JP2001005012A - Vacuum impregnation method and device, liquid crystal / sealing material injection method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum impregnation method / apparatus with a simple structure capable of quickly and accurately changing a pressure of a vacuum impregnation chamber to a desired pressure. SOLUTION: In the configuration of the vacuum impregnation device, disk-shaped partitions 2a, 2a are provided in a horizontal cylindrical chamber main body 1 so as to be slidable in an airtight manner with respect to an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical wall 1c. A chamber 3 for vacuum impregnation, in which the partition wall is a part of the inner wall, is formed. A work input port and a work take-out port are formed in this chamber 3 so as to be openable and closable, and the inside of the chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum exhaust system 5, a vacuum breaking means, a pressurizing gas supply source 6 and an impregnating material supply source 8.
In the vacuum impregnation operation, when the work 9 in the chamber 3 is impregnated with a predetermined amount of the impregnating material 8b, the partition walls are simultaneously moved so as to be separated from each other. As a result, the internal volume of the chamber 3 increases, and the internal pressure decreases, so that the impregnation of the work 9 is stopped quickly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for adjusting and controlling an internal pressure of a chamber, and more particularly, to an adjustment (change) of an internal pressure of a chamber performed in a vacuum impregnation operation or a liquid crystal / sealing material injection operation. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing the method by changing the internal volume of the chamber. Further, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for maintaining the chamber internal volume at a constant value in order to control the internal pressure of the chamber to a constant value when performing a vacuum impregnation operation or a liquid crystal / sealing material injection operation. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vacuum impregnation operation and a liquid crystal injection operation into an empty cell are performed in a chamber under reduced pressure. Here, a conventional vacuum impregnation apparatus and vacuum impregnation method will be briefly described. In the vacuum impregnating apparatus, a chamber for accommodating a work and performing a vacuum impregnation operation is connected to a vacuum exhaust system, a vacuum breaking system, an inert gas supply system, and an impregnation material supply system.

When performing vacuum impregnation, a work is stored in a chamber under atmospheric pressure, and the inside of the chamber is evacuated by a vacuum exhaust system in parallel with the supply of the inert gas from the inert gas supply system. In an inert gas atmosphere, a reduced pressure state of a predetermined degree of vacuum is maintained. After the impregnating material is supplied into the chamber from the impregnating material supply system, an inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply system, and a predetermined amount of the impregnating material is impregnated into the work by the pressure. Thereafter, the inside of the chamber is returned to the atmospheric pressure by a vacuum breaking system, and the work is collected. The vacuum in the chamber may be broken by introducing an inert gas from an inert gas supply system.

Further, the liquid crystal injecting apparatus is configured such that an empty cell (empty liquid crystal cell) is housed therein and a chamber for injecting liquid crystal is connected to a vacuum exhaust system, a vacuum breaking system and an inert gas supply system. Have been. When the liquid crystal is injected, the empty cell is held in the chamber under the atmospheric pressure, and the liquid crystal boat is stored. Evacuation is performed by a vacuum exhaust system in parallel with the supply of the inert gas from the inert gas supply system, and the inside of the chamber and the inside of the empty cell are maintained at a reduced pressure of a predetermined degree of vacuum under an inert gas atmosphere. The liquid crystal injection port of the empty cell is immersed in the liquid crystal by moving the liquid crystal boat, and the liquid crystal injection is started by returning the inside of the chamber to the atmospheric pressure by the vacuum breaking system. The liquid crystal injection is stopped by returning the inside of the chamber to a reduced pressure state of a predetermined degree of vacuum by a vacuum exhaust system. The inside of the chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure by a vacuum breaking system, and the liquid crystal cell is taken out. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of a sealing material made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin is injected from the liquid crystal injection port, and the liquid crystal injection port is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to be cured, thereby sealing the liquid crystal injection port. In addition,
The vacuum in the chamber may be broken by introducing an inert gas from an inert gas supply system.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, when the internal pressure of the chamber is adjusted (changed), when the internal pressure is increased, air is introduced into the chamber from a vacuum breaking system or an inert gas is introduced from an inert gas supply system. And
When the internal pressure was reduced (decreased), the inside of the chamber was evacuated by a vacuum evacuation system. That is, the flow rate of the atmosphere or the inert gas is adjusted when the internal pressure rises, and the evacuation speed is adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the vacuum valve during the pressure reduction operation. In these operations, an automatic setting method for feeding back a signal from a sensor for detecting the degree of vacuum in the chamber or a manual adjustment method has been adopted.

[0006]

For this reason, the conventional method and apparatus for adjusting the internal pressure of the chamber have poor responsiveness.
There is a problem that delay (time delay) is likely to occur when a desired degree of vacuum or atmospheric pressure is set, and it is difficult to adjust the internal pressure quickly and accurately.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to reduce the pressure of a chamber for performing a vacuum impregnation operation or an operation of injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material in a simple, reliable, quick, and high pressure. Provided are a vacuum impregnation method and apparatus which can be adjusted with precision (changed to a desired pressure) or controlled (maintained at a desired pressure), and a method and apparatus for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material with a simple configuration. It is in.

[0008]

According to the vacuum impregnation method of the present invention, when a predetermined amount of material is impregnated into a work in a vacuum impregnation chamber, the internal volume of the chamber is increased to increase the internal pressure. , The impregnation of the work is stopped, and the amount of impregnation is adjusted to a predetermined value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an empty cell for forming a liquid crystal display cell is housed in a chamber for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material, and the chamber and the empty cell are depressurized. And put the liquid crystal injection port of the empty cell into contact with the liquid crystal stored in the liquid crystal storage in the chamber,
After raising the internal pressure of the chamber to perform liquid crystal injection, returning the inside of the chamber to a reduced pressure state and stopping the liquid crystal injection, the liquid crystal injection port is brought into contact with the sealing material accommodated in the sealing material storage part in the chamber, This is a liquid crystal / sealing material injection method in which the sealing material is injected by increasing the pressure in the chamber, and the inside of the chamber is returned to a reduced pressure state to stop the injection of the sealing material. It is characterized in that it is performed by reducing the pressure, and the pressure lowering operation for returning the inside of the chamber to a reduced pressure state is performed by increasing the volume in the chamber.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vacuum impregnating apparatus, a partition is provided in the chamber main body so as to be slidable with respect to an inner wall of the chamber main body, thereby defining a vacuum impregnation chamber in which the partition is a part of the inner wall. A work inlet and a work outlet are formed in the chamber so as to be openable and closable, and the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust means, a vacuum breaking means, a supply source of a pressurized inert gas and a supply source of an impregnating material. It is characterized by having.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material, wherein a partition is provided in a chamber main body so as to be slidable with respect to an inner wall of the chamber main body, so that the partition is a part of the inner wall. -A chamber for sealing material injection is defined and a work inlet and a work outlet are formed in the chamber so as to be openable and closable, and the inside of the chamber is evacuated, evacuated and supplied with a pressurized inert gas. The source was contacted.

In a vacuum impregnating apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a bellows is connected to a vacuum impregnation chamber in which a work inlet and a work outlet are formed so as to be openable and closable, and the space in the chamber and the space in the bellows are mutually connected. In addition to the communication, the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust unit, a vacuum breaking unit, a supply source of a pressurized inert gas, and a supply source of an impregnating material.

In the liquid crystal / sealing material injection apparatus according to the present invention, a bellows is connected to a liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber in which a work inlet and a work outlet are formed so as to be openable and closable. And the space in the bellows are communicated with each other, and the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust means, a vacuum breaking means, and a supply source of a pressurized inert gas.

In the vacuum impregnation method according to the first aspect and the vacuum impregnation apparatus according to the third and fifth aspects, the impregnation amount of the impregnation material can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure in the chamber. In this case, the adjustment of the internal pressure by increasing or decreasing the volume in the chamber can be performed more quickly and more reliably than in the above-described conventional technology, so that the response during pressure adjustment is high, the time tact is reduced, and the quality of the impregnated product is improved. Improvement can be achieved.

In the liquid crystal / sealing material injection method according to the second aspect and the liquid crystal / sealing material injection apparatus according to the fourth and sixth aspects, the pressure in the liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber is increased. The injection of liquid crystal is started, and the injection of liquid crystal is stopped by the pressure drop. The injection of the sealing material is started and stopped in the same manner. In these cases, the adjustment of the internal pressure by increasing or decreasing the volume in the chamber can be performed more quickly and more reliably than in the above-described conventional technology, so that the response during pressure adjustment is high, the time tact is shortened, and the liquid crystal cell is not required. Quality improvement can be achieved.

In a method or an apparatus for sealing a liquid crystal display device comprising a transparent glass or a polymer film on which a transparent conductive film is formed, the liquid crystal being vacuum-injected and then sealed. The sealing material injection method or the liquid crystal / sealing material injection device according to claims 4 and 6 can be particularly preferably employed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the vacuum impregnating apparatus according to the third or fifth aspect, a handling manipulator for a workpiece is movably provided in the vacuum impregnation chamber, and the work manipulator of the handling manipulator is provided. A pressure control means for maintaining a constant pressure in the chamber by offsetting an increase / decrease in the volume in the chamber due to the movement is provided.

In the vacuum impregnating apparatus according to the present invention, the pressure inside the chamber is kept constant by canceling the increase / decrease of the volume inside the chamber caused by the movement of the handling manipulator, so that the response of the pressure control is improved. Get higher. Therefore, by performing the impregnation operation while performing the offset operation, the impregnation amount can be adjusted with higher accuracy.

The liquid crystal / sealing material injection device according to claim 8 is the liquid crystal / sealing material injection device according to claim 4 or 6, wherein the liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber is filled with liquid crystal. A boat, a sealing material boat, and a handling manipulator for moving these boats in the chamber are provided, and the pressure in the chamber is reduced by offsetting an increase / decrease in the volume in the chamber caused by the movement of the handling manipulator. Pressure control means for maintaining the pressure constant.

In the liquid crystal / sealing material injection apparatus according to the present invention, the chamber internal pressure is maintained constant by canceling the increase / decrease of the chamber internal volume caused by the movement of the handling manipulator. Responsiveness increases. Therefore, by performing the operation of injecting the liquid crystal and the sealing material while performing the above-described offsetting operation, the injection amount of these can be adjusted with higher accuracy.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a schematic structure of a vacuum impregnation apparatus and a preceding step of a vacuum impregnation operation using the apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a latter step of a vacuum impregnation operation using the apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing.

First, the structure of the vacuum impregnation apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. A pair of disk-shaped partitions 2a, 2b are provided in a chamber body 1 which is a horizontal cylindrical container closed on both left and right ends by side plates 1a, 1b so as to be able to slide in an airtight manner on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 1c. , Partition walls 2a, 2b and cylindrical wall 1
and the chamber 3 for vacuum impregnation
Compartments are formed inside. For this purpose, the partition walls 2a and 2b can be moved back and forth by an air cylinder (not shown). In this case, the partition walls 2a and 2b are allowed to approach and separate from each other as shown by the thick double-headed arrow in FIG. The inside of the chamber 3 is connected to a vacuum evacuation system 5 via a pipe provided with a valve
b is connected to the gas supply source 6 for pressurization via the pipe provided with b. The pressurized gas supply source 6 is configured to be capable of supplying a pressurized inert gas (pressure of about 1 kgf / cm ² ) to the chamber 3. Also, chamber 3
The inside is connected to an atmosphere open pipe (not shown) equipped with a vacuum break valve. Further, the lower part inside the chamber 3 is connected to a normal pressure tank 8 a constituting an impregnating material supply source 8 via a pipe provided with a valve 7. This tank 8a contains liquid impregnating material 8
Fill with b.

When using this vacuum impregnation apparatus, FIG.
The work 9 is placed in the chamber 3 and the background pressure in the chamber 3 is reduced to a predetermined value by the evacuation system 5 as shown in FIG. The impregnating material 8b is supplied into the chamber 3 through the valve 7, and the work 9 is immersed in the impregnating material 8b. Then, a pressurized inert gas is introduced into the chamber 3 through the valve 4b, and the impregnating material 8b is impregnated into the work 9 by the pressure of the pressurized gas.

When it is confirmed that the impregnation amount has reached a predetermined value by a sensor or the like for detecting the liquid level in the chamber 3,
As shown in FIG. 2, the partition walls 2a and 2b are quickly separated from each other. As a result, the volume inside the chamber 3 increases, and the internal pressure decreases, so that the impregnation step can be stopped quickly. Therefore, the impregnation amount can be adjusted to a predetermined value with high accuracy. In FIG. 1, the pair of partitions 2a and 2b are simultaneously moved to approach and separate from each other, so that the approach and separation operations can be performed very quickly. 3 may be formed.

Second Embodiment FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a schematic structure of a liquid crystal / sealing material injecting apparatus and a liquid crystal injecting process by the same. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing a sealing material injecting step performed after the liquid crystal injecting step in the apparatus of FIG. 3.

First, the structure of the liquid crystal / sealing material injection device will be described with reference to FIG. The chamber body 11 has the same structure as the chamber body 1, and the liquid crystal / sealant injection chamber 13 (injection chamber) has the same structure as the chamber 3. However, the cylindrical wall 11c is formed of quartz glass, and an ultraviolet lamp (not shown) is provided near the cylindrical wall 11c. By doing so, it is possible to irradiate the work in the liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber 13 (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as injection chamber) with ultraviolet light, and to monitor the interior of the injection chamber 13 with the naked eye. . In FIG. 3, 11a, 1
1b is a side plate, and 12a and 12b are slidable partitions.

The interior of the injection chamber 13 is connected to (1) a vacuum exhaust system 15 through a pipe provided with a valve 14a, and (2) a valve 14a.
b. a gas supply source for pressurization 16 through a pipe provided with b.
(3) Open air piping with vacuum break valve (not shown)
And let them contact each other. The pressurizing gas supply source 16
It is configured such that a pressurized inert gas can be supplied to the injection chamber 13. In the injection chamber 13, a liquid crystal cell 21 (empty cell 2) is provided.
1a, a first handling manipulator (not shown) for holding and vertically moving the liquid crystal cell 21b) after the liquid crystal is injected;
A second handling manipulator (not shown) for moving the liquid crystal boat 22 (FIG. 3) and the sealing material boat 23 (FIG. 4) in the horizontal direction is provided.

The operation of injecting the liquid crystal and the sealing material by this liquid crystal and sealing material injecting apparatus and sealing the injection port are performed as follows. A liquid crystal boat 22 containing liquid crystal and a sealing material boat 23 containing ultraviolet curing resin as a sealing material are filled in the injection chamber 13.
And these are held horizontally by the second handling manipulator. Next, the empty cell 21a is put into the injection chamber 13, and the empty cell 21a is held in the vertical direction by the first handling manipulator as shown in FIG. The inside of the injection chamber 13 and the inside of the empty cell 21a are evacuated by the vacuum evacuation system 15, and these pressures are reduced to predetermined values. The liquid crystal boat 22 is moved in the horizontal direction by the second handling manipulator to be positioned immediately below the empty cell 21a, then the empty cell 21a is lowered, and the liquid crystal injection port (not shown) is immersed in the liquid crystal.

Normally, the vacuum break valve is opened to return the pressure in the injection chamber 13 to the atmospheric pressure, and the liquid crystal injection is started. On the other hand, in the present invention, the partition walls 12a and 12b are
Approach each other as indicated by the thick arrow (moves in the direction of pressure)
Thus, the pressure in the injection chamber 13 is quickly increased, and the liquid crystal injection is started. When a predetermined amount of liