US20100015271A1 - Specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus - Google Patents
Specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20100015271A1 US20100015271A1 US12/255,401 US25540108A US2010015271A1 US 20100015271 A1 US20100015271 A1 US 20100015271A1 US 25540108 A US25540108 A US 25540108A US 2010015271 A1 US2010015271 A1 US 2010015271A1
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
- B29C35/02—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould
- B29C35/08—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation
- B29C35/0888—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation using transparant moulds
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/02—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C43/021—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles characterised by the shape of the surface
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/02—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C43/10—Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C43/36—Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
- B29C35/02—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould
- B29C35/08—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation
- B29C35/0805—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation using electromagnetic radiation
- B29C2035/0827—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould by wave energy or particle radiation using electromagnetic radiation using UV radiation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/02—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C43/021—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles characterised by the shape of the surface
- B29C2043/023—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles characterised by the shape of the surface having a plurality of grooves
- B29C2043/025—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles characterised by the shape of the surface having a plurality of grooves forming a microstructure, i.e. fine patterning
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C2043/3205—Particular pressure exerting means for making definite articles
- B29C2043/3222—Particular pressure exerting means for making definite articles pressurized gas, e.g. air
- B29C2043/3233—Particular pressure exerting means for making definite articles pressurized gas, e.g. air exerting pressure on mould parts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C2043/3205—Particular pressure exerting means for making definite articles
- B29C2043/3238—Particular pressure exerting means for making definite articles pressurized liquid acting directly or indirectly on the material to be formed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C43/36—Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C43/3642—Bags, bleeder sheets or cauls for isostatic pressing
- B29C2043/3652—Elastic moulds or mould parts, e.g. cores or inserts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
- B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C43/56—Compression moulding under special conditions, e.g. vacuum
- B29C2043/561—Compression moulding under special conditions, e.g. vacuum under vacuum conditions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B29L2011/00—Optical elements, e.g. lenses, prisms
- B29L2011/0016—Lenses
Definitions
- the invention relates in general to a pressure-differential embossing apparatus, and more particularly to a specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus.
- MEMS micro-electro-mechanical-system
- a micro hot embossing method pertains to the main micro-structure duplication technology in the field of MEMS, wherein the micro-structure represents the structure with the dimension of microns or nanometers.
- the micro-structure may directly serve as a component or may be used through other manufacturing processes.
- the manufacturing processes are simple and the products can be manufactured in a batch. So, the throughput of the MENS products can be increased if the molding precision and quality of the facture are effectively controlled.
- the micro hot embossing process is performed by using an oil cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a motor/screw rod or any other pressing mechanism to directly drive a pressing plate to move toward a plastic material and a mold.
- this method may encounter the problem of the uneven distribution of the pressing forces, and the problem becomes more serious when the large-area embossing process is being performed so that the dimension and duplication precision of the facture are influenced.
- the hot embossing process has to heat the to-be-embossed target and has to control the temperature of the target so that the provided pressing forces are further influenced and another interference factor is caused.
- the facture may have residual thermal stresses.
- the invention achieves the above-identified object by providing a specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus for embossing a specific-light-cured layer on a substrate.
- the embossing apparatus includes a housing assembly, a mold, an elastic driving module, a pressure-difference generating module and a specific light providing module.
- the housing assembly has a chamber.
- the substrate is disposed in the chamber of the housing assembly.
- the mold is disposed in the chamber of the housing assembly and faces the specific-light-cured layer on the substrate.
- the elastic driving module is disposed in the chamber to divide the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber.
- the pressure-difference generating module is connected to the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber, and generates a pressure difference between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber to drive the elastic driving module to move and thus to drive the mold to move and press the specific-light-cured layer.
- the specific light providing module provides specific light to the specific-light-cured layer to cure the specific-light-cured layer.
- the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention it is possible to manufacture a large-area micro-structure, and the emboss process may be performed at the room temperature and the low pressure.
- the processing time can be effectively shortened, and the energy can be saved.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.
- FIGS. 3 and 4 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention.
- FIGS. 5 and 6 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the invention.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.
- FIGS. 9 to 14 show various examples of the specific light providing module according to the invention.
- the pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention may be applied to an electronic product, such as a DVD player, a digital camera, a camcorder or an element, a mirror structure element, a micro-lens element, or a diffraction optical device, having a surface structure.
- the invention can simply and rapidly finish the embossing procedure of the large-area micro-structure at the room temperature and low pressure according to the evenly distributed gas pressure and the ultra-violet ray curing technique.
- the invention can greatly shorten the processing time and greatly reduce the cost, so that it can solve the conventional problems of the deformation of the embossing structure and the uneven distribution of the embossed residual layer.
- the generation of the residual bubbles can be effectively suppressed by a vacuuming device and a spring carrier.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 show first and second states of pressure-differential embossing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.
- the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is used to emboss a specific-light-cured layer 3 disposed on the substrate 2 .
- the material of the specific-light-cured layer 3 is especially an ultra-violet ray cured resin, which is cured after being illuminated by an ultra-violet ray.
- the material of the specific-light-cured layer 3 may also be any other material, which is cured after being illuminated by any other specific light.
- the embossing apparatus 1 includes a housing assembly 10 , a mold 20 , an elastic driving module 30 , a pressure-difference generating module 40 and a specific light providing module 50 .
- the housing assembly 10 has a chamber 11 .
- the substrate 2 is disposed in the chamber 11 of the housing assembly 10 .
- the housing assembly 10 includes a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 , and the substrate 2 is fixed to the second housing 14 .
- the mold 20 is disposed in the chamber 11 of the housing assembly 10 and faces the specific-light-cured layer 3 on the substrate 2 .
- the elastic driving module 30 is disposed in the chamber 11 to divide the chamber 11 into a first sub-chamber 111 and a second sub-chamber 112 .
- the elastic driving module 30 includes an air-tight film 32 , which is clamped between the first housing 12 and the second housing 14 to divide the chamber 11 into the first sub-chamber 111 and the second sub-chamber 112 .
- the mold 20 is fixed to the air-tight film 32 and thus driven by the air-tight film 32 .
- the pressure-difference generating module 40 is connected to the first sub-chamber 111 and the second sub-chamber 112 , and generates a pressure difference between the first sub-chamber 111 and the second sub-chamber 112 to drive the elastic driving module 30 to move, and thus to drive the mold 20 to move and to press the specific-light-cured layer 3 .
- the pressure-difference generating module 40 includes a fluid supplying device 42 , which is connected to the first sub-chamber 111 and an inlet 12 A of the first housing 12 , for supplying a first fluid to the first sub-chamber 111 .
- the first fluid may be air, an inert gas and a liquid.
- the pressure-difference generating module 40 may further include a fluid extracting device 44 , which is connected to the second sub-chamber 112 and an outlet 14 A of the second housing 14 , for extracting a second fluid from the second sub-chamber 112 .
- the second fluid may also be air, an inert gas and a liquid, and may be the same as the first fluid.
- the fluid extracting device 44 or the fluid supplying device 42 may be omitted as long as the second sub-chamber 112 or the first sub-chamber 111 may communicate with the outside.
- the pressure-difference generating module 40 may have only the fluid extracting device 44 or only the fluid supplying device 42 .
- the specific light providing module 50 provides specific light to the specific-light-cured layer 3 to cure the specific-light-cured layer 3 .
- the specific light providing module 50 is fixed to the first housing 12 and disposed in the chamber 11 .
- the specific light providing module 50 includes a two-dimensional light source or linear light source 53 .
- the specific light providing module 50 may include an ultra-violet ray mercury lamp or an ultra-violet ray LED, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 .
- the specific light providing module 50 includes a point light source 51 and a light guiding element 52 .
- the specific light providing module 50 may be fixed to the first housing 12 and disposed outside the chamber 11 , as shown in FIG. 12 .
- the specific light providing module 50 may be fixed to the second housing 14 and disposed inside the chamber 11 , as shown in FIG. 13 .
- the specific light providing module 50 may be fixed to the second housing 14 and disposed outside the chamber 11 , as shown in FIG. 14 .
- the mold 20 , the specific-light-cured layer 3 and the substrate 2 are aligned and stacked together.
- the air-tight film 32 is provided to cover the mold 20 .
- the first housing 12 is placed on the second housing 14 via the air-tight film 32 to form the chamber 11 .
- the fluid extracting device 44 is provided to discharge the second sub-chamber 112
- the fluid supplying device 42 is provided to charge the second sub-chamber 112 so that the pressure difference between the two sub-chambers is adjusted to the shaping pressure of the specific-light-cured layer 3 .
- the specific-light-cured layer 3 withstands the pressure and starts to fill into the cavities of the mold 20 .
- the specific light providing module 50 provides the specific light to illuminate and cure the specific-light-cured layer 3 .
- the first housing 12 and the second housing 14 are separated, and the embossed product can be taken out.
- the air-tight film 32 and the mold 20 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-cured layer 3 can be cured in this embodiment.
- FIGS. 3 and 4 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention.
- the elastic driving module 30 further includes a spring carrier 34 fixed to the first housing 12 and the air-tight film 32 .
- the spring carrier 34 has two guiding rods 341 and two springs 342 , which are assembled to form the structure shown in FIG. 3 .
- the spring carrier 34 may change the elastic constant of the elastic driving module 30 and homogenize the pressure of the elastic driving module 30 applied to the mold 20 so as to prevent the residual bubbles from being generated during the embossing process.
- the spring carrier 34 , the air-tight film 32 and the mold 20 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-cured layer 3 can be cured.
- FIGS. 5 and 6 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the invention.
- the elastic driving module 30 includes a bladder 36 , which is disposed in the chamber 11 to divide the chamber 11 into the first sub-chamber 111 and the second sub-chamber 112 .
- the first sub-chamber 111 is disposed in the bladder 36
- the second sub-chamber 112 is disposed outside the bladder 36 .
- the mold 20 is disposed on the specific-light-cured layer 3 and is driven by the bladder 36 , which gradually expands.
- the pressure-difference generating module 40 may charge the bladder 36 to expand the bladder 36 .
- a specific light transmittable portion UVT of the second housing 14 and the substrate 2 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-cured layer 3 can be cured.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.
- the elastic driving module 30 includes a bladder 36 and a spring carrier 34 .
- the bladder 36 is disposed in the chamber 11 to divide the chamber 11 into the first sub-chamber 111 and the second sub-chamber 112 .
- the first sub-chamber 111 is disposed inside the bladder 36
- the second sub-chamber 112 is disposed outside the bladder 36
- the mold 20 is fixed to the spring carrier 34 .
- the spring carrier 34 is driven by the bladder 36 , which gradually expands, to press the specific-light-cured layer 3 .
- the specific light transmittable portion UVT of the second housing 14 and the substrate 2 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-cured layer 3 can be cured.
- FIGS. 9 to 14 show various examples of the specific light providing module according to the invention.
- the specific light providing module 50 may be disposed in many ways. As shown in FIG. 9 , the specific light providing module 50 is fixed in the chamber 11 , and includes the point light source 51 and the light guiding element 52 .
- the point light source 51 may be the ultra-violet ray LED
- the light guiding element 52 may be a light guide rod or a light guide plate.
- the specific light providing module 50 includes the point light source 51 and the light guiding element 52 .
- the point light source 51 is fixed outside the chamber 11
- the light guiding element 52 is fixed inside the chamber 11 . As shown in FIG.
- the two-dimensional light source or the linear light source 53 is fixed to the first housing 12 and disposed inside the chamber 11 .
