KR20190103712A - Bonding apparatus and Method using deformation and low vacuum - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment, the present invention relates to a device for bonding a touch panel cell (DM) and window (CG), which comprises: a main body (10) including a DM loading unit (11) for inducing a touch panel cell (DM) to a set position, a CG loading unit (12) for inducing a window (CG) to a set position, and an arranging unit for arranging the touch panel cell (DM) and the window (CG); a coating means (30) coating adhesive resin on the grasped touch panel cell (DM) by putting a stage (32) in the main body (10); and a bonding means (40) inducing gradual bonding due to deformation of the grasped window (CG) by putting a stage (42) in the main body (10). Therefore, the bonding device can minimize a defect rate by suppression of bubble generation to improve a yield by proceeding a bonding process in a state of causing the deformation of window, and can significantly reduce facility manufacturing costs to increase competitiveness by enabling bonding not in a high vibration state but in a low vibration state.

Description

Bonding apparatus and method using deformation and low vacuum}

The present invention relates to the manufacture of TSP (Touch Screen Panel), and more particularly, to a low vacuum bonding apparatus and a bonding method using a modification for mass-producing a TSP type display component mounted on a smartphone.

In general, a process of bonding a cover glass and a display module is involved in a mass production site of a smart phone and various smart devices to which a TSP is applied. The bonding process is largely classified into an air gap method, an optical clear adhesive (OCA) method, and an optical clear resin (OCR) method. Air Gap method is suitable for low-cost type because it is low in brightness and visibility and weak in impact. OCA method has a problem that the overall thickness of the panel is increased due to the thickness of the adhesive itself and the adhesive strength is lowered. Thus, the OCR method using a UV curable resin is preferred, which has an atmospheric pressure bonding method and a high vacuum bonding method.

In the related art, Korean Patent Publication No. 1679550 (Previous Document 1), Korean Patent Publication No. 1615223 (Previous Document 2) and the like are known below.

Prior art 1 is to uniformly apply the OCA solution in a shape corresponding to the BM shape on the panel bonding surface; Adhesive curing the unevenly coated OCA solution to form a hybrid resin having adhesion; And bonding the window glass having the BM pattern to the hybrid resin upper surface. Thus, it is expected that the effect of increasing the yield to a non-uniform thickness simply performing the process of bonding the panels.

Prior art 2 has a resin application unit for applying a bonding resin to a predetermined region of the carrier conveyed from the carrier supply unit; A cell substrate supply unit for transferring the plurality of cell substrates to the bonding resin application region of the carrier; And a bonding unit for bonding the aligned plurality of cell substrates and the carrier. Accordingly, in the manufacture of touch panels, it is expected that the defect rate and manufacturing cost will be lowered and productivity will be improved.

However, when the touch panel cell and the window are attached to each other at atmospheric pressure in a conventional manner, bleed in / out is likely to occur due to bubbles generated by the reaction in the atmosphere. An additional process is needed to clean the UV curable resin flowing down the side of the cell, resulting in an increase in the defective rate resulting in a decrease in process efficiency.

In addition, the high vacuum bonding method to solve the problem of the atmospheric pressure bonding method has a disadvantage that the manufacturing cost is greatly increased and maintenance is inconvenient.

Korean Patent Publication No. 1679550 "Direct bonding method using hybrid resin" (published date: 2016.12.06.) Korean Patent Publication No. 1615223 "Multi Array Substrate Bonding Device" (Publishing Date: 2016.05.11.)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention for improving the above-mentioned problems is to eliminate bleed in / out caused by bubble generation by adding a progressive deformation to a window in a low vacuum state and joining it with a touch panel cell. It is to provide a low vacuum bonding apparatus and a bonding method using a deformation of the window can be.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus for joining the touch panel cell and the window: DM loading unit for guiding the touch panel cell to the set position, CG loading unit for guiding the window to the set position, A main body having an alignment part for aligning the touch panel cell and the window; Application means for applying an adhesive resin onto the gripped touch panel cell via a stage on the main body; And bonding means for inducing gradual bonding by deformation of the gripped window via the stage through the main body.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the main body further comprises a plasma unit for removing organic matter, a vacuum generating unit for forming a negative pressure, and a pneumatic generator for forming a positive pressure.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the coating means is characterized in that to apply the adhesive resin in a predetermined width through the slit nozzle connected to the metering valve.

As a detailed configuration of the invention, the joining means is characterized in that it comprises a negative pressure groove formed in a rectangular shape on the stage and in communication with the vacuum generating portion, a positive pressure hole formed in the center on the stage and in communication with the pneumatic generating portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for bonding a touch panel cell and a window, comprising: (A) loading the touch panel cell and the window to a predetermined position; (B) applying an adhesive resin to the touch panel cell and maintaining the window in an opposite posture; And (C) shifting from point contact to the surface contact with respect to the touch panel cell in a deformed state due to positive pressure expansion of the window and bonding.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the step (B) is characterized in that the UV lamp after the application of the adhesive resin to cause the temporary curing in the range of 10 to 30% of the total coating amount.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the step (C) is characterized in that the positive pressure acts on the positive pressure hole in the state holding the window by acting low vacuum in the range of 20 ~ 40 kPa to the negative pressure groove.

