JPS60111221A - Method and device for charging liquid crystal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten a necessary charging time which is about 90min conventionally to about 4min by dripping liquid crystal on a glass plate, sticking the other glass plate, and discharging air. CONSTITUTION:A necessary amount plus 10-20% of liquid crystal 4 is dripped quantitatively on a lower soda glass plate 1a at a set position inside an adhesive 1c at atmospheric pressure from above. An upper soda glass plate 1b is inserted into a lower jig 2 and then orientation film patterns of both glass plates 1a and 1b are matched with each other automatically. They are put in a vacuum chamber 5, which is evacuated, so that the two soda glass plates 1a and 1b curve around the layer of the adhesive 1c as a fulcrum as shown in a figure. The gap at the center part of the soda glass plates 1a and 1b becomes large, so the liquid crystal 4 moves to the adhesive 1c by surface tension and the air 6 in the gap gathers in the center of the soda glass plates 1a and 1b. The pressure in the vacuum chamber 5 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. When a loaded roller 7 is rolled on the top surface of the soda glass plates 1a and 1b to apply pressure, the air 6 in the glass substrate 1 moves to one open side 1d and is discharged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal filling method and a filling apparatus for filling liquid crystal into minute gaps (8 to 10 μm) in a glass substrate that is a liquid crystal display element component.

Conventionally, filling a liquid crystal display element with liquid crystal has been carried out by inserting a glass substrate into a chamber and evacuating the inside of the chamber. That is, the inside of the chamber is evacuated, for example, the inside of a fine gap in a glass substrate made by bonding two soda glass plates is evacuated, and then this evacuated glass substrate is placed in a liquid crystal. By returning the inside of the chamber to atmospheric pressure, liquid crystal is filled into the glass substrate due to the pressure difference between the inside of the chamber and the inside of the glass substrate.

However, as the liquid crystal filling progresses, if the degree of vacuum in the glass substrate is poor or if the pressure difference between the chamber and the glass substrate is small, the liquid crystal filling speed becomes slow. In particular, in the case of a large glass substrate, for example, a glass substrate having a size of about 300 mm x 150 mm, there is a big problem that the filling time takes about 90 minutes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate such problems in the prior art and to provide a method and apparatus for rapidly filling liquid crystal into, for example, a vertical gap in a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display element.

According to the present invention, a glass plate coated with an adhesive and having a desired alignment film pattern is fixedly positioned, a fixed amount of liquid crystal is dropped on the upper surface of the glass plate in the atmosphere, and then The other glass plate having the desired alignment film pattern is stacked on top of the other glass plate with the pattern aligned, and a load is applied to the periphery of both glass plates except for one side so that both glass plates adhere to each other, and then this glass substrate is obtained. While applying the load,
A liquid crystal filling method is provided in which the air in the gap of a glass substrate is collected using a vacuum, and the air in the gap is removed by applying pressure to the center of the glass substrate.

The apparatus for carrying out this liquid crystal filling method includes a liquid crystal dropping means, fixed positioning of the glass plate, stacking other glass plates with matching patterns, and a glass substrate made of these glass plates. A vacuum chamber is provided with a lower jig and an upper jig that enable a load to be applied to the periphery except for one side, and further includes an air bleed means for accommodating these glass substrates together with both jigs. Main points: A liquid crystal filling device is provided.

Hereinafter, a filling method of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 1.

In the process shown in FIG. 1(A), two soda glass plates 1a
, ib, and which is coated with an adhesive IC such as epoxy resin by screen printing, a lower soda glass plate la having a desired orientation film pattern (not shown) is coated with a lower soda glass plate la having a U-shaped cross section and protrusions 28. A fixed amount is dropped in the atmosphere at a set position inside the ingredient 2 material 1c.

After that, the upper soda glass plate lb, on which a spacer (not shown) is applied and a reed alignment film pattern is provided, is placed in the lower jig 2.
As the glass plates IIa and 1b are inserted into the glass plate K, the alignment film patterns of both glass plates IIa and 1b automatically match. Next, in the process shown in FIG. 2a and press the adhesive ICM part. At this point, the liquid crystal 4 and the air 6 are mixed.

Note that the upper jig 3 also serves as a weight that applies a load to the periphery of both glass plates la and l'b so that a predetermined load is applied to the adhesive 1c. Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1(Q), the soda glass plates 1a and 1b and the jigs 2 and 3 in the state shown in FIG. Since the degree of vacuum inside 1a, I'b and inside the vacuum chamber 5 is better in the vacuum chamber 5, the two soda glass plates 1a, 1b are bent as shown in the figure with the 10 layers of adhesive material as a fulcrum. Since the gap in the center of the soda glass plates 1a, 1b becomes large, the liquid crystal 4 moves toward the adhesive iQ side due to surface tension, and the aero in the gap causes the soda glass plates 1a, l
'b gather in the center. Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1(D), the inside of the vacuum chamber 5 is returned to atmospheric pressure. Some aero remains in the center. Therefore, in the process shown in FIG. , Ib, the aero in the glass substrate 1 moves toward the open side 1d, and air can be vented.

Next, the configuration of a filling apparatus for carrying out the above-mentioned filling method will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. An air-operated liquid crystal constant flow valve 8 is attached to a cylinder 9 that can be moved up and down. The vacuum chamber 5 is provided with a lid 10 that can be opened and closed. Furthermore, jig 2,
A receiving jig 11 is provided that can position 3 in the vacuum chamber 5, and this receiving jig 11 is attached to a cylinder 12 that can move up and down, and this cylinder 12 is attached to the vacuum chamber 5. 12a is vacuum sealed with an O-ring 13.

When the cylinder 12 is raised to the upper end position, the roller 7
The structure is such that a load is applied to the soda glass plate 1b. The roller 7 is loaded by a spring 14, is attached to a swinging member 15, and is driven by a cylinder 16. This cylinder 16 is attached to the vacuum chamber 5, and the cylinder shaft 16a is vacuum sealed with a Q-IJ song 7. Vacuum pump 1 in vacuum chamber 5
8 is connected to the chamber 5 by a vacuum pipe 19, and an atmosphere release valve 20 that can open the inside of the vacuum chamber 5 to the atmosphere is attached to the chamber 5.

As an example of the operation of the above structure, a case where a soda glass plate size 30011#X150ff is used will be described. First, the lid 10 of the vacuum chamber 5 is opened to a horizontal position using a cylinder (not shown). The lower jig 2 is positioned and placed on the upper side of the lid IO, and the lower soda glass plate 1a is placed seven times into the lower jig 2. Next, the cylinder 9 is lowered, and the nozzle of the liquid crystal metering valve 8 is lowered to a position of about 5 sheaths from the upper surface of the lower soda glass plate 1a, and the required liquid crystal metering valve 8 is
Drop O+10% liquid crystal 4. Cylinder 9 after dripping
is raised, the upper soda glass plate 1b is inserted into the lower jig 2, and the upper jig 3 is fitted. The weight of upper jig 3 is 5 to 10K.
P, and these jigs 2 and 3 are positioned and set in the receiving jig 11 inside the vacuum chamber 5. Close the lid 10,
stomach. By creating a vacuum in the vacuum chamber 5, the soda glass plates 1a, lk) are bent with the adhesive IC as a fulcrum, the liquid crystal 4 moves in the direction of the adhesive IC, and the aero is placed in the center of the soda glass 1a, Ib. Gather at the club. In addition, the adhesive ICM
Since the gap is about IOμ, the liquid crystal 4 moves toward the adhesive layer 1c due to surface tension. Then, the aero gathers at the center of the soda glass plates 1a+1b. vacuum pump 1
8 is stopped and the atmosphere release valve 20 is opened, the curved soda glass plate 1a; l'b becomes normal. Even in this state, a portion of the aero remains in the center. Then, when the cylinder 12 is moved to the upper end), the roller 7 comes into contact with the soda glass plate lb surface in the jigs 2 and 3, and the roller 7 pushes the soda glass plate lb surface by 0.3 to lK7. A certain amount of load is applied. Next, cylinder 1
6 is advanced at a speed of 5/sec or less and pressurized to squeeze it, the soda glass plate 1a is formed.

] The aero in b moves to the side 1d, and the aero removal is completed. After this, open the lid 10, take out the jigs 2 and 3,
Furthermore, the glass substrate 1 is taken out from the jigs 2 and 3, a load of 20 to 50 is applied to the glass substrate 1, and the adhesive material 1c is cured by placing it in a hot air circulation oven.
~10μ.

It took about 4 minutes to manufacture the soda glass plates 1a and 1b, inject the liquid crystal 4, remove the heat, and take out the jigs 2 and 3 in about 4 minutes.

In the above embodiment, aero is collected in the center of the soda glass plates 1a and 1b in the vacuum chamber 5, and
After opening the inside to the atmosphere, the aero in the glass substrate l was removed using the loaf 7, but the same effect can be obtained by moving the roller 7 in a vacuum and removing the aero.

Furthermore, although an embodiment has been described in which the roller 7 is used as the air removal means, the present invention may also use a spatula-shaped air removal member. Further, although soda glass is used in the above embodiment, other lead glass or borosilicate glass may be used.

As explained above, in the method of the present invention, liquid crystal is dropped onto a glass plate, the other glass plate is stretched together and placed in a vacuum, and the air in the liquid crystal is collected in the center of both glass plates. By performing the air bleed using the air bleed means, the filling time which conventionally required about 90 minutes can be reliably completed in about 4 minutes, and the liquid crystal filling can be completed. Therefore, it has become possible to increase the speed by about 20 times or more. Furthermore, in the conventional liquid crystal filling method, since a glass substrate is inserted into the liquid crystal reservoir, approximately 5Q% more liquid crystal than the required amount adheres to the outer periphery of the glass substrate, and as the adhered liquid crystal has to be wiped off, expensive liquid crystal is However, in the present invention, only the required amount of liquid crystal is dropped, which has the excellent effect of making the product cheaper.

Furthermore, since the apparatus of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to carry out the above-described method of the present invention well, and has excellent effects such as a rational and simple configuration.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the invention in detail, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention. 1a... Upper soda glass plate, 11)... Lower soda glass plate, Ic... Adhesive material, 1... Glass substrate,
2...-Lower jig, 2a...Protrusion, 3...Upper jig,
3a...internal protrusion, 4...liquid crystal. 5.-* Empty chamber, 6.-. Air, 7.. Roller, 8.. Liquid crystal constant flow valve, 9.. Cylinder, 12.1
6...Cylinder.

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) A process of "fixing and positioning" a glass plate coated with an adhesive and having a desired alignment film pattern, a process of dropping a fixed amount of liquid crystal onto the top surface of the glass plate in the atmosphere, and a step of stacking another glass plate having a desired alignment film pattern by matching the patterns; and a step of applying a load to the periphery of both glass plates except for one side so that both the glass plates adhere to each other to obtain a glass substrate. , a step of collecting air in the voids of the glass substrate using a vacuum while applying a load to the periphery of the glass substrate except for one side;
A method for filling a liquid crystal, comprising: removing air from the void by squeezing the central portion of the glass substrate to which a load is applied to the periphery excluding the sides. (2) - A first method characterized in that the glass substrate, to which a load is applied to the periphery excluding the sides, is pressurized in the air so as to squeeze the central portion, thereby removing the air in the void.
Liquid crystal filling method described in section. (3) Item 1, characterized in that the glass substrate, to which a load is applied to the periphery excluding the sides, is pressurized in a vacuum by squeezing the central portion to remove air from the void. Liquid crystal described - filling method. (4) In a device that fills liquid crystal into the gap in a glass substrate made by bonding two or more glass plates, a fixed amount of liquid crystal is dropped.
- A fixed amount of liquid crystal is dropped by the liquid crystal dropping means onto the upper surface of the glass plate in a lower jig which is equipped with a liquid crystal dropping means and which fixes and positions the glass plate to which the adhesive is adhered. Blasphemy: A glass substrate is constructed by overlapping another glass plate in a patterned manner on top of the glass plate, and an upper jig is used together with the lower jig to apply a load to the periphery of the glass substrate except for one side. and a vacuum chamber for accommodating the glass substrate together with the two jigs, the chamber being connected to a vacuum pump that evacuates the inside of the chamber, and squeezing the center of the glass substrate. 1. A liquid crystal filling apparatus comprising: an air vent means for pressurizing the vacuum chamber; and a stage provided with an opening means for opening the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere. (5) The lower jig has a U-shaped cross section and is provided with a protrusion therein, and the upper jig has an angular cross section and is combined with the protrusion in the inner part of the jig. 2. The liquid crystal filling device according to item 1, further comprising an internal protrusion that applies a load to the periphery of the glass substrate other than the negative side. (6) The air bleed means is a cylinder! 5. The liquid crystal filling device according to claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal filling device comprises a roller that is rotated. (7) The liquid crystal filling device according to item 4, wherein the air bleed means is a spatula-shaped air bleed member driven by a cylinder.