell.

In the present embodiment, a configuration in which an optical film is attached to both surfaces of an optical cell is exemplified. However, a continuous inspection of the present invention may be performed after attaching an optical film to one surface of the optical cell. 7A and 7B illustrate a configuration for inspecting the polarizing film after attaching the polarizing film to one side of the liquid crystal cell.

7A is a perspective view of the liquid crystal display panel Y including the illumination units 311 and 312, the inspection filter 321, the liquid crystal display panel Y provided with the polarizing film 111 on the imaging unit side, the slit unit 314 and the imaging unit 316 have. The inspection filter 321 may be fixed or movable only during inspection.

7B is a view showing a state in which the liquid crystal display panel Y, the slit portion 314, the inspection filter 322 and the image pickup unit 316 are arranged in order of the illumination units 311 and 312, the polarizing film 111 on the illumination unit side, have. The inspection filter 322 may be fixed or movable only during inspection. The inspection filter may be disposed between the liquid crystal display panel Y and the slit portion 314. [

The inspection apparatus of Fig. 7A may be disposed downstream of the first attachment section 102 to perform inspection. The inspection apparatus of Fig. 7B may be arranged downstream of the 90 DEG turning upper and lower reversing means to perform the inspection.

7A and 7B, the illuminating unit may be disposed on the upper side of the transport apparatus 400, and the image pickup unit may be disposed on the lower side of the transport apparatus 400. [

In this embodiment, the optical film is attached to both surfaces of the optical cell in a so-called &quot; roll-to-panel manner &quot;, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An optical film may be attached to both sides of the optical cell, and one side of the optical cell may be attached by a "roll-to-panel method" and the other side may be attached by a "sheet-to-panel method".

Although the optical film roll is used in the present embodiment, the configuration of the optical film on the roll is not limited to this, and a so-called "perforated line forming optical film roll" may be used.

In the present embodiment, the long polarizing film fed from the optical film roll is cut at predetermined intervals, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this configuration. For example, the long polarizing film fed out from the optical film roll may be subjected to defect inspection and cut (so-called skipped cut) so as to avoid defects based on the inspection result. It is also possible to read the defect information previously attached to the long polarizing film or the mark attached to the defect position, and cut off to avoid defects based on the defect information or mark.

Further, in the present embodiment, the long polarizing film has an absorption axis parallel to the longitudinal direction, but the absorption axis direction of the long polarizing film is not limited to this. For example, the first long polarizing film may have an absorption axis parallel to its short direction (width direction), and the second long polarizing film may have an absorption axis parallel to its longitudinal direction. In this case, a turning mechanism for horizontally rotating the liquid crystal cell to which the first polarizing film is attached is horizontally rotated by 90 degrees can be omitted appropriately.

In the present embodiment, a liquid crystal cell is exemplified as an optical cell, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical cell may be an organic EL cell.

An organic EL cell has a structure in which an electroluminescent layer is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. As the organic EL cell, for example, a top emission type, a bottom emission type, and a double emission type can be used. The organic EL display panel is formed by bonding a polarizing film to one surface or both surfaces of an organic EL cell, and a driving circuit is built in if necessary.

(Example)

The embodiment uses the apparatus according to Embodiment 1 (Figs. 3 to 6). In the comparative example, the light irradiation units were arranged in a direction perpendicular to one surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and the imaging units were arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface. A reference example is an apparatus (Figs. 4 to 6) relating to Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-60335 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1994509).

In the embodiment, the light irradiating unit is arranged so that the first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are equal to 17 degrees, and the image pickup unit is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the liquid crystal display panel. And the slit portion was disposed at a position 20 mm (distance D1) from the other surface (second surface 2b) of the liquid crystal display panel Y. [

In the reference example, the light irradiation portions were arranged in a direction perpendicular to the liquid crystal display panel, and the imaging portions were disposed at an angle of 30 DEG with respect to the irradiation direction of the line-shaped light.

The inspection was carried out while conveying 200 sheets (n = 200) of the liquid crystal display panel in which the defects had been confirmed in advance. The number of missing defective liquid crystal display panels was 0 in all of Examples and Reference Examples, but 15 in Comparative Example. In this respect, it was confirmed that the defects can be detected with the same accuracy or more even if the imaging section is reduced, compared with the conventional art.

311: First Investigation Section
312:
314:
316:

Claims (14)

A continuous inspection method of an optical display panel in which an optical film having at least an optical function film is continuously optically inspected in a state of carrying an optical display panel provided on both sides or one side,
A first irradiation unit for irradiating a first line-shaped light parallel to a width direction of the optical display panel in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the optical display panel, A first irradiating step of irradiating the first line-shaped light onto a line inspecting area of the optical display panel which is conveyed from a direction inclined to the upstream side in the conveying direction at an angle (? 1)
And a second irradiation unit for irradiating a second line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the optical display panel, A second irradiation step of irradiating the second line-shaped light to the line inspection area of the optical display panel which is transported from a direction inclined to the downstream side in the carrying direction at an angle (? 2)
The line inspection area irradiated with the light of the first line and the light of the second line is irradiated from the other surface of the optical display panel to a line parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel Further, in the imaging step
Wherein the optical inspection method comprises the steps of: 2. The optical display panel according to claim 1, wherein the imaging step includes the step of imaging the line inspection area through a slit part in which an imaging area corresponding to the line inspection area is defined from the other surface of the optical display panel Continuous inspection method. The continuous inspection method of an optical display panel according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the other surface of the optical display panel. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the first irradiation step and the second irradiation step, the first angle? 1 and the second angle? 2 are the same value, and the irradiation direction of the first line- Wherein the irradiation directions of the two-line light are symmetrical. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein when the optical film is continuously optically inspected in a state in which the optical display panel provided on one side is being conveyed, the optical film having the optical axis corresponding to the optical axis of the optical function film included in the optical film The inspection filter is disposed between the first and second irradiation sections and the one imaging section and at a predetermined distance from the other surface different from one surface of the optical display panel provided with the optical film, The optical inspection method comprising the steps of: There is provided a continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel which continuously optically inspects an optical film having at least an optical function film in a state of carrying an optical display panel provided on both sides or one side,
The first line-shaped light parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel, which is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the optical display panel, is incident on the optical display panel at a first angle (? 1) To a line inspection area of the optical display panel being conveyed,
The second line-parallel light that is parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the optical display panel is reflected at a second angle (? 2) perpendicular to one surface of the optical display panel in the conveying direction To the line inspection area of the optical display panel being conveyed,
The line inspection area irradiated with the light on the first line and the light on the second line is continuously and continuously picked up on the line parallel to the width direction of the optical display panel from the other surface of the optical display panel of the imaging unit
The optical scanning device comprising: 7. The image display apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a slit portion disposed on the other surface side of the optical display panel and defining an imaging region corresponding to the line inspection region,
Wherein the imaging section picks up an image through the slit section. The continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel according to claim 6, wherein the imaging section is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other surface of the optical display panel. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first angle (? 1) and the second angle (? 2) are the same value, and the first irradiation unit And the second irradiating unit are disposed. 7. The optical scanning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the optical film is continuously optically inspected in a state of carrying the optical display panel provided on one side, the optical film is provided between the first and second irradiation sections and the one imaging section, Further comprising an inspection filter provided at a predetermined distance from the other surface different from one surface of the optical display panel on which the optical film is provided and in a predetermined arrangement relationship with the optical axis of the optical function film included in the optical film , A continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel. A manufacturing process for manufacturing an optical display panel in which a first optical film having at least an optical function film is bonded to a first surface of an optical cell and a second optical film having at least an optical function film is bonded to a second surface of the optical cell and,
A method for continuously inspecting an optical display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Wherein the manufacturing steps and the continuous inspecting method are carried out in a series of conveying apparatuses for conveying the optical cell and the optical display panel. The method according to claim 11,
The first optical film obtained by cutting the first long optical film while leaving the long first release film while feeding out the first long optical film from the first optical film roll is transferred to the first optical film on the first surface Or attaching a first optical film on each leaf to the first surface of the optical cell,
And / or
A second optical film obtained by cutting the second long optical film while leaving a long second release film while feeding out the second long optical film from the second optical film roll is sandwiched between the optical axis of the first optical film and the second optical film, 2 is attached to the second surface of the optical cell to be transported so that the optical axis of the optical film is arranged at a predetermined angle, or a second optical film of a leaf shape is attached to the optical axis of the first optical film and the second optical film And the optical axis is attached to the second surface of the optical cell so as to have a predetermined angular arrangement. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an optical display panel by bonding a first optical film having at least an optical function film to a first surface of an optical cell and bonding a second optical film having at least an optical function film to a second surface of the optical cell Wow,
A continuous inspection apparatus for an optical display panel according to any one of claims 6 to 10,
Wherein the manufacturing apparatus and the continuous inspection apparatus are disposed in a series of conveying apparatuses for conveying the optical cell and the optical display panel. 14. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13,
The first optical film obtained by cutting the first long optical film while leaving the long first release film while feeding out the first long optical film from the first optical film roll is transferred to the first optical film on the first surface Or attaching a first optical film on each leaf to the first surface of the optical cell,
And / or
A second optical film obtained by cutting the second long optical film while leaving a long second release film while feeding out the second long optical film from the second optical film roll is sandwiched between the optical axis of the first optical film and the second optical film, 2 is attached to the second surface of the optical cell to be transported so that the optical axis of the optical film is arranged at a predetermined angle, or a second optical film of a leaf shape is attached to the optical axis of the first optical film and the second optical film And the optical axis is attached to the second surface of the optical cell so as to have a predetermined angular arrangement.

Images