CN100485496C - Liquid crystal dispensing apparatus having confirming function for remaining amount of liquid crystal - Google Patents
Liquid crystal dispensing apparatus having confirming function for remaining amount of liquid crystal Download PDFInfo
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- CN100485496C CN100485496C CNB2006101682910A CN200610168291A CN100485496C CN 100485496 C CN100485496 C CN 100485496C CN B2006101682910 A CNB2006101682910 A CN B2006101682910A CN 200610168291 A CN200610168291 A CN 200610168291A CN 100485496 C CN100485496 C CN 100485496C
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- liquid crystal
- crystal material
- container
- substrate
- dispensing
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- G02F1/1303—Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
- B05B1/30—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
- B05B1/3033—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages the control being effected by relative coaxial longitudinal movement of the controlling element and the spray head
- B05B1/304—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages the control being effected by relative coaxial longitudinal movement of the controlling element and the spray head the controlling element being a lift valve
- B05B1/3046—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages the control being effected by relative coaxial longitudinal movement of the controlling element and the spray head the controlling element being a lift valve the valve element, e.g. a needle, co-operating with a valve seat located downstream of the valve element and its actuating means, generally in the proximity of the outlet orifice
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05C—APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05C5/00—Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work
- B05C5/02—Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g. from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work
- B05C5/0225—Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g. from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01G—WEIGHING
- G01G17/00—Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property
- G01G17/04—Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property for weighing fluids, e.g. gases, pastes
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
- G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
- G02F1/1341—Filling or closing of cells
Abstract
A liquid crystal dispensing apparatus determines an amount of liquid crystal remaining within a liquid crystal container. The apparatus includes a liquid crystal dispensing unit for containing dispensable liquid crystal, capable of be dispensed directly onto a substrate and a main control unit for determining a total amount of liquid crystal dispensed onto the substrate based on a unitary amount of liquid crystal dispensed and the number of times the unitary amount was dispensed, and determining an amount of liquid crystal remaining by deducting the determined total amount dispensed from an initial amount of liquid crystal contained within the liquid crystal dispensing unit.
Description
The application is for the application number on March 13rd, 2003 application is 03120538.0, denomination of invention is divided an application for " device and method for dispensing liquid crystal and measuring method thereof with liquid crystal confirming function for remaining amount ", at this full content of quoting this application as a reference.
Technical field
The present invention relates to device and method for dispensing liquid crystal, be specifically related to determine to be assigned to the liquid crystal material amount on the substrate and can determine a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal of liquid crystal material surplus in the liquid crystal container.
Background technology
Along with the continuous development such as mancarried electronic aids such as mobile phone, PDA(Personal Digital Assistant), notebooks, small and light and flat-panel display device low energy consumption has become the emphasis of research and development such as LCD (LCD), plasma display (PDP), electroluminescence escope (FED), vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) or the like.LCD is easy to drive and performance such as quality of image excellence and cause concern especially because it is convenient to produce in batches.
LCD is anisotropic refracting characteristic display message on screen of utilizing liquid crystal material.Referring to Fig. 1, typical LCD1 comprises the infrabasal plate (i.e. driving element array base palte) 5 that is connected to upper substrate (i.e. base plate of color light filter) 3 by sealant 9.A liquid crystal material layer 7 separates infrabasal plate 5 and upper substrate 3.On infrabasal plate 5, form many pixel (not shown), and on each pixel, form such as thin film transistor (TFT) driving elements such as (TFT).On upper substrate 3, form a color filter layer and make the LCD display color.Also on infrabasal plate 5 and upper substrate 3, form pixel capacitors and public electrode respectively.On infrabasal plate 5 and upper substrate 3, form the molecule that an alignment is unified aligned liquid crystal material layer 7 inside.Can select arrange molecule in the liquid crystal material layer with driving element.Like this, along with the control to liquid crystal material interior molecules orientation, just the light quantity that can select control to see through each position of LCD is come transmission information.
The manufacturing process of LCD device is broadly divided into driving element array manufacturing step, forms driving element on infrabasal plate 5, and the chromatic filter manufacturing step forms chromatic filter on upper substrate 3, also has a unit manufacturing step.Below to explain these manufacturing steps with reference to Fig. 2.
Referring to Fig. 2, in driving element array base palte manufacturing step (S101), on the point of crossing that is formed on many gate lines on the infrabasal plate 5 and data line, form many pixel regions, and the thin film transistor (TFT) that will be arranged in each pixel region is connected to a gate line and a corresponding data line.Also the thin film transistor (TFT) that pixel capacitors will be connected to separately drives liquid crystal material layer.So just can drive liquid crystal material layer according to the signal that offers thin film transistor (TFT).
In chromatic filter manufacturing step (S104), on upper substrate 3, form red (R), green (G) that is used for producing colored and public electrode, blue (B) color filter layer.
On infrabasal plate 5 and upper substrate 3, form alignment respectively.Friction is formed on alignment on the substrate then, induces the molecule of liquid crystal material layer inside to defer to aligning direction (S102 and S105) between predetermined accurate pitch angle and infrabasal plate 5 and the upper substrate 3.Then positioned spacers on infrabasal plate 5 is kept uniform cell gap (S103) between upper and lower substrate.Apply sealant (S106) in the outside of upper substrate 3 and with infrabasal plate 5 extruding with on attached to upper substrate 3 (S107).
In order to inject liquid crystal material by the liquid crystal material inlet, need between the outside of display panels and inside, form a pressure differential.Fig. 3 represents to be used for injecting a kind of device of liquid crystal material in the cell gap of display panels.
Referring to Fig. 3, liquid crystal material 14 is installed in container 12 inner pressurd vessels and is disposed in the vacuum chamber 10, and vacuum chamber is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) that can produce and keep vacuum in vacuum chamber.Display panels mobile device (not shown) is installed in vacuum chamber 10 inside, and the surface towards liquid crystal material 14 moves down independently display panels from the top of container 12.According to known liquid crystal injecting method, make the liquid crystal injecting port 16 of each display panels touch liquid crystal material.In vacuum chamber, pump into nitrogen (N subsequently
2) from initial vacuum pressure increase pressure.Along with the rising of vacuum chamber 10 internal pressures, the liquid crystal material 14 that touches liquid crystal injecting port 16 because of display panels inner with the vacuum chamber inside of containing the nitrogen that pumps between pressure differential be squeezed into the cell gap of (or injection) display panels.After cell gap is full of fully by liquid crystal material 14, inject dew 16 with the sealant sealing.
Yet, be for following reason at least, it is imperfect injecting liquid crystal material according to above-mentioned steps.
At first, finish can be very long to display panels 1 injection liquid crystal material 14 required time quantums.For example, the cell gap between driving element array and the base plate of color light filter very narrow (for example being magnitude) at several microns, therefore, the time can only be injected very a spot of liquid crystal material to display panels.Like this, inject liquid crystal material with above-mentioned method for implanting to a typical 15-inch display panels and approximately need eight hours.Therefore, adopting this liquid crystal injecting method excessively to increase makes the required time of LCD.
Secondly, adopt the required liquid crystal layer material quantity of above-mentioned liquid crystal injecting method very big.Although have only a small amount of liquid crystal from container 12, to flow out, have a large amount of liquid crystal and be exposed to air or nitrogen.A large amount of liquid crystal materials and nitrogen or airborne other gases are reacted and polluted.The result will increase the cost of making LCD because of must abandon those liquid crystal materials that are not injected into display panels after implantation step.
Summary of the invention
The present invention relates to a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal, it has and is used for the affirmation function of surplus of the liquid crystal material amount in the device and method for dispensing liquid crystal of determining, and a kind of method that detects this surplus, can eliminate these problems that limitation and shortcoming because of prior art cause basically.
Advantage of the present invention has provided a kind of directly device of dispensing liquid crystal material on glass substrate, and the area of substrate is greater than the area of at least one single LCD panel.
Below supplementary features of the present invention and advantage will be described, a part can find out from instructions, or by practice of the present invention is learnt.Specifically described structure just can realize and reach purpose of the present invention and other advantages in employing instructions and claims and the accompanying drawing.
In order to realize above-mentioned and other advantage according to the object of the invention, below want concrete and explanation widely, a kind of like this device and method for dispensing liquid crystal can be provided, it comprises the liquid crystal allocation units, be used for holding the liquid crystal material that can be assigned on the substrate, these liquid crystal allocation units comprise: be used for holding liquid crystal material that will distribute and a liquid crystal container that receives air feed; Be fixed on a loam cake on the liquid crystal container; Be arranged in a nozzle of liquid crystal container bottom, can the dispensing liquid crystal material by it, and a valve mechanism, it makes the inner contained liquid crystal material of liquid crystal container enter nozzle by the pressure from air feed; And the fixture that is used for fixing the liquid crystal allocation units; Be used for the drive unit of mobile liquid crystal allocation units; And at least one is arranged in a scale above the fixture and between below the loam cake, to determine the weight of the inner remaining liquid crystal material of liquid crystal allocation units.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the weight measurement unit can have a scale, and be arranged between the upper surface of the lower surface of loam cake and a fixture, the weight of liquid crystal allocation units acted on the scale, and can determine the liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal allocation units inside.The weight of liquid crystal material surplus can be transformed into volume and show with display unit.
Being to be appreciated that above general introduction and detailed description hereinafter all are indicative descriptions, all is in order further to explain invention required for protection.
Description of drawings
Included being used for is convenient to understand the present invention and represented embodiments of the invention as the accompanying drawing of an ingredient of this instructions, can be used to explain principle of the present invention together with the description.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents the sectional view of a kind of prior art liquid crystal display (LCD) device;
Fig. 2 represents a process flow diagram of the LCD manufacture method of prior art;
Fig. 3 represents to inject liquid crystal material in the LCD of prior art device;
Fig. 4 represents to adopt the liquid crystal distributing method according to one embodiment of the invention to make LCD;
Fig. 5 represents the process flow diagram with a kind of a kind of LCD manufacture method of liquid crystal distributing method;
Fig. 6 represents to adopt the liquid crystal distributing method according to another embodiment of the present invention to make LCD;
Fig. 7 A and 7B represent the device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to one embodiment of the invention;
The functional block diagram of main control unit shown in Fig. 8 presentation graphs 7A and the 7B;
Fig. 9 represents to be used for measuring according to one embodiment of the invention the process flow diagram of a kind of method of the inner liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal container;
Figure 10 represents a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to another embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 11 represents a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to yet another embodiment of the invention; And
Figure 12 A and 12B represent to measure remaining liquid crystal material with scale.
Embodiment
Below want concrete with reference to the illustrative examples of representing in the accompanying drawings of the present invention.
For the problem that solves above-mentioned liquid crystal injecting method following liquid crystal distributing method has been proposed.Liquid crystal distributing method is directly to form a liquid crystal layer at dispensing liquid crystal material on the substrate and by pushing the liquid crystal material that distributes that evenly distributes on the whole surface of substrate at substrate.Above-mentioned liquid crystal distributing method allows liquid crystal material to be arranged at short notice on the substrate, so just can carry out the step that forms liquid crystal layer in the large LCD panel fast.Owing to there is the liquid crystal material of scheduled volume to be assigned on the substrate, the consumption of liquid crystal material is very little, and can reduce the cost of making LCD.
Fig. 4 represents to adopt the liquid crystal distributing method according to one embodiment of the invention to make LCD.
Referring to Fig. 4, can with the infrabasal plate 105 of top formation driving element and above the upper substrate 103 of formation chromatic filter bond to together before the dispensing liquid crystal material.So just can be with drop form dispensing liquid crystal material 107 on infrabasal plate 105.Or on upper substrate 103 dispensing liquid crystal material 107.In bonding step, no matter use which base plate supports liquid crystal material 107, the substrate that supports liquid crystal material 107 all should be arranged in below another substrate, and liquid crystal material 107 is arranged between two substrates.
Can distribute sealant 109 along the edge of upper substrate 103, be extruded to a time-out at upper substrate 103 and infrabasal plate 105 and realize bonding.Along with upper and lower substrate 103 and 105 difference pressurizeds, liquid crystal material 107 will scatter, and so just can form the liquid crystal layer with uniform thickness between upper and lower substrate 103 and 105.Then bonding substrate can be separated into single LCD panel.So can be with this liquid crystal distributing method dispensing liquid crystal material 107 on infrabasal plate 105 before final assembling display panels 101.
Fig. 5 represents to adopt a kind of process flow diagram of a kind of LCD device making method of liquid crystal distributing method.
Referring to Fig. 5, form driving element (for example being TFT) and color filter layer on infrabasal plate and upper substrate respectively, tft array is made the step made from chromatic filter and is made identical with the chromatic filter making step with the driving element array base palte shown in Fig. 2 respectively.Infrabasal plate and upper substrate can be the glass substrates that comprises a plurality of separate panels district.If in the making of LCD, adopt liquid crystal distributing method, can effectively area can be reached 1000x1200mm
2Glass substrate be processed into single panel.
Can on infrabasal plate and upper substrate, form an alignment.The alignment that then will rub (S202 and S205), and liquid crystal material is assigned in the display panels district within the infrabasal plate (S203).Can also apply sealant (S206) in the outside that correspondence the display panels district within the upper substrate.
Then that upper and lower substrate is opposite each other and by the sealant extruding be attached to together.When two substrate pressurizeds, the liquid crystal material of distribution can be uniformly scattered onto on the whole surface of panel (S207).Adopt above-mentioned liquid crystal distributing method just can within the upper and lower glass substrate that adheres to, form a plurality of display panels simultaneously.Then the glass substrate that will adhere to cuts a plurality of independently LCD panels of (S208) one-tenth separately.Check independently LCD panel (S209) then.
It is more superior than liquid crystal injecting method shown in Figure 2 to make LCD according to above-mentioned liquid crystal distributing method, can form liquid crystal material layer between upper and lower substrate fast.Liquid crystal injecting method shown in Figure 2 need seal inlet with sealant after finishing injection.Yet,, do not have the inlet of needs sealing if make LCD by this liquid crystal distributing method.Make LCD if press liquid crystal injecting method, panel can touch the liquid crystal material in the container in injection process.Like this, the outside surface of LCD panel will be polluted and need a cleaning.Yet,, liquid crystal material directly can be assigned on the substrate if make LCD by liquid crystal distributing method.Like this, the outside surface of LCD panel just can not polluted, thereby does not need extra cleaning.Therefore, adopt the method for liquid crystal distributing method making LCD fairly simple, more effective, and its rate ratio adopt liquid crystal injecting method to make the method height of LCD.
If adopt liquid crystal distributing method to make LCD, must form the liquid crystal material layer of the predetermined thickness that is directly proportional with the size of cell gap in the LCD panel.Therefore, must accurately control the position and the liquid crystal material content thereof of liquid crystal droplet.Provide a kind of device according to principle of the present invention for this reason, come the dispensing liquid crystal material by the drop of accurate layout, each drop comprises the liquid crystal material of accurate quantification.
Fig. 6 represents to adopt the liquid crystal distributing method according to one embodiment of the invention to make LCD.
Referring to Fig. 6, can liquid crystal material 107 be assigned on the infrabasal plate 105 (comprising a plurality of panel areas) with device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120.According to principle of the present invention, device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120 can be arranged in infrabasal plate 105 tops, and comprises the liquid crystal material that will distribute, but not expression in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 A and 7B represent the device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to one embodiment of the invention.Device and method for dispensing liquid crystal when Fig. 7 A is illustrated in dispensing liquid crystal material not.Device and method for dispensing liquid crystal when Fig. 7 B is illustrated in the dispensing liquid crystal material.
Referring to Fig. 7 A and 7B, this device and method for dispensing liquid crystal comprises a cylindrical shape liquid crystal container 124.According to one embodiment of the invention, the material of making liquid crystal container 124 has high mold, high-ductility, and do not react with liquid crystal material (for example being tygon).Yet the intensity of materials such as tygon is lower, easily stress deformation.When liquid crystal container 124 distortion, just can not be on substrate dispensing liquid crystal material accurately.
According to one embodiment of the invention, liquid crystal container 124 can be made with the material that can not be out of shape (for example stainless steel and other metal materials).If liquid crystal container 124 usefulness stainless steel and other metal materials are made, just do not need shell 122, can reduce the manufacturing cost of liquid crystal allocation units 120 like this.According to this embodiment, can prevent the contained liquid crystal material 107 and metal generation chemical reaction in liquid crystal container 124 inside at liquid crystal container 124 inner coating fluoride resins.
According to one embodiment of the invention,, and can in shell 122, form an opening and be used for receiving this projection although not expression can have a projection to stretch out from liquid crystal container 124 bottoms.So just the projection of liquid crystal container 124 can be inserted the opening of shell 122 and is connected to first connecting portion 141.First nut (box thread portion) can be arranged on the projection, and first screw (male screw portion) can be arranged on first side of first connecting portion 141.So just can with first screw projection be connected together with first connecting portion 141 by first nut.
According to one embodiment of the invention, second nut can be arranged on second side of first connecting portion 141, and second screw can be arranged on first side of second connecting portion 142.So just can first and second connecting portions 141 and 142 be connected to each other by second nut and second screw.A needle plate 143 can be inserted into second nut of first connecting portion 141.Like this, when second screw of second connecting portion 142 is inserted into and is connected to second nut of first connecting portion 141, just needle plate 143 can be arranged between first and second connecting portions 141 and 142.Liquid crystal material 107 can be discharged from device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120 by the discharge orifice (not shown) that forms in the needle plate 143.
According to one embodiment of the invention, can on second connecting portion 142, arrange a nozzle 145, and be connected to first connecting portion 141 by second nut and second screw.Nozzle 145 comprises a support portion 147 that is connected to second nut and a floss hole 146, the liquid crystal material 107 of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120 inside can be assigned on the substrate by discharge orifice.According to one embodiment of the invention, floss hole 146 is can be from the support portion 147 outstanding.According to one embodiment of the invention, support portion 147 can comprise second screw.The floss hole 146 that forms in nozzle 145 has very little diameter, can accurately control the distribution of liquid crystal material.
According to one embodiment of the invention, can in support portion 147, form a delivery pipe and extend into the discharge orifice of needle plate 143.Delivery pipe can be connected to floss hole 146.
A pin 136 can be inserted liquid crystal container 124, make first termination of pin 136 contact needle plate 143.According to one embodiment of the invention, first end of pin 136 can be conical, and the diameter of its diameter and discharge orifice is identical substantially.When pin 136 touched needle plate 143, pin can stop up discharge orifice.
According to principle of the present invention, second end of pin 136 can be arranged near the upper casing 126 of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120, be provided with a spring 128 and a bar magnet 132 there.Bar magnet 132 is made by ferromagnetic or soft magnetic material.Gap control unit 134 can be connected to the pin 136 of bar magnet 132 tops.Can arrange a cylindrical shape solenoid 130 around at least a portion of bar magnet 132.Although not expression, solenoid 130 can be connected to a power supply unit 150 and receive power supply.When receiving electric power, solenoid 130 can apply a magnetic force to bar magnet 132.
According to one embodiment of the invention, pin 136 and bar magnet 132 can be separated from each other predetermined apart from x.If for solenoid 130 provides electric power, will apply a magnetic force to bar magnet 132 and make pin 136 touch bar magnet 132.If not for solenoid 130 provides electric power, the elastic force of spring 128 will be shifted pin 136 onto its original position.Move back and forth pin 136 from needle plate 143 and just can open or close the discharge orifice that needle plate 143, forms.Because whether first end of pin 136 can along with contacting for solenoid 130 provides electric power repeatedly with needle plate 143, first end and the needle plate 143 of pin 136 may damage.Can make first end and the needle plate 143 of pin 136 with the material that can effectively prevent to be out of shape (for example being hard metal) for this reason.Also should make pin 136, make the magnetic attraction of the hard to bear bar magnet 132 of its energy with magnetic material.
Referring to Fig. 7 B, when providing electric power for solenoid 130, pin 136 breaks away from needle plate and opens discharge orifice.Like this, the nitrogen that offers liquid crystal container 124 will be exerted pressure and cause it to pass through nozzle 145 and be distributed liquid crystal material 107.The amount of the liquid crystal material 107 that is distributed depends on the time length that discharge orifice is opened and the nitrogen pressure of liquid crystal container 124 inside.The time length that discharge orifice is opened depend between pin 136 and the bar magnet 132 apart from x, solenoid is applied to the magnetic force on the bar magnet 132, and the intrinsic elastic force of spring 128.The size that is applied to the number of windings of magnetic force and solenoid 130 on the bar magnet 132 or offers the electric power of solenoid 130 is directly proportional.Can with between gap control unit 134 control pins 136 and the bar magnet 132 apart from x.
According to principle of the present invention, flowrate control valve 154 can be arranged in air supply pipe 153 places, from source of the gas 152 to liquid crystal container 124 air feed.Flowrate control valve 154 is regulated the gas flow that enters liquid crystal container 124 according to the control signal that main control unit 160 provides.So just can keep the predetermined pressure of liquid crystal container 124 inside with main control unit 160 and flowrate control valve 154.Except Control Flow operation valve 154, main control unit 160 is also controlled the amount of electrical power that power supply 150 offers solenoid 130.According to one embodiment of the invention, main control unit 160 is to control signal of power supply 150 outputs, and indication power supply 150 provides predetermined electric power for solenoid 130.According to another embodiment of the present invention, main control unit 160 calculates the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials 107 according to the unit quantity that will distribute and the liquid crystal material number of times that is distributed.
As hereinafter specifying, determine that the liquid crystal material surplus of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal inside can prevent to make the LCD with inhomogeneous liquid crystal material layer.In addition, determine that the liquid crystal material surplus of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal inside can improve the service efficiency of liquid crystal material.
Usually, liquid crystal container 124 is the liquid crystal material 107 that contains scheduled volume at first.After liquid crystal material is assigned on the substrate of predetermined quantity, must add new liquid crystal material to liquid crystal container 124.The unit quantity of the liquid crystal material that is distributed in assigning process is not the liquid crystal material that contains equivalent all the time.The influence that liquid crystal material amount in per unit distributes is understood because of the disturbing factor that is subjected to the device and method for dispensing liquid crystal external environment condition changes.Although the unit quantity of liquid crystal material may slight change, yet its slight deviation can obviously have influence on the liquid crystal material amount that the predetermined quantity according to the substrate that receives liquid crystal material is consumed.For example, if the per unit amount of institute's dispensing liquid crystal slightly greater than predetermined unit quantity, remaining liquid crystal material just may be distributed in the middle of processed continuously a series of substrate the amount of at least one inadequately in device and method for dispensing liquid crystal.If be assigned to a liquid crystal material quantity not sufficient on the substrate, the white background LCD of the black background of standard and standard just can not change the image that black and white is formed effectively.
If after the substrate of giving predetermined quantity distributes liquid crystal material, contained excessive liquid crystal material will be exposed to air when adding new liquid crystal in liquid crystal container 124 in liquid crystal container 124 inner remaining liquid crystal containers 124.When adding new liquid crystal material, last liquid crystal material can react with airborne composition (for example being moisture) and be polluted in the device and method for dispensing liquid crystal.Contaminated liquid crystal material must be abandoned.If liquid crystal material amount remaining in the liquid crystal container 124 is enough distributed to an extra substrate, will increase the manufacturing cost of LCD because of unnecessarily abandoning liquid crystal material.According to principle of the present invention,, just the inner remaining liquid crystal material of liquid crystal container can be distributed to a substrate if the surplus of liquid crystal material is greater than the liquid crystal material amount of enough distributing to a substrate in the liquid crystal container.So just can reduce the liquid crystal material amount of being abandoned that does not have distribution, thereby reduce the manufacturing cost of LCD.
Can determine the contained liquid crystal material amount in liquid crystal container 124 inside according to principle of the present invention, avoid expensive liquid crystal unnecessarily to be abandoned.
The functional block diagram of main control unit shown in Fig. 8 presentation graphs 7A and the 7B.
Referring to Fig. 8, main control unit 160 comprises an allocation unit amount determining unit 162, be used for determining to be assigned to the unit quantity of the liquid crystal material on the substrate, one is distributed counter unit 163, it determines the unit quantity number of times of the liquid crystal material that distributed by determining number of times that pin 136 moves back and forth with respect to needle plate 143, one is distributed total amount determining unit 164, it is according to the unit quantity of the allocation unit amount determining unit 162 determined liquid crystal that will distribute and distribute the unit quantity number of times of the counter unit 163 determined liquid crystal materials that distributed to determine to be assigned to the total amount of the liquid crystal material on the substrate, and surplus determining unit 166, it in liquid crystal container 124 the contained liquid crystal material original bulk deduction by the total amount of the liquid crystal material that has distributed that distributes total amount determining unit 164 to determine, thereby determine the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials, an output unit 168 is used for exporting various types of information, the total amount of dispensing liquid crystal material and the liquid crystal material surplus in the liquid crystal container 124 are for example arranged, and alarm unit 169, if the surplus of determining the inner liquid crystal material of liquid crystal container is less than a predetermined minimum gate limit the quantity of (for example being the liquid crystal material amount that need be assigned on the predetermined quantity substrate), just produce the command signal of a representative to liquid crystal container 124 filling liquid crystal materials, if limit the quantity of greater than this predetermined minimum gate in the surplus of after the substrate of predetermined quantity has distributed liquid crystal material, determining liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials, and the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials just sends a command signal to the inner remaining liquid crystal material of a substrate dispensing liquid crystal distributor greater than the liquid crystal material amount that will distribute to a predetermined substrate.According to one embodiment of the invention, distributing counter unit 163 is by determining to determine the unit quantity number of times of dispensing liquid crystal material from power supply 150 to the number of times of solenoid 130 power supplies.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the unit quantity that be assigned to a liquid crystal material on the substrate can be scheduled to and be provided with artificial.Main control unit 160 according to the unit quantity Control Flow operation valve 154 of liquid crystal material to liquid crystal container 124 supplies corresponding the gas of this scheduled volume.Simultaneously, main control unit 160 can also be controlled power supply 150 and provide corresponding the power of this scheduled volume to solenoid 130.According to one embodiment of the invention, the preset distance x between pin 136 and the bar magnet 132 can be by artificial setting.
Distributing counter unit 163 is by determining to determine the unit quantity number of times of dispensing liquid crystal material from power supply 150 to the number of times of solenoid 130 power supplies.Distribute total amount determining unit 164 can determine the total amount of the liquid crystal material that distributed according to the unit quantity number of times of the liquid crystal material that has distributed and the liquid crystal material unit quantity that will distribute.Surplus determining unit 166 is deducted the total amount of the liquid crystal material that has distributed from liquid crystal container 124 interior contained liquid crystal material original bulies, thereby determines the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials.
According to one embodiment of the invention, output unit 168 is used for exporting various types of information, and the liquid crystal material surplus in the liquid crystal container 124 is for example arranged.Output unit 168 can comprise that a display device for example is cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and an output unit, for example is printer.
Fig. 9 represents to be used for measuring according to one embodiment of the invention the process flow diagram of a kind of method of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal material surpluses.
Referring to Fig. 9, can import and be provided with unit quantity and indivedual distribution locations of the liquid crystal that will distribute by main control unit 160.Then, device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 120 can start liquid crystal material distribution program (S301) according to input information.Main control unit 160 is determined subsequently from the number of times of power supply 150 to solenoid 130 power supplies, thus the number of times (S302) of definite liquid crystal material unit quantity of being distributed.Then determine to calculate the total amount of dispensing liquid crystal material (S303) according to what make in preceding two treatment steps.
Then from the original bulk of liquid crystal container 124 inner contained liquid crystal materials, deduct the liquid crystal material total amount of having distributed, thereby determine surplus (S304) at liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials 107.Limit the quantity of less than predetermined surplus minimum gate if determine the liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inside, just produce an indication to the command signal of liquid crystal container 124 filling liquid crystal materials 107 (S305, S306).If the liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inside is limited the quantity of greater than predetermined minimum gate, and after on the predetermined quantity substrate, having distributed liquid crystal material 107, just produce the command signal (S307) of indication dispenser method material on an extra substrate.
According to principle of the present invention, can be by main control unit 160 definite liquid crystal material total amounts of having distributed.Then can be by calculating the surplus of determining liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials.Can measure a spot of liquid crystal material according to external condition, make between the liquid crystal material surplus of inner actual liquid crystal surplus of liquid crystal container 124 and determined liquid crystal container 124 inside not have difference basically.Yet main control unit 160 comprises more complicated and expensive control system, can increase the cost of making LCD like this.
Provide a kind of device according to principle of the present invention, be used for determining the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials, do not needed to use main control unit 160.
According to one embodiment of the invention, can determine the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials with vision.Can make liquid crystal container 124 with obvious material transparent for this reason, can determine the surplus of liquid crystal container 124 inner liquid crystal materials 107 at any time with vision.
Although can make liquid crystal container 124 with any transparent material, also should consider the ability of transparent material resistance to deformation.When liquid crystal container 124 deformed in assigning process, the liquid crystal material drop on the substrate will misplace, and wherein contained liquid crystal material amount may depart from its best position/quantity.Therefore, the transparent material that is used for making liquid crystal container 124 should be able to be avoided distortion basically.According to one embodiment of the invention, can for example be the quartzy liquid crystal container 124 made from the transparent material of anti-distortion and anti-external force.According to one embodiment of the invention, can on the liquid crystal container 124 that transparent material is made, arrange a scale that can be used to determine the liquid crystal surplus.
Figure 10 represents a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to Figure 10, can determine the surplus of liquid crystal container 224 inner liquid crystal materials with being fixed on a transparent tube 225 on opaque liquid crystal container 124 athwartship planes.Pipe 225 can be connected to the transverse bottom of liquid crystal container 224, and make the height substantially the same with liquid crystal container 224.According to one embodiment of the invention, pipe 225 can be arranged in any position of liquid crystal container 224.According to another embodiment of the present invention, pipe 225 can be arranged in the bottom of liquid crystal container 207, so that can determine all contained liquid crystal materials 207 of liquid crystal container 224 inside.Like this, the liquid crystal material 207 that contains liquid crystal container 224 inside in the pipe 225 equally.According to the other embodiment of the present invention, can determine the surplus of liquid crystal container 224 inner liquid crystal materials 207 by the height of contained liquid crystal measurement 207 in the measuring tube 225.If the surplus of liquid crystal container 224 inner liquid crystal materials less than or limit the quantity of (for example being to deduct the determined liquid crystal material amount of total amount of dispensing liquid crystal the original bulk of contained liquid crystal material in container) greater than predetermined minimum gate, just adjust the quantity of the substrate of wanting the dispensing liquid crystal material.Dispensing liquid crystal material effectively so just.
According to one embodiment of the invention, can for example be to have high-intensity quartz to make pipe 225 with the transparent material of anti-distortion and anti-external force, or use such as fluoride resins such as teflon and make a flexible pipe.Also can be used for transparent and with the unresponsive basically any suitable material of liquid crystal material 207 make the pipe 225.According to one embodiment of the invention, can arrange on the top of liquid crystal container 224 one can receiving tube 225 annular fixing member 227.
Figure 11 represents a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal according to yet another embodiment of the invention.
Referring to Figure 11, can determine the liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal container inside with a scale.It for example is scale 327 of loam cake 325 arranged beneath at liquid crystal container 324.According to one embodiment of the invention, loam cake 325 is fixed on upper casing 326 on the liquid crystal container 324.According to another embodiment of the present invention, loam cake 325 can be fixed on device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 on the drive unit (not shown) that can drive device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320.So just can below violating 5 lower surface, arrange loam cake at least one scale 327 and the weight of definite liquid crystal container 324.As long as can determine the weight of liquid crystal container 324, just can directly determine the weight of liquid crystal container 327 inner liquid crystal materials 307 with scale 327.For example, when liquid crystal container 324 does not contain any liquid crystal material 307, scale 327 can be adjusted to reading ' zero '.Then in liquid crystal container 324, pack into liquid crystal material 307 and liquid crystal material 307 is carried out tare weight measure.According to principle of the present invention, the liquid crystal material 307 that is loaded in the liquid crystal container 324 has predetermined density.Like this, after the tare weight of having determined liquid crystal material 307, just can determine the volume/mass of liquid crystal container 324 inner liquid crystal material surpluses.Can show determined value then.
According to principle of the present invention, device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 be fixed on the drive unit and when being driven by it on substrate the dispensing liquid crystal material.As mentioned above, with base plate alignment device and method for dispensing liquid crystal dispensing liquid crystal material accurately just.According to one embodiment of the invention, after in a surface of first base plate district, distributing liquid crystal material, drive unit can move to device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 second panel area of this substrate, and the precalculated position in second panel area is the dispensing liquid crystal material accurately.
Figure 12 A and 12B represent to measure remaining liquid crystal material with scale.
Referring to Figure 12 A, device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 is fixed on the drive unit 350.Referring to Figure 12 B, can measure the weight that the liquid crystal of liquid crystal containers 324 inside is measured surplus with being arranged in liquid crystal container 324 loam cakes 325 following scales 327.
Shown in Figure 12 A and 12B, can receive the top of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 with an annular support member 352.According to one embodiment of the invention, the diameter of support member 352 can still be substantially equal to the diameter of loam cake 325 greater than the diameter of liquid crystal container 324.Like this, if device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 is arranged in support member 352 tops and device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 is inserted support members 352, loam cake 325 following will touch support member 352 above.So just can use fixedly device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 of support member 352.
According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one scale 327 can be set below loam cake 325.Scale is between loam cake 324 and the support member 352.According to the other embodiment of the present invention, loam cake 325 only touches scale 327 and can not touch the top of support member 352, and like this, the total weight of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 will be applied on the scale 327.So just can determine the weight of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 with scale 327.
As mentioned above, scale 327 is calibrated to reading when device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 is emptied basically
' zero '.Any reading that obtains from scale 327 when therefore, leaving liquid crystal material 307 in device and method for dispensing liquid crystal 320 inside just can indicate the weight of liquid crystal container 324 inner liquid crystal materials.According to an embodiment more of the present invention, can on scale 327, connect a display device and produce the signal of representing the inner last liquid crystal material tare weight of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal.Tare weight can be transformed into volume, indicate the surplus of the inner last liquid crystal material 307 of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal thus.
Can determine the liquid crystal material surplus of liquid crystal container inside at any time according to principle of the present invention.So just can avoid abandoning too much expensive liquid crystal material, thereby reduce the manufacturing cost of LCD.
Those skilled in the art need not to break away from the principle and scope of the present invention just can make various modifications and conversion to the present invention.Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover claims and interior modification and the conversion of equivalent scope thereof that belongs to subsidiary.
Claims (5)
1, a kind of device and method for dispensing liquid crystal comprises:
The liquid crystal allocation units are used for holding the liquid crystal material that can be assigned on the substrate, and these liquid crystal allocation units comprise:
Be used for holding liquid crystal material that will distribute and a liquid crystal container that receives air feed;
Be fixed on a loam cake on the liquid crystal container;
Be arranged in a nozzle of liquid crystal container bottom, can the dispensing liquid crystal material by it, and
A valve mechanism, it makes the inner contained liquid crystal material of liquid crystal container enter nozzle by the pressure from air feed; And
The fixture that is used for fixing the liquid crystal allocation units;
Be used for the drive unit of mobile liquid crystal allocation units;
And
At least one is arranged in a scale above the fixture and between below the loam cake, to determine the weight of the inner remaining liquid crystal material of liquid crystal allocation units.
According to the device of claim 1, it is characterized in that 2, fixture comprises the ring that can receive the liquid crystal allocation units that are arranged in the fixture top.
3, according to the device of claim 2, it is characterized in that, fixture top can touch loam cake below.
4, according to the device of claim 1, it is characterized in that, also comprise a display unit, it can show the weight of the inner liquid crystal surplus of liquid crystal allocation units.
According to the device of claim 4, it is characterized in that 5, the volume of the inner liquid crystal surplus of liquid crystal allocation units is based on that the weight of the inner liquid crystal surplus of liquid crystal allocation units and density determines.
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| KR1020020014201 | 2002-03-15 | ||
| KR1020020015436 | 2002-03-21 | ||
| KR1020020015449 | 2002-03-21 | ||
| KR1020020015739A KR100832295B1 (en) | 2002-03-22 | 2002-03-22 | A liquid crystal dispensing apparatus having balance for measuring rest of liquid crystal |
| KR1020020015739 | 2002-03-22 |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNB031205380A Division CN100340910C (en) | 2002-03-15 | 2003-03-13 | Liquid crystal distributor with function of determing liquid crystal allowance, and its measuring method |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN1982994A CN1982994A (en) | 2007-06-20 |
| CN100485496C true CN100485496C (en) | 2009-05-06 |
Family
ID=32225933
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNB2006101682910A Expired - Lifetime CN100485496C (en) | 2002-03-15 | 2003-03-13 | Liquid crystal dispensing apparatus having confirming function for remaining amount of liquid crystal |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| KR (1) | KR100832295B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN100485496C (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KR101010450B1 (en) * | 2003-12-17 | 2011-01-21 | 엘지디스플레이 주식회사 | Liquid crystal dispensing system |
| KR100966423B1 (en) * | 2004-12-28 | 2010-06-28 | 엘지디스플레이 주식회사 | Apparatus for dispensing liquid crystal capable to measure remaining amount of liquid crystal |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP3159504B2 (en) * | 1992-02-20 | 2001-04-23 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Liquid crystal panel manufacturing method |
| JPH05265011A (en) * | 1992-03-19 | 1993-10-15 | Seiko Instr Inc | Production of liquid crystal display element |
| US5507323A (en) * | 1993-10-12 | 1996-04-16 | Fujitsu Limited | Method and dispenser for filling liquid crystal into LCD cell |
| JP3084975B2 (en) * | 1992-11-06 | 2000-09-04 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Liquid crystal display cell manufacturing equipment |
-
2002
- 2002-03-22 KR KR1020020015739A patent/KR100832295B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
2003
- 2003-03-13 CN CNB2006101682910A patent/CN100485496C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN1982994A (en) | 2007-06-20 |
| KR20030076081A (en) | 2003-09-26 |
| KR100832295B1 (en) | 2008-05-26 |
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