JPH0368364B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling liquid crystal cell glass.

Liquid crystal cell glass is made by assembling and gluing together upper and lower glasses, each printed with the electrode patterns of multiple liquid crystal cells, facing each other. After being assembled and bonded, the glass is cut and separated to create individual liquid crystal cells. However, the process before assembling this is that the upper and lower glasses with electrode patterns printed on them are stored in separate magazines and transported, and then the glasses are pulled out one by one from the magazine and sealing is printed on the upper glass. After printing silver dots on the lower glass, the pieces are put back into the magazine and passed through a kiln to dry.

The upper and lower glasses that have been printed and dried in this way are further printed with adhesive if necessary, and are sent with the printed side facing up to prevent dirt from adhering to the printed surface. In order to stack the glass and send it to the bonding process for bonding, it is necessary to turn either the top or bottom glass upside down and accurately align the relative positions of the two before bonding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide an apparatus that can automatically perform such inversion, positioning, and adhesion of glasses in batch processing for each magazine that stores and holds glasses.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a conveyor 2 carrying an upper glass magazine 1 containing an upper glass printed with an electrode pattern and sealing and, if necessary, an adhesive, and a lower glass similarly printed with an electrode pattern and silver dots are shown. Conveyors 4 for conveying the lower glass magazines 3 containing the glass magazines 3 are installed parallel to each other, and the conveyors 4 for conveying the lower glass magazines 3 are bent at right angles at the end, and the conveyors 4 for conveying the upper glass magazines 1 are bent at right angles at the ends.
is merging with.

The conveyor 2 is provided with a standby section 5 for the upper glass magazine 1 upstream from the confluence point, and the conveyor 4 is provided with a standby section 6 for the lower glass magazine 3 in front of the confluence point. The magazines 1 and 3 that have been sent first stop at the standby sections 5 and 6, and are held there until all the glass in the magazines in the downstream glass unloading sections 7 and 8 is processed and the magazines 1 and 3 are discharged. Wait in position.

After all the glass in the magazines has been processed, the magazines 1 and 3 are discharged by the conveyor 2 to a downstream discharge position (not shown), and the magazines 1 and 3 that were in the standby sections 5 and 6 are transferred to the glass discharge sections 7 and 8, respectively. Sent.

A magazine lifter 11 (see FIG. 2) is provided in each of the glass unloading sections 7 and 8, and the magazine 1 or 3 is
It is placed on the support arm 13 of.

The support arm 13 of the magazine lifter 11 is movable in the vertical direction and descends as the glass in the magazine 1 or 3 is taken out, so that the lowest glass in the magazine is always at a constant height. It is kept as follows.

Magazines 1 and 3 are known magazine cases in which only the glass entry/exit side 9 is open, and are provided at a predetermined pitch on the left and right opposing inner walls of the glass entry/exit side 9 to support about 20 pieces of glass. Shelves are formed to support both side edges of the glass.

As shown in FIG. 1, a glass unloading device 14 (see FIG. 2) is provided opposite the glass unloading units 7 and 8 to unload the glasses in the magazines 1 and 3 one by one. This glass unloading device 14 has a glass unloading plate 16 that slides while being guided by two guide rods 15. This glass unloading plate 16 is moved between the magazines 1 and 1 by the operation of an air cylinder 17.
The adjustment table 30 reciprocates between the glass take-out position in the adjustment table 30 and glass positioning positions located on both sides of the adjustment table 30, and is lowered at the glass positioning position by a known lowering mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, the glass carry-out plate 16 has a substantially U-shape with an open bottom in the figure, and between this U-shape is a glass carry-out plate opposite to the upper glass carry-out section 7. In the device 14, the upper glass holding plate 22 of the reversing transfer device 20 which inverts the glass from front to back and supplies it to the adjustment table 30 is opposed to the lower glass unloading section 8.
Adjustment table 3 by keeping the front and back sides of the glass as they are
A lower glass holding plate 34 of the parallel transfer device 35 that supplies the glass to the glass is arranged.

At the glass ejecting position, the glass ejecting plate 16 is inserted under the lowest glass in the magazines 1 and 3, and the support arm 13 of the magazine lifter 11 is lowered by one pitch of the magazine shelf to remove the magazine. The lowest glass in the magazines 1 and 3 is placed on the glass carry-out plate 16, and as the glass carry-out plate 16 moves backward, the glasses in the magazines 1 and 3 are taken out one by one.

The upper and lower glasses 57 and 60 taken out to the glass positioning position are transferred from the base 19 provided below the glass carrying-out plate 16 to the outer periphery of the glass carrying-out plate 16 and the reversing transfer device 20 or parallel transfer device 35. Relief hole 16 of glass holding plate 22, 34
It is positioned by a positioning pin 56 that protrudes from the upper surface of the glass delivery plate 16 through a, 22a, and 34a. The positioning pin 56 is movable in the axial direction and is attached to the upper and lower glasses 5 in FIG.
The three positioning pins on the left side and the upper side of 7 and 60 are fixed in the protruding position, but after the two positioning pins on the right side and the lower side have protruded, they are further moved toward the center of the upper and lower glasses 57 and 60. The upper and lower glasses 57, 60 move as if pressed with a predetermined force.
is pressed against the three positioning pins on the left and upper sides to be positioned.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper glass holding plate 22 of the reversing transfer device 20 is fixed to a shaft 21, and a vacuum suction groove 23 is formed on the upper surface. It communicates with a vacuum source (not shown) via an air passage 24 in the shaft 22 and an air passage 25 in the shaft 21. A pinion 26 is fixed to the shaft 21, and by moving up and down a rack 27 that meshes with the pinion 26, the shaft 21 is rotated, and the upper glass holding plate 22 is adjusted to be located downstream of the U-shaped space of the glass delivery plate 16. Rotates between the upper surface of the table 30 and the upper surface of the table 30.

Unlike the upper glass holding plate 22, the lower glass holding plate 34 of the parallel transfer device 35 does not rotate, and after being raised above the glass carrying plate 16 by the transfer means 36, it is moved parallel to the adjustment table 30. will be moved.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the adjustment table 30 has a pair of guide rails 38 provided in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the conveyor 2 (this is the Y axis). The Y-axis table 4 serves as a guideway and moves along it.
0 is the lowest stage, and above it is provided a rotary table 42 rotatably supported by a central shaft 41 fixed to a Y-axis table 40, and further above it is a rotary table 42 that is rotatably supported in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis in a horizontal plane. An X-axis table 43 is provided which is slidably supported by a slide 39 provided on the rotary table 42, and as shown in FIGS. The X-axis table 43 is rotated by a drive mechanism 45, and the Y-axis table 40 is rotated by a screw shaft 58 rotated by a DC motor 59, respectively, through well-known drive mechanisms.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, four vertical support tubes 46 are provided at the four corners of the X-axis table 43 to hold the corners of the upper glass 57a. These four vertical support tubes 46 are all slidable in the vertical direction, and each is urged downward by a spring 49, and the lower end of the vertical support tube 46 is supported by contacting the vertical swinging arm 47. There is. The vertically swinging arm 47 swings by a cam (not shown) to move the vertical support tube 46 up and down, and holds and stops the vertical support tube 46 at the raised position and the lowered position.

Each vertical support tube 46 is connected to a rotary table 42 and a Y
Relief holes 48 provided in each shaft table 40
These relief holes 48 are sufficiently larger than the vertical support tube 46, so that the adjustment table 30
Even if the rotary table 42 and the X-axis table 43 rotate or slide to adjust the position of the vertical support tube 46
There is no interference between the Y-axis table 40 or the rotary table 42.

Vacuum suction holes 50 are provided at the tips of these vertical support tubes 46, and the air holes 46a passing through the center communicate with a vacuum source (not shown), and the glass 57a placed on the adjustment table 30 is connected to a vacuum source (not shown). Hold the four corners by suction.

When the adjustment table 30 moves in the Y-axis direction, the adjustment table 30
A pressing device having a pressing plate 51 located above is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, this pressing device has a pressing plate 51 fixed to the lower ends of a pair of shafts 53 that are vertically slidably supported by a frame 52. It moves up and down along with the shaft 53 of.

The pressing plate 51 has an upper glass holding plate 2 on its lower surface.
A vacuum suction groove (not shown) similar to 2 is open and connected to a vacuum source (not shown), so that the glass 57 on the adjustment table 30 can be suctioned and held.

Further, two television cameras 54 for the upper glass and two television cameras 55 for the lower glass are installed on the frame 52 so that they can respectively view the alignment marks 61 and 62 provided at the two corners of the glass. Each television camera 54, 55 has a light source 64.

Next, the operation will be explained.

The upper glass magazine 1 disposed in the upper glass unloading section 7 is supported by a support arm 13 of a magazine lifter 11 such that the lowermost glass is positioned at a predetermined height. Here, the glass unloading device 14
The glass unloading plate 16 is inserted under the lowermost glass by the operation of the air cylinder 17, and when the support arm 13 of the magazine lifter 11 descends one pitch, the upper glass of the lowermost tier in the upper glass magazine 1 is unloaded. It is placed on the board 16. The glass carrying-out plate 16 holds the upper glass from the lower surface, retreats, and carries out the glass to the glass positioning position on the reversing transfer device 20.

Next, the glass unloading plate 16 is lowered to a height where its upper surface coincides with the upper glass holding plate 22 of the reversing transfer device 20, and the upper glass 57 is placed on the upper glass holding plate 22 of the reversing transfer device 20. place Next, the positioning pins 56 protrude around the upper glass 57, and the right and lower positioning pins move to press the upper glass 57 toward the left and upper three positioning pins with a predetermined force. The upper glass 57 is pressed against and positioned by three positioning pins on the left side and the upper side.

Next, the upper glass holding plate 2 of the reversing transfer device 20
The upper glass 57 is vacuum suctioned by the second vacuum suction groove 23, and the positioning pin 56 returns to its original position. Next, by rotating the upper glass holding plate 22 by 180 degrees by the rotation of the shaft 21, the upper glass holding plate 22 inverts the upper glass 57 and supplies it onto the adjustment table 30.

On the adjustment table 30, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the four vertical support tubes 46 are in the raised position, and the vacuum suction port 50 is positioned on the The upper glass, which protrudes upward and is supplied inverted, is placed on the vacuum suction port 50 and vacuum-adsorbed, as shown at 57a, and at the same time, the upper glass holding plate 22 turns off the vacuum and removes the upper glass. 57 and is returned to the initial position.

In this way, when holding the surface of the upper glass 57a on which the electrode pattern etc. are printed, only the four corners are supported by the vacuum suction port 50, so the surface on which the electrode pattern etc. of the glass is printed does not come into contact with other utensils. It is possible to prevent stains and the like caused by touching.

Next, the screw shaft 58 is rotated by the Y-axis drive DC motor 59 (see FIG. 6), and the entire adjustment table 30 moves along the guide rail 38 together with the Y-axis table 40 that is screwed thereto, making adjustment possible. The upper glass 57 on the table 30 is sent below the press plate 51, the press plate 51 descends to cut off the vacuum in the vacuum suction port 50, and the press plate 51 suction-holds the upper glass and rises. Meanwhile, the adjustment table 30 returns to its original position.

Next, the lower glass in the lower glass magazine 3 is carried out of the magazine by the glass carry-out plate 16 in the carry-out section 8 in the same manner as the upper glass, and the glass carry-out plate 16 is lowered and positioned by the positioning pin 56. Subsequently, the lower glass holding plate 34 rises to receive the lower glass 60 on the glass delivery plate 16 and transfer it onto the adjustment table 30. On the adjustment table 30, the four vertical support tubes 46 are in a lowered position, and the lower glass on the lower glass holding plate 34 is positioned above the vertical support tubes 46 and stops.

Subsequently, the vacuum suction port 50 is installed together with the vertical support tube 46.
rises to receive the lower glass, lower glass holding plate 3
4 returns to its original position, and the vertical support tube 46 descends to place the lower glass on the adjustment table 30.

The adjustment table 30 moves on the Y-axis and is sent below the upper glass 57 which is held by suction on the pressing plate 51.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper and lower glasses 57 and 60 are provided with positioning cross-shaped marks (alignment marks) 61 and 62 at two corners on different sides, respectively, and the alignment mark 61 is attached to the upper glass. The alignment mark 62 is viewed by the lower glass television camera 55.

Alignment mark 6 by each TV camera 54, 55
The respective positions of the upper glass and the lower glass are calculated using the video signals No. 1 and 62, and a shift in their positions is detected. Next, drive each DC motor 44, 45, 59 according to the detection signal of the mutual positional deviation,
The Y-axis table 40 is moved along the Y-axis, the X-axis table 43 is moved along the X-axis, and the rotary table 42 is rotated to finely adjust the adjustment table 30.
0 corresponds to the position of the upper glass 57.

Thereafter, the pressing plate 51 is lowered and presses the upper glass against the lower glass via a spring (not shown), and the two glasses are bonded by the adhesiveness of the printed portion or the bonding force of an arbitrary adhesive.

After the upper glass and lower glass are joined, the press plate 51 releases the upper glass and rises, and the joined glasses are
It is carried out from the adjustment table 30 by a carrying-out device (not shown), stored in a new magazine, and sent to the next process.

Thereafter, the adjustment table 30 returns to its original position, and the next set of glasses is assembled again.

As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, one of the upper and lower glasses is inverted,
The printing surface is transferred and held without damaging it, and the position of the other glass is adjusted in the X, Y direction and rotational direction accordingly, and the other glass is overlapped and bonded, so it is an inexpensive automatic that automatically performs accurate bonding. An assembly device can be configured.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a liquid crystal cell glass assembly apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a magazine lifter and glass unloading device, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a reversing transfer device, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the adjustment table, FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway sectional view of the same side, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the relative position of the adjustment table and the pressing plate. 1...Top glass magazine, 2...Conveyor, 3
...Lower glass magazine, 4...Conveyor, 5,6
...Standby section, 7, 8...Glass unloading section, 11...
Magazine lifter, 13... Support arm, 14... Glass carry-out device, 16... Upper glass carry-out plate, 20...
... Reversing transfer device, 22 ... Upper glass holding plate, 30
... Adjustment table, 34 ... Lower glass holding plate, 3
5...Parallel transfer device, 38...Guide rail, 4
0...Y-axis table, 42...Rotary table, 4
3...X-axis table, 44, 45...DC motor,
46... Vertical support tube, 51... Pressing plate, 52...
Frame, 53... Axis, 54... TV camera for upper glass, 55... TV camera for lower glass, 5
6...Positioning pin, 57...Top glass, 58...
...screw shaft, 59...DC motor, 60...lower glass, 61, 62...alignment mark.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Two magazine lifters each having a support arm that moves vertically while placing a magazine containing an upper glass and a lower glass each having an electrode pattern printed thereon; Two glass unloading devices are provided facing each other to unload the glasses in the magazine one by one, and one glass unloaded by the glass unloading devices is turned upside down and supplied to the adjustment table. a reversing transfer device; a parallel transfer device that supplies the other glass to the adjustment table without changing its orientation; and a parallel transfer device that is located in the center of the two glass unloading devices and is approximately parallel to the transfer path of the reversal transfer device and the parallel transfer device. It moves guided by orthogonal guideways and can be adjusted in two orthogonal axes in the horizontal plane and in the rotational direction.
an adjustment table that adjusts its position in accordance with the positional deviation of the alignment marks of the upper and lower glasses detected by alignment mark detection means; a pressing plate that sucks and holds one glass upward and descends to press and bond the glass on the adjustment table; and alignment mark detection means that is located at a corner of the pressing plate and observes the alignment mark of the upper and lower glasses. A liquid crystal cell glass assembly device comprising: