The embodiment described in the present specification is related to a method and a device for injecting a liquid crystal of a film substrate.
Conventionally, there has been a liquid crystal panel which is designed so that the electrode of the transparent substrate provided with a transparent electrode is bonded with and faces the electrode of another substrate, a liquid crystal material is sealed between the transparent substrates, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes, thereby allowing the liquid crystal material to cause a reaction for display.
A method for injecting a liquid crystal material into a liquid crystal panel may be a method of injecting a liquid crystal material from an aperture provided in the sealing frame unit for bonding a first substrate and a second substrate.
This injecting method is briefly described below with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
When the liquid crystal material is injected, a jig having the concave part for containing the amount of the injected liquid crystal material is made to closely contact the liquid crystal inlet by moving the jig upward to the outside of the liquid crystal material, thereby injecting the liquid crystal material (for example, patent document 1).
In addition, when the liquid crystal material is injected, it may be injected from the liquid crystal suction holder to the liquid crystal inlet with the liquid crystal suction holder, which is soaked in the liquid crystal material, held by a support member (for example, patent document 2).
Furthermore, when the liquid crystal material is injected, it may be injected from the liquid crystal material to the liquid crystal inlet with the liquid crystal suction holder, which is soaked in the liquid crystal material, positioned by a positioning member (for example, patent document 3).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-341236
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-181601
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-345500
The method for injecting a liquid crystal material into a film substrate disclosed by the present specification includes: a contacting step of forming a gap between a liquid crystal inlet of the film substrate and a bottom of a liquid crystal vessel which stores the liquid crystal material by making the film substrate contact a contact part provided for the liquid crystal vessel; and an injecting step of injecting the liquid crystal material into the liquid crystal inlet with the film substrate contacting the contact part.
The liquid crystal injection device which injects a liquid crystal material into a film substrate disclosed by the present specification includes a liquid crystal vessel which stores the liquid crystal material, and the liquid crystal vessel includes a contact part which forms a gap between a liquid crystal inlet of the film substrate and a bottom of the liquid crystal vessel by making the liquid crystal vessel contact the film substrate.
In the method of injecting a liquid crystal material as explained above with reference to
Furthermore, as illustrated in
On the other hand, if the intervals between the liquid crystal panels 101 are long as the liquid crystal panels 101-2 on the left in
To keep the intervals between the liquid crystal panels 101 as described above, the excess amount of liquid crystal material 140 is necessary. However, to maintain a liquid crystal inlet 101a of the liquid crystal panel 101 in the liquid crystal material 140 when the liquid crystal material 140 is injected, there is a method for inserting the liquid crystal inlet 101a into the liquid crystal vessel 170 by filling the liquid crystal vessel 170 with an excess of liquid crystal material 140.
Concretely, when the liquid crystal inlet 101a reaches the flat bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 170, the liquid crystal inlet 101a is blocked. Therefore, the liquid crystal panel 101 is held by the jig as lifted at least by the minimum gap (G3) between the liquid crystal panel 101 and the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 170.
However, depending on the production accuracy of the liquid crystal panel 101 and the position accuracy of a jig, the height of the liquid crystal inlet 101a is not constant for the liquid crystal panel 101-4 at the center or the liquid crystal panel 101-5 on the right as illustrated in
Therefore, the level of the liquid crystal inlet 101a (the level of the right liquid crystal panel 101-5 in
Generally, when the quantity of the liquid crystal material 140 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 170 increases, the time period in which the liquid crystal material 140 is exposed to air becomes longer and the material is contaminated (absorbs water), and is not available, thereby causing the problem of wasteful liquid crystal materials.
The method and the device for injecting the liquid crystal for a film substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings.
A liquid crystal injection device 10 illustrated in
The film substrate 1 is formed by bonding two substrates each of which is made of a flexible film. At least one of these two substrates is transparent is transparent and the transparent electrodes not illustrated in the attached drawings are bonded as facing each other. The film substrate 1 is rectangular, and a projection 1b which protrudes as a rectangle is formed on one of the four sides of the rectangle. The end of the projection 1b is a liquid crystal inlet 1a into which the liquid crystal material 2 is injected.
The liquid crystal vessel 11 has a convex part 13 as an example of the contact part. The convex part 13 forms a gap G illustrated in
The convex part 13 protrudes upward from the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11 and has a longitudinal direction in the array direction. Concretely, the convex part 13 is formed so that a triangular pole member may lie in the array direction of the film substrate 1 with one of the three rectangular planes contacting the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11, thereby providing a triangular section.
The convex part 13 linearly contacts a part of a liquid crystal inlet 11a of the film substrate 1 at the upper end linearly extruded in the longitudinal direction. The convex. part 13 may be provided as a unitary construction with the liquid crystal vessel 11, or provided by arranging another member in the liquid crystal vessel 11.
The jig 12 is arranged for each film substrate 1, and a plurality of jigs 12 independently rise and fall. The jig 12 supports the film substrate 1 upward perpendicularly on both sides of the bottom with the projections 1b of the film substrate 1 interposed between them. The jig 12 may prevent the film substrate 1 from tilting by, for example, supporting the projection 1b of the film substrate 1, horizontally supporting the film substrate 1 in the direction of thickness on both sides with the projection 1b interposed, etc.
The method for injecting the liquid crystal according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with some points overlapping the description above appropriately omitted.
First, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Then, by the fall of the jig 12 even after the contact of the film substrate 1 with the convex part 13, the perpendicularly upward support of the jig 12 on the film substrate 1 is released, and the positions of the liquid crystal inlets 1a of the plurality of film substrates 1 match on the convex part 13. By the horizontal support of the jig 12 on the film substrate 1, the film substrate 1 may be positioned although the perpendicularly upward support is released.
Next, the liquid crystal material 2 is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a from the gap G with the film substrate 1 in contact with the convex part 13 (injecting step).
The film substrate 1 is stored in, for example, a housing not illustrated in the attached drawings, the housing is kept in the decompressed state, the liquid crystal inlet 1a is inserted into the liquid crystal material 2 in the decompressed state in the contacting step, and then the liquid crystal material 2 is injected from the liquid crystal inlet 1a by changing the decompressed state in the housing not illustrated in the attached drawings into the normal pressure state.
As illustrated in
The liquid crystal vessel 11 according to the present embodiment is made of, for example, aluminum, and it is designed so that the liquid pool 2-1 may be easily formed on the convex part 13 by forming a fluorine coating part (an example of a coating part) for preventing the invasion of the liquid crystal material 2.
After the injection of the liquid crystal material 2, the sealing material for sealing the liquid crystal material 2 is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a and cured by ultraviolet rays etc., thereby completing the seal of the liquid crystal material 2 on the film substrate 1.
According to the present embodiment described above, the gap is formed between the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1 and the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11 by the film substrate 1 contacting the convex part 13 provided for the liquid crystal vessel 11 for storing the liquid crystal material 2 (contacting step). In addition, the liquid crystal material 2 is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a from the gap G with the film substrate 1 contacting the convex part 13 (injecting step).
Therefore, the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1 may be prevented from being blocked by the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11. In addition, the liquid crystal material 2 may be prevented from being excessively stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 depending on the variance of the level of the film substrate 1 by forming the convex part 13 with the smallest possible number of gaps G for injection of the liquid crystal material 2.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be reduced.
According to the present embodiment, the convex part 13 as an example of the contact part which contacts the film substrate 1 is provided for the liquid crystal vessel 11. Therefore, the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be reduced with a simple configuration.
According to the present embodiment, the convex part 13 linearly contacts the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1. Therefore, the gap G between the liquid crystal inlet 1a and the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be constantly made regardless of the production accuracy of the film substrate 1, thereby further reducing the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 to be stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11.
In addition, in the injecting step according to the present embodiment, the liquid pool 2-1 of the liquid crystal material 2 formed in the convex part 13 by the surface tension is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a with the liquid level of the liquid crystal material 2 in the liquid crystal vessel 11 lower than the liquid crystal material 2. Therefore, although the liquid level of the liquid crystal material 2 is lower than the gap G between the liquid crystal inlet 1a and the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11, the liquid crystal material 2 may be injected, thereby further reducing the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11.
In the contacting step according to the present embodiment, the film substrate 1 is made to contact the convex part 13 by lowering the jig 12 which supports at least upward perpendicularly, and the perpendicularly upward support of the jig 12 on the film substrate 1 is released by lowering the jig 12 even after the contact of the film substrate 1 with the convex part 13. Therefore, the variance of the level of the film substrate 1 may be suppressed without fail, and the quantity of the film substrate 1 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be further reduced.
According to the present embodiment, as an example of the contact part, not the convex part 13, but a concave part 23a of a projection 23 is provided, which is different from the embodiment described above. Otherwise, the present embodiment is generally the same as the embodiment described above. The difference is mainly described below.
The liquid crystal injection device 20 illustrated in
The liquid crystal vessel 11 has the concave part 23a as an example of the contact part formed in the concave part 23a. The concave part 23a forms the gap G illustrated in
The projection 23 protrudes upward from the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11. The concave part 23a is a groove having the longitudinal direction and extending in the direction (longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal inlet 1a) orthogonal to the array direction of the film substrate 1. Concretely, the concave part 23a is a groove having a V-shaped section which linearly contacts the periphery (2 opposite sides) of the inlet where the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1 is formed as illustrated in
The projection 23 may have a unitary construction with the liquid crystal vessel 11 or may be provided by arranging another member for the liquid crystal vessel 11.
Described below is the liquid crystal injecting method according to another embodiment by appropriately omitting some overlapping points described above.
First, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Then, even after the film substrate 1 contacts the concave part 23a, the fall of the jig 12 releases the perpendicularly upward support of the jig 12 on the film substrate 1, and the positions of the liquid crystal inlets 1a of the plurality of film substrates 1 match the contact positions of the concave parts 23a. By the jig 12 horizontally supporting the film substrate 1, the film substrate 1 may be positioned even after the release of the perpendicularly upward support.
Next, the liquid crystal material 2 is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a from the gap G described above with the film substrate 1 contacting the concave part 23a (injecting step) .
After the injection of the liquid crystal material 2 is completed, the sealing material for sealing the liquid crystal material 2 is injected through the liquid crystal inlet 1a and cured by ultraviolet rays etc., thereby completing the seal of the liquid crystal material 2 on the film substrate 1.
According to the present embodiment described above, the gap G is formed between the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1 and the bottom of the liquid crystal vessel 11 by the film substrate 1 contacting the concave part (contact part) 23a provided for the liquid crystal vessel 11 which stores the liquid crystal material 2 (contacting step). Furthermore, in the contact state between the film substrate 1 and the concave part 23a, the liquid crystal material 2 is injected from the gap G through the liquid crystal inlet 1a (injecting step).
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, as with the embodiment described above, the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be reduced.
According to the present embodiment, as an example of a contact part which the film substrate 1 contacts, the concave part 23a of the projection 23 is provided for the liquid crystal vessel 11. Therefore, the liquid crystal material 2 may be collected in the concave part 23a and the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 may be reduced with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the liquid crystal material 2 different for each concave part 23a may be stored, the liquid crystal material 2 may be injected simultaneously into different types of film substrates 1.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the concave part 23a contacts the periphery (two opposite sides) of the inlet forming sides which form the liquid crystal inlet 1a of the film substrate 1. Therefore, since the gap G between the liquid crystal inlet 1a and the bottom (the bottom of the concave part 23a) of the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be regulated independent of the production accuracy of the jig 12 and the film substrate 1, the liquid crystal may be injected at the shortest possible intervals the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be furthermore reduced.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the concave part 23a is a groove which extends in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal inlet 1a. Therefore, the gap G between the liquid crystal inlet 1a and the bottom (the bottom of the concave part 23a) of the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be maintained without fail by the concave part 23a contacting the liquid crystal inlet 1a in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal inlet 1a, thereby further reducing the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11.
According to the present embodiment, the concave part 23a is a groove having a V-shaped section. Therefore, the gap G between the liquid crystal inlet 1a and the bottom (the bottom of the concave part 23a) of the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be constant by the concave part 23a contacting the film substrate 1 on the two V-shaped planes, thereby furthermore reducing the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11.
In addition, in the contacting step according to the present embodiment, the film substrate 1 is made to contact the concave part 23a by lowering the jig 12 which supports the film substrate 1 at least perpendicularly upward, and the jig 12 is made to lower even after the film substrate 1 contacts the concave part 23a, thereby releasing the perpendicularly upward support of the jig 12 on the film substrate 1. Accordingly, the variance of the height of the film substrate 1 may be suppressed without fail, and the quantity of the liquid crystal material 2 stored in the liquid crystal vessel 11 may be furthermore reduced.
According to the present embodiment, the concave part 23a which is a groove having a V-shaped section formed on the projection 23 as illustrated in
In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment and another embodiment, the convex part 13, the concave parts 23a and 33a, etc. are examples of the contact part, but the contact part may be two or more convex or concave parts for each film substrate 1 such as convex and concave surfaces of a rough surface etc.
Although the attached drawings illustrate the hatching indicating a section in a drawing, but the types of hatching do not restrict the material.
This application is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2010/073463 filed on Dec. 24, 2010 and designated the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2010/073463 | Dec 2010 | US |
Child | 13870444 | US |