TWI513584B - Autoclave - Google Patents

Description

Hot autoclave

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an autoclave for simultaneously heating and pressing a panel when manufacturing a panel having a stacked structure, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an autoclave having a significantly improved sealing structure, The sealing structure is located between the body of the autoclave and the processing unit to enter or leave the receiving chamber of the body when receiving the substrate to be processed in the processing space, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the panel and the maintenance cost of the autoclave .

The conventional autoclave receives the panel to be processed in the processing space, and heats the panel to an optimum temperature, and simultaneously presses the panel for a given time at a preset pressure to manufacture a stacked structure such as a flat panel display. Panel. During the heating and compacting operation of the panel, the processing space must be sealed so as not to communicate with the outside of the autoclave.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in an example of a conventional autoclave for processing a single substrate, the processing unit 2 for receiving the substrate to be processed is a drawer type which may extend from the housing chamber or may be Retracted into the containment chamber. The processing unit 2 is housed in a housing chamber 5 composed of an upper body portion and a lower body portion 3 and 4. During the heating and pressing operation of the substrate 1, the seals 6 respectively formed in the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4 above and below the accommodating chamber 5 are expanded to seal the processing unit 2 and the upper and lower body portions. Between 3 and 4, so that the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2 Does not communicate with the outside of the autoclave.

Each seal 6 encloses a processing space 20 that is substantially present throughout the horizontal area of the processing unit 2. The seals 6 are respectively mounted in the mounting grooves 60, which are respectively formed in the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4 in the shape of a closed circuit. Each seal 6 is expandable or contractible. Each of the deformable seals 6 has a hollow space which can be expanded by the injection of external air to pressurize and contact the upper and lower sides of the processing unit 2, respectively, to seal the upper and lower sides of the processing unit 2 and the opposite sides. Between the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4, so that the processing space 20 does not communicate with the outside of the autoclave. After completing the use of the autoclave to heat and compact the substrate 1 contained in the processing space of the processing unit, the gas injected into the deformable seal 6 is released by the elastic force or other release mechanism of the deformable seal. To the outside. Thereby, each of the deformable seals 6 is contracted to an initial state to be separated from the treatment unit 2 to invalidate the seal between the treatment unit 2 and the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4. In this sealed failure state, the processing unit 2 is slid from the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4 to the extended position, and then the processed substrate 1 is taken out from the processing unit 2. The autoclave is then in a ready state for subsequent processing.

Here, in the autoclave, the seal 6 has a short life for the following reasons. The sealing member 6 is in the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4 on the lower side of the accommodating chamber 5, and the sealing member 6 is in the shape of a closed circuit, each of which surrounds a horizontal region substantially present throughout the entire processing unit 2. Processing space 20. In the autoclave, heating and pressing operations are repeated. Processing unit 2 is often moved in an extendable and retractable manner to receive and process Among them, the substrate 1. Accordingly, each of the sealing members 6, particularly the sealing member 6, is located adjacent to the processing unit 2 (particularly its processing space 20), subject to frequent heating and compacting operations of the substrate 1 and frequent movement of the processing unit 2 And the harsh conditions caused. This is why the life of the seal 6 is shortened. Furthermore, since in the conventional autoclave, the sealing portion between the processing unit 2 composed of the sealing member 6 and the upper and lower body portions 3 and 4, respectively, is relatively long, the sealing member 6 is relatively likely Damaged by external impact. This results in difficulty in repairing the seal 6, reduced productivity, and increased panel manufacturing costs.

Purpose of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an autoclave in which an expandable or contractible seal for sealing between bodies is provided only at a position corresponding to the inlet of the processing unit of the receiving chamber, that is, for receiving The front of the processing space of the processing unit of the substrate to be processed, wherein the body has a fixed receiving chamber formed therein and the processing unit is movable along the receiving chamber. When the processing unit has been fully retracted into the containment chamber, the seal expands between itself and the processing unit by its own expansion. However, during the heating and compacting operations in the processing space of the processing unit, a separate sealing operation is not required. Therefore, the severe conditions caused by the repeated heating and pressing operations of the substrate do not directly and adversely affect the seal, thereby prolonging the life of the seal and reducing The maintenance cost of the less autoclave and the manufacturing cost of the panel.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an autoclave includes a processing unit having a processing space, a body, and a seal, wherein a processing space is formed in the processing unit for heating and pressing a substrate housed in the processing space; a receiving chamber formed therein for enclosing and receiving the processing unit; the processing unit being movable in the accommodating chamber in an extendable and retractable manner; the sealing member being configured to seal between the processing unit and the body having the accommodating chamber When the seal surrounds all of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the processing unit, the seal is disposed in front of the processing space of the processing unit.

In an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing system is formed by combining the upper body portion and the lower body portion with each other. The lower body portion may have a receiving chamber formed therein having a front opening to receive the processing unit. The upper body portion can be coupled to the lower body portion to cover the upper portion having the body portion below the receiving chamber.

In an embodiment of the invention, the sealing member may be fitted in the mounting groove, wherein the mounting groove is formed in the closed loop shape when the processing unit is in a state in the retracted state in the receiving chamber, The closed loop shape has a circular left and right side faces outside the opening of the receiving chamber. The seal can have a swellable or collapsible hollow space formed therein.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing member may be fitted in a mounting groove, wherein the mounting groove is formed in the closed loop shape when the processing unit is in a state in which the receiving chamber is in the retracted state, And the closure The shape of the circuit has a circular left and right side inside the opening before the receiving chamber. The seal can have a swellable or collapsible hollow space formed therein.

According to the autoclave of the autoclave of the present invention, the expandable or contractible seal is only provided at a position corresponding to the inlet of the processing unit of the receiving chamber, that is, at the processing unit for receiving the substrate to be processed. In front of the processing space, wherein the seal is for sealing between the body having the fixed receiving chamber and the processing unit, the fixed receiving chamber is formed in the body to receive the processing unit, and the processing unit is movable along the receiving chamber. When the processing unit is fully retracted into the receiving chamber, the seal expands therethrough to seal between the body and the processing unit. However, separate sealing operations are not required during the processing space of the heating and compacting processing unit. Therefore, severe conditions caused by repeated heating and pressing operations of the substrate do not directly and adversely affect the seal, thereby prolonging the life of the seal, reducing the maintenance cost of the autoclave and the manufacturing cost of the panel.

A part of the additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, an autoclave according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be referred to with the attached The illustration is described in detail.

Each autoclave according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, includes a processing unit 2, a body 7, and a seal 8, wherein the processing unit 2 has a processing space 20 formed therein For heating and pressing the substrate 1 housed in the processing space 20; the body 7 has a receiving chamber 70 formed therein for surrounding and receiving the processing unit 2, and the processing unit 2 is extendable and retractable The method is movable in the accommodating chamber 70; the sealing member 8 is configured to seal the processing unit 2 and the body having the accommodating chamber 70 formed therein, when the sealing member 8 surrounds all the upper, lower, left and right sides of the processing unit 2 In the case of a face, the seal 8 is disposed in front of the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2.

The processing unit 2 has a processing space 20 that is horizontally formed at its center position. The processing space 20 is configured to receive the substrate 1 to be processed by a suspension method. The processing unit 2 can be made of a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy having excellent thermal conductivity or the like using a cutting process, a casting process, or a press molding process.

The body 7 includes a body portion 7b and a lower body portion 7a joined to each other. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the lower body portion 7a has a housing chamber 70 formed therein, and the housing chamber 70 has a front opening 72 for receiving the processing unit 2. The upper body portion 7b is combined with the lower body portion 7a to cover the upper portion having the body portion 7a below the accommodation chamber 70. Each of the upper body portion 7b and the lower body portion 7a can be made of a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy or the like having excellent strength, good workability and durability. The body 7 can have various structures, and the various structures include a single body structure Or an assembly structure of the body portion, the body portions being combined with each other, or the above, the lower, the left, the right, the front, and/or the rear direction, as long as the combined structure has the accommodation chamber 70 formed therein, and the accommodation chamber 70 has an opening 72 to receive the processing unit 2.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the sealing member 8 is disposed in a mounting groove 82 formed in the lower body portion 7a. The mounting groove 82 is disposed at a position corresponding to the inlet of the body 7, and the processing unit 2 is inserted into the accommodating chamber 70 through the inlet of the body 7, and the groove 82 is mounted and formed into a closed loop shape outside the opening 72 of the body 7 . The mounting groove 82 has circular left and right side faces as shown in Fig. 6. The seal 8 is forcibly fitted into the mounting groove 82. The seal 8 has a hollow space 80 formed therein to be expanded or contracted. That is, the seal 8 is located in front of the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2 for receiving the substrate 1 to be processed.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 7, in accordance with still another example of the present invention, the sealing member 8 is disposed in the mounting groove 82 formed in the processing unit 2. In a state where the processing unit 2 is in the retracted state in the accommodating chamber 70, the mounting groove 82 is formed in the front opening 72 of the body 7, and is formed in a closed loop shape at a position corresponding to the processing unit inlet of the body 7. The mounting groove 82 has circular left and right side faces as shown in Fig. 6. The seal 8 is forcibly fitted into a mounting groove 82. The seal 8 has a hollow space 80 formed therein to be expanded or contracted. That is, the sealing member 8 is located in front of the processing space 20 for receiving the processing unit 2 of the substrate 1 to be processed.

Hereinafter, the operation and efficacy of the autoclave according to the exemplified embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, when the processing unit 2 is in a state of extending from the housing chamber 70 of the body 7, the processing unit 2 is disposed in a desired processing position in the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 7, the processing unit 2 is brought into a retracted state in the housing chamber 70 of the body 7. Next, the sealing member 8 is expanded by being injected into the air outside the empty space 80 to be sealed and expanded from the mounting groove 82, thereby sealing the processing unit 2 and the body at a position corresponding to the inlet of the processing unit 2 of the housing chamber 70. Between 7. That is, in particular, the front opening 72 of the accommodating chamber 70 is completely sealed. Thereby, the processing space 20 is not in communication with the outside of the autoclave, but is prepared to process the substrate 1.

Then, the substrate 1 placed in the desired processing position is heated and pressed in a hot autoclave for a given period of time.

After the processing of the substrate 1 is completed, the gas injected into the hollow space 80 of the sealing member 8 is released to the outside of the autoclave. Therefore, the deformable seal 8 is contracted to its original state to disable the seal between the treatment unit 2 and the body 7, and to communicate the accommodation chamber 70 with the outside of the autoclave. In this sealed failure state, the processing unit 2 is slidable by the receiving chamber 70 through the front opening 72 in an extendable manner. In the extended state of the processing unit 2, the processed substrate 1 is taken out of the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2. This processed substrate 1 will be subjected to another process. The substrate 1 to be processed is placed in an empty processing space 20 in a suspended manner and subjected to heating and pressing operations of the autoclave.

According to the autoclave of the present invention, the expandable or contractible seal 8 is provided only at the position corresponding to the inlet of the processing unit 2 of the accommodating chamber 70, that is, at the processing for receiving the substrate 1 to be processed. In front of the processing space 20 of the unit 2, wherein the sealing member 8 is used to seal between the body 7 having the fixed receiving chamber 70 and the processing unit, the fixed receiving chamber 70 is formed in the body to receive the processing unit 2, and the processing unit 2 can move along the accommodation chamber 70. When the processing unit is fully retracted to the receiving chamber 70, the seal 8 is expanded therethrough to seal between the body 7 and the processing unit 2. However, during the heating and pressing operation of the substrate 1 in the processing space 20 of the processing unit 2, a separate sealing operation is not required. Therefore, the severe environment caused by the repeated operation of heating and pressing the substrate 1 does not directly and adversely affect the sealing member 8, and since the length of the mounting groove 82 fitted to the sealing member 8 becomes short, the sealing member 8 is less likely to be damaged. . This results in prolonging the life of the seal 8 and reducing the maintenance cost of the autoclave and the manufacturing cost of the panel.

While some embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art Equal.

1‧‧‧Substrate

2‧‧‧Processing unit

3‧‧‧Upper body part

4‧‧‧ Lower body part

5‧‧‧ accommodating room

6‧‧‧Seal

7‧‧‧ Ontology

7a‧‧‧ Lower body part

7b‧‧‧Upper body part

8‧‧‧Seal

20‧‧‧Processing space

60‧‧‧Installation slot

70‧‧‧ accommodating room

72‧‧‧ openings

80‧‧‧ hollow space

82‧‧‧Installation slot

These and/or other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the embodiments described herein. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a conventional autoclave; FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the processing unit is in an extended position shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a first drawing; The top elevation view of the horizontal plane of the line III-III is shown; the fourth drawing is a vertical sectional view of the autoclave according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and the fifth drawing shows the processing A vertical cross-sectional view of the unit in the extended position shown in FIG. 4; a front elevational view showing a sealed failure state; and a seventh drawing showing heat according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Vertical section of the autoclave.

1‧‧‧Substrate

2‧‧‧Processing unit

7‧‧‧ Ontology

7a‧‧‧ Lower body part

7b‧‧‧Upper body part

8‧‧‧Seal

20‧‧‧Processing space

70‧‧‧ accommodating room

72‧‧‧ openings

80‧‧‧ hollow space

82‧‧‧Installation slot

Claims (4)

An autoclave comprising: a processing unit (2) having a processing space formed therein for heating and pressing a substrate (1) accommodated in the processing space a body (7) having a receiving chamber (70) formed therein for enclosing and accommodating the processing unit (2), the processing unit (2) being extendable and retractable Means movable in the receiving chamber (70); and a seal (8) configured to seal the processing unit (2) and the one having the receiving chamber (70) formed therein Between the bodies (7), wherein the sealing member (8) is disposed in the processing unit (2) when the sealing member (8) surrounds all of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the processing unit (2) The front of the processing space (20). The autoclave according to claim 1, wherein the body (7) is formed by combining an upper body portion (7b) and a lower body portion (7a) with the receiving chamber (70). The lower body portion (7a) formed therein has a front opening (72) for receiving the processing unit (2), wherein the upper body portion (7b) is coupled to the lower body portion (7a) to An upper portion of the lower body portion (7a) having the receiving chamber (70) is covered. The autoclave according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member (8) is fitted in a mounting groove (82), wherein the processing unit (2) is in the receiving chamber (70) When in a state of a retracted state, the mounting groove (82) is formed in a closed loop shape, and the closed loop shape has a circular shape outside the front opening (72) of the receiving chamber (70) The left and right sides; wherein the seal (8) has a hollow space (80) formed therein that is expandable or contractible. The autoclave according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member (8) is fitted in a mounting groove (82), wherein the processing unit (2) is in the receiving chamber (70) When in a state of a retracted state, the mounting groove (82) is formed in a closed loop shape, and the closed loop shape has a circular shape inside the front opening (72) of the receiving chamber (70) The left and right sides; wherein the seal (8) has a hollow space (80) formed therein that is expandable or contractible.