As described above, according to the present invention, the process of adhering in a state that caused the deformation of the window proceeds to minimize the defect rate by suppressing the bubble generation to improve the yield, and because it can be bonded in a low vacuum state rather than a high vacuum equipment production cost It has the effect of drastically reducing the competitiveness.

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus according to the invention as a whole
2 shows a front view of the main part of the device according to the invention.
3 is a block diagram showing the joining means of the device according to the invention;
4 is a schematic diagram showing the bonding operation of the apparatus according to the present invention.
5 is a process diagram showing the main steps of the method according to the invention.
6 is a schematic diagram sequentially illustrating a method according to the present invention.

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

According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for bonding the touch panel cell DM and the window CG is proposed. Target devices for application in manufacturing sites of Touch Screen Panels (TSPs), but are not necessarily limited thereto. TSP is completed through a bonding process for bonding the cover glass to the display module. The display module is called a touch panel cell DM, and a cover glass such as tempered glass is called a window CG. The window prevents damage to the touch panel cell by the hand or the electronic pen while using the TSP.

The main body 10 according to the present invention includes a DM loading unit 11 for guiding a touch panel cell DM to a setting position, a CG loading unit 12 for guiding a window CG to a setting position, and a touch panel cell DM. ) And an alignment portion for aligning the window CG. 1 and 2, the DM loading unit 11 of the main body 10 is illustrated on the right side and the CG loading unit 12 is disposed on the left side. The loading units 11 and 12 transfer the touch panel cell DM and the window CG, respectively, in a manner such as an LM guide or a ball screw. The loading unit 11 and 12 may include an operation of removing the protective film attached to the surface of the touch panel cell and the window. In addition, the CG loading unit 12 may include an inverting unit 15 that inverts the top and bottom of the window. The alignment can be constructed using known elements such as sensors, cameras, robot arms, and the like.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the main body 10 further includes a plasma unit 22 for removing organic matter, a vacuum generator 24 for forming a negative pressure, and a pneumatic generator 26 for forming a positive pressure. It is done. The plasma unit 22 improves the adhesion by removing the organic matter attached to the surface of the touch panel cell and the window by treating the plasma. The vacuum generator 24 is preferably a low vacuum standard for reducing the equipment cost, but does not exclude high vacuum. The pneumatic generator 26 generates and supplies clean air, which has undergone filtration and drying, higher than atmospheric pressure.

In addition, according to the present invention, the coating means 30 applies the adhesive resin onto the gripped touch panel cell DM via the stage 32 on the main body 10. The touch panel cell reaches the position set by the DM loading unit 11 in a state of being held by the stage 32. The UV-curable adhesive resin applied to the touch panel cell by the application means 30 increases the visibility by removing the air layer after the window is bonded. UV curing is advantageous to prevent bleed in / out of the adhesive resin during the bonding process.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the application means 30 is characterized in that the adhesive resin is applied to a predetermined width through the slit nozzle 35 connected to the metering valve 34. The adhesive resin supplied to the injector 33 is uniformly applied through the metering valve 34 and the slit nozzle 35. The standard (length) of the slit nozzle 35 is set to cover the entire width of the touch panel cell. At least one of the stage 32 or the slit nozzle 35 causes the vertical movement through the lifting unit 31.

In addition, according to the present invention, the bonding means 40 induces gradual bonding by the deformation of the window CG held by the stage 42 via the main body 10. The window reaches the stage 42 of the bonding means 40 in a state in which the window is mounted on a separate stage in the CG loading unit 12. The stage 42 is formed to a sufficient size to grip the window, and causes the vertical movement for the bonding through the lifting portion 41.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the bonding means 40 is formed in a rectangular shape on the stage 42 and the negative pressure groove 44 communicated to the vacuum generating portion 24, the pneumatic generating portion formed in the center on the stage 42 It is characterized by including a positive pressure hole 46 communicated with (26). Referring to FIG. 3, a rectangular negative pressure groove 44 is formed using an O-ring, a holder, and the like, and a circular positive pressure hole 46 is formed in the center of the negative pressure groove 44. The negative pressure groove 44 is connected to the vacuum generator 24 at one side of the chamber formed downward, the positive pressure hole 46 is connected to the pneumatic generator 26 using a conduit passing through the chamber. Operation of the bonding means 40 refer to FIGS. 4 to 6 to be described later.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of bonding the touch panel cell DM and the window CG is proposed. This is based on, but not limited to, the device and controller 50 of claim 1.