- the two-dimensional light source or the linear light source 53 is fixed to the first housing 12 and disposed outside the chamber 11 , and the specific light transmittable portion UVT of the first housing 12 may be transmitted by the specific light.
- the two-dimensional light source or the linear light source 53 is fixed to the second housing 14 , and disposed inside the chamber 11 .
- the two-dimensional light source or the linear light source 53 is fixed to the second housing 14 , and disposed outside the chamber 11 , and the specific light transmittable portion UVT of the second housing 14 may be transmitted by the specific light.
- the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention it is possible to manufacture a large-area micro-structure, and the emboss process may be performed at the room temperature and low pressure.
- the processing time can be effectively shortened, and the energy can be saved.
- the invention is to emboss the large-area micro-structure according to the isotropic and isopiestic properties of the fluid so that the evenness of duplication of the micro-structure can be enhanced.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority of No. 097126712 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Jul. 15, 2008 under 35 USC 119, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- 1. Field of Invention
- The invention relates in general to a pressure-differential embossing apparatus, and more particularly to a specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus.
- 2. Related Art
- The development of a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) has been greatly noted all over the world. The MENS includes mechanical technology, optical technology, electronic technology, material technology, control technology and chemical technology integrated together. It is preferred to adopt this technology to miniaturize the product, to enhance the performance, quality, reliability and additional values of this product, and to decrease the manufacturing cost and the energy consumption so that the applications in production and life become more convenient.
- A micro hot embossing method pertains to the main micro-structure duplication technology in the field of MEMS, wherein the micro-structure represents the structure with the dimension of microns or nanometers. The micro-structure may directly serve as a component or may be used through other manufacturing processes. Thus, the manufacturing processes are simple and the products can be manufactured in a batch. So, the throughput of the MENS products can be increased if the molding precision and quality of the facture are effectively controlled.
- In the past, the micro hot embossing process is performed by using an oil cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a motor/screw rod or any other pressing mechanism to directly drive a pressing plate to move toward a plastic material and a mold. However, this method may encounter the problem of the uneven distribution of the pressing forces, and the problem becomes more serious when the large-area embossing process is being performed so that the dimension and duplication precision of the facture are influenced. In addition, the hot embossing process has to heat the to-be-embossed target and has to control the temperature of the target so that the provided pressing forces are further influenced and another interference factor is caused. In addition, the facture may have residual thermal stresses.
- It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus for manufacturing a large-area micro-structure with the enhanced precision according to the isotropic and isopiestic properties of the fluid.
- The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing a specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus for embossing a specific-light-cured layer on a substrate. The embossing apparatus includes a housing assembly, a mold, an elastic driving module, a pressure-difference generating module and a specific light providing module. The housing assembly has a chamber. The substrate is disposed in the chamber of the housing assembly. The mold is disposed in the chamber of the housing assembly and faces the specific-light-cured layer on the substrate. The elastic driving module is disposed in the chamber to divide the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber. The pressure-difference generating module is connected to the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber, and generates a pressure difference between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber to drive the elastic driving module to move and thus to drive the mold to move and press the specific-light-cured layer. The specific light providing module provides specific light to the specific-light-cured layer to cure the specific-light-cured layer.
- According to the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention, it is possible to manufacture a large-area micro-structure, and the emboss process may be performed at the room temperature and the low pressure. Thus, the processing time can be effectively shortened, and the energy can be saved. Also, it is possible to prevent the problem of thermal stress in the conventional injection molded facture.
- Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given in a way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
- The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given in a way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative to the present invention.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention. -
FIGS. 3 and 4 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention. -
FIGS. 5 and 6 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the invention. -
FIGS. 7 and 8 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the invention. -
FIGS. 9 to 14 show various examples of the specific light providing module according to the invention. - The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.
- The pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention may be applied to an electronic product, such as a DVD player, a digital camera, a camcorder or an element, a mirror structure element, a micro-lens element, or a diffraction optical device, having a surface structure. The invention can simply and rapidly finish the embossing procedure of the large-area micro-structure at the room temperature and low pressure according to the evenly distributed gas pressure and the ultra-violet ray curing technique. Thus, the invention can greatly shorten the processing time and greatly reduce the cost, so that it can solve the conventional problems of the deformation of the embossing structure and the uneven distribution of the embossed residual layer. In addition, the generation of the residual bubbles can be effectively suppressed by a vacuuming device and a spring carrier.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 show first and second states of pressure-differential embossing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2 , the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is used to emboss a specific-light-curedlayer 3 disposed on thesubstrate 2. The material of the specific-light-curedlayer 3 is especially an ultra-violet ray cured resin, which is cured after being illuminated by an ultra-violet ray. However, the material of the specific-light-curedlayer 3 may also be any other material, which is cured after being illuminated by any other specific light. - The
embossing apparatus 1 includes ahousing assembly 10, amold 20, anelastic driving module 30, a pressure-difference generatingmodule 40 and a specificlight providing module 50. - The
housing assembly 10 has achamber 11. Thesubstrate 2 is disposed in thechamber 11 of thehousing assembly 10. In this embodiment, thehousing assembly 10 includes afirst housing 12 and asecond housing 14, and thesubstrate 2 is fixed to thesecond housing 14. - The
mold 20 is disposed in thechamber 11 of thehousing assembly 10 and faces the specific-light-curedlayer 3 on thesubstrate 2. - The
elastic driving module 30 is disposed in thechamber 11 to divide thechamber 11 into afirst sub-chamber 111 and asecond sub-chamber 112. Theelastic driving module 30 includes an air-tight film 32, which is clamped between thefirst housing 12 and thesecond housing 14 to divide thechamber 11 into thefirst sub-chamber 111 and thesecond sub-chamber 112. Themold 20 is fixed to the air-tight film 32 and thus driven by the air-tight film 32. - The pressure-difference generating
module 40 is connected to thefirst sub-chamber 111 and thesecond sub-chamber 112, and generates a pressure difference between thefirst sub-chamber 111 and thesecond sub-chamber 112 to drive theelastic driving module 30 to move, and thus to drive themold 20 to move and to press the specific-light-curedlayer 3. The pressure-difference generating module 40 includes afluid supplying device 42, which is connected to thefirst sub-chamber 111 and aninlet 12A of thefirst housing 12, for supplying a first fluid to thefirst sub-chamber 111. The first fluid may be air, an inert gas and a liquid. In addition, the pressure-difference generatingmodule 40 may further include afluid extracting device 44, which is connected to thesecond sub-chamber 112 and anoutlet 14A of thesecond housing 14, for extracting a second fluid from thesecond sub-chamber 112. The second fluid may also be air, an inert gas and a liquid, and may be the same as the first fluid. It is to be noted that thefluid extracting device 44 or thefluid supplying device 42 may be omitted as long as thesecond sub-chamber 112 or thefirst sub-chamber 111 may communicate with the outside. The pressure-difference generating module 40 may have only thefluid extracting device 44 or only thefluid supplying device 42. - The specific
light providing module 50 provides specific light to the specific-light-curedlayer 3 to cure the specific-light-curedlayer 3. The specificlight providing module 50 is fixed to thefirst housing 12 and disposed in thechamber 11. The specificlight providing module 50 includes a two-dimensional light source or linearlight source 53. Alternatively, the specificlight providing module 50 may include an ultra-violet ray mercury lamp or an ultra-violet ray LED, as shown inFIGS. 9 and 11 . As shown inFIG. 9 , the specificlight providing module 50 includes a pointlight source 51 and alight guiding element 52. Alternatively, the specificlight providing module 50 may be fixed to thefirst housing 12 and disposed outside thechamber 11, as shown inFIG. 12 . Alternatively, the specificlight providing module 50 may be fixed to thesecond housing 14 and disposed inside thechamber 11, as shown inFIG. 13 . Alternatively, the specificlight providing module 50 may be fixed to thesecond housing 14 and disposed outside thechamber 11, as shown inFIG. 14 . - The operations of this embodiment will be described in the following. First, the
mold 20, the specific-light-curedlayer 3 and thesubstrate 2 are aligned and stacked together. Next, the air-tight film 32 is provided to cover themold 20. Then, thefirst housing 12 is placed on thesecond housing 14 via the air-tight film 32 to form thechamber 11. Next, thefluid extracting device 44 is provided to discharge thesecond sub-chamber 112, while thefluid supplying device 42 is provided to charge thesecond sub-chamber 112 so that the pressure difference between the two sub-chambers is adjusted to the shaping pressure of the specific-light-curedlayer 3. At this time, the specific-light-curedlayer 3 withstands the pressure and starts to fill into the cavities of themold 20. After a period of time has elapsed such that the cavities are completely filled, the specificlight providing module 50 provides the specific light to illuminate and cure the specific-light-curedlayer 3. Next, thefirst housing 12 and thesecond housing 14 are separated, and the embossed product can be taken out. It is to be noted that the air-tight film 32 and themold 20 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-curedlayer 3 can be cured in this embodiment. -
FIGS. 3 and 4 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4 , theelastic driving module 30 further includes aspring carrier 34 fixed to thefirst housing 12 and the air-tight film 32. Thespring carrier 34 has two guidingrods 341 and twosprings 342, which are assembled to form the structure shown inFIG. 3 . Thespring carrier 34 may change the elastic constant of theelastic driving module 30 and homogenize the pressure of theelastic driving module 30 applied to themold 20 so as to prevent the residual bubbles from being generated during the embossing process. In this embodiment, thespring carrier 34, the air-tight film 32 and themold 20 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-curedlayer 3 can be cured. -
FIGS. 5 and 6 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6 , theelastic driving module 30 includes abladder 36, which is disposed in thechamber 11 to divide thechamber 11 into thefirst sub-chamber 111 and thesecond sub-chamber 112. Thefirst sub-chamber 111 is disposed in thebladder 36, and thesecond sub-chamber 112 is disposed outside thebladder 36. Themold 20 is disposed on the specific-light-curedlayer 3 and is driven by thebladder 36, which gradually expands. The pressure-difference generating module 40 may charge thebladder 36 to expand thebladder 36. In this embodiment, a specific light transmittable portion UVT of thesecond housing 14 and thesubstrate 2 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-curedlayer 3 can be cured. -
FIGS. 7 and 8 show first and second states of a pressure-differential embossing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 8 , theelastic driving module 30 includes abladder 36 and aspring carrier 34. Thebladder 36 is disposed in thechamber 11 to divide thechamber 11 into thefirst sub-chamber 111 and thesecond sub-chamber 112. Thefirst sub-chamber 111 is disposed inside thebladder 36, thesecond sub-chamber 112 is disposed outside thebladder 36, and themold 20 is fixed to thespring carrier 34. Thespring carrier 34 is driven by thebladder 36, which gradually expands, to press the specific-light-curedlayer 3. In this embodiment, the specific light transmittable portion UVT of thesecond housing 14 and thesubstrate 2 may be transmitted by the specific light so that the specific-light-curedlayer 3 can be cured. -
FIGS. 9 to 14 show various examples of the specific light providing module according to the invention. The specificlight providing module 50 may be disposed in many ways. As shown inFIG. 9 , the specificlight providing module 50 is fixed in thechamber 11, and includes the pointlight source 51 and thelight guiding element 52. For example, the pointlight source 51 may be the ultra-violet ray LED, and thelight guiding element 52 may be a light guide rod or a light guide plate. As shown inFIG. 10 , the specificlight providing module 50 includes the pointlight source 51 and thelight guiding element 52. The pointlight source 51 is fixed outside thechamber 11, and thelight guiding element 52 is fixed inside thechamber 11. As shown inFIG. 11 , the two-dimensional light source or the linearlight source 53 is fixed to thefirst housing 12 and disposed inside thechamber 11. As shown inFIG. 12 , the two-dimensional light source or the linearlight source 53 is fixed to thefirst housing 12 and disposed outside thechamber 11, and the specific light transmittable portion UVT of thefirst housing 12 may be transmitted by the specific light. As shown inFIG. 13 , the two-dimensional light source or the linearlight source 53 is fixed to thesecond housing 14, and disposed inside thechamber 11. As shown inFIG. 14 , the two-dimensional light source or the linearlight source 53 is fixed to thesecond housing 14, and disposed outside thechamber 11, and the specific light transmittable portion UVT of thesecond housing 14 may be transmitted by the specific light. - According to the specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus of the invention, it is possible to manufacture a large-area micro-structure, and the emboss process may be performed at the room temperature and low pressure. Thus, the processing time can be effectively shortened, and the energy can be saved. Also, it is possible to prevent the problem of thermal stress in the conventional injection molded facture. This is because the large-scale oil cylinder is needed to manufacturing the large-area micro-structure according to the conventional hot embossing process. So, the cost is not low and the problem of the unevenly applied forces tends to occur so that the embossing defect is caused. The invention is to emboss the large-area micro-structure according to the isotropic and isopiestic properties of the fluid so that the evenness of duplication of the micro-structure can be enhanced.
- While the invention has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications.
Claims (19)
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TW97126712A | 2008-07-15 | ||
TW097126712A TWI342270B (en) | 2008-07-15 | 2008-07-15 | Specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus |
TW097126712 | 2008-07-15 |
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US20100015271A1 true US20100015271A1 (en) | 2010-01-21 |
US7658604B1 US7658604B1 (en) | 2010-02-09 |
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US12/255,401 Expired - Fee Related US7658604B1 (en) | 2008-07-15 | 2008-10-21 | Specific-light-cured and pressure-differential embossing apparatus |
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US10118319B2 (en) * | 2015-04-17 | 2018-11-06 | ScienBiziP Consulting(Shenzhen)Co., Ltd. | Method for forming film |
CN108819275A (en) * | 2018-08-03 | 2018-11-16 | 集美大学 | Fall into light film-compound hot stamping device of smooth surface crystal silicon cell and processing method |
EP3797960A1 (en) * | 2019-09-30 | 2021-03-31 | Mirle Automation Corporation | Attaching apparatus, intermediary mechanism thereof, and attaching method |
WO2021197640A1 (en) * | 2020-04-03 | 2021-10-07 | Astraveus | Molding apparatus and method for embossing a raw material |
US11731413B2 (en) | 2019-09-30 | 2023-08-22 | Mirle Automation Corporation | Attaching device and intermediate mechanism thereof, and attaching method |
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TW200932502A (en) * | 2008-01-18 | 2009-08-01 | Univ Nat Taiwan | An improved embossing apparatus |
EP2236271A1 (en) * | 2009-03-30 | 2010-10-06 | Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH | Method and mould tool for producing a component made of fibre-reinforced plastic |
TW201420317A (en) * | 2012-11-16 | 2014-06-01 | Nat Taiwan University Of Sience And Technology | Gas assisted imprint system and the manufacturing process thereof |
US10180248B2 (en) | 2015-09-02 | 2019-01-15 | ProPhotonix Limited | LED lamp with sensing capabilities |
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EP3797960A1 (en) * | 2019-09-30 | 2021-03-31 | Mirle Automation Corporation | Attaching apparatus, intermediary mechanism thereof, and attaching method |
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Also Published As
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TW201002534A (en) | 2010-01-16 |
US7658604B1 (en) | 2010-02-09 |
TWI342270B (en) | 2011-05-21 |
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