Step (A) of the present invention proceeds to the process of loading the touch panel cell DM and the window CG to the set position. The set loading position includes a coating position of the touch panel cell, a bonding position of the touch panel cell and the window, and the like. The loading process may further include removing the protective film as shown in FIG. 5, inverting the window to 180 °, aligning the touch panel cell with the window, and the like.

In the step (B) according to the present invention, the adhesive resin is applied to the touch panel cell DM and at the same time, the window CG is maintained in an opposite posture. A touch panel cell coated with an adhesive resin having a thickness of 100 to 200 μm reaches the lower side of the bonding position, and the window inverted up and down reaches the upper side of the bonding position to form an alignment state.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the step (B) is characterized in that the UV lamp 37 is operated after the application of the adhesive resin to cause temporary curing in the range of 10 to 30% of the total coating amount. Temporary hardening of the applied adhesive resin is performed by the UV lamp 37 installed below the application means 30. If the temporary curing ratio is too low, bleed in / out occurs, and if the temporary curing ratio is too high, the adhesive strength of the adhesive resin is weakened.

Step (C) according to the present invention proceeds from the point contact with respect to the touch panel cell (DM) to the surface contact in the deformed state by the positive pressure expansion of the window (CG) and joining. Referring to FIG. 6, when the window of which the edge is adsorbed by the negative pressure of the negative pressure groove 44 is minutely expanded to the positive pressure of the positive pressure hole 46 in the center, the point contact with the touch panel cell may be maintained. In this state, when the touch panel cell and the window are in close contact with each other, the process proceeds to a gradual surface contact and a clean bonding state in which bubbles are not mixed is realized.

As a detailed configuration of the present invention, the step (C) acts to act as a positive pressure to the positive pressure hole 46 in the state holding the window (CG) by applying a low vacuum in the range of 20 ~ 40 kPa to the negative pressure groove 44 It features. Negative pressure in the range of 20 ~ 40 kPa is the optimal condition to secure the quality and productivity of welding by forced deformation while preventing the cost increase due to high vacuum. The central deflection due to the forced deformation of the window is about 100 to 500 µm.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, such modifications or variations will have to belong to the claims of the present invention.

10: main body 11: DM loading unit
12: CG loading section 15: inverting section
22: plasma section 24: vacuum generating section
26: pneumatic generator 30: application means
31, 41: elevator 32, 42: stage
33: Injector 34: Metering valve
35: slit nozzle 37: UV lamp
40: joining means 44: negative pressure groove
46: Positive pressure hole 50: Controller

Claims (7)

In the device for bonding the touch panel cell (DM) and the window (CG):
Aligning the DM loading unit 11 for guiding the touch panel cell DM to the setting position, the CG loading unit 12 for guiding the window CG to the setting position, the touch panel cell DM and the window CG A main body 10 having an alignment portion;
An application means (30) for applying an adhesive resin onto the gripped touch panel cell (DM) via the stage (32) on the main body (10); And
And a joining means (40) for inducing gradual bonding by deformation of the window (CG) gripped through the stage (42) on the main body (10). The method according to claim 1,
The main body 10 further includes a plasma unit 22 for removing organic substances, a vacuum generator 24 for forming a negative pressure, and a pneumatic generator 26 for forming a positive pressure. Cementing device. The method according to claim 1,
The application means 30 is a low vacuum bonding apparatus using a deformation, characterized in that for applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive resin through a slit nozzle (35) connected to the metering valve (34). The method according to claim 1,
The joining means 40 is formed in a rectangular shape on the stage 42 and the negative pressure groove 44 communicated with the vacuum generator 24, the positive pressure formed in the center on the stage 42 and communicated with the pneumatic generator 26. Low vacuum bonding apparatus using a strain characterized in that it comprises a ball (46). In the method of bonding the touch panel cell (DM) and the window (CG):
(A) loading the touch panel cell DM and the window CG to a set position;
(B) applying an adhesive resin to the touch panel cell DM and simultaneously maintaining the window CG in an opposite posture; And
(C) the step of transition from the point contact to the touch panel cell (DM) to the surface contact in the deformation state by the positive pressure expansion of the window (CG) and bonding; low vacuum bonding method using a deformation comprising the . The method according to claim 5,
The step (B) is a low vacuum bonding method using a deformation, characterized in that to cause the temporary curing in the range of 10 to 30% of the total coating amount by operating the UV lamp 37 after the application of the adhesive resin. The method according to claim 5,
The step (C) is a low pressure using the deformation, characterized in that the positive pressure in the positive pressure hole 46 in the state holding the window (CG) by operating a low vacuum in the range of 20 ~ 40㎪ in the negative pressure groove 44 Vacuum bonding method.

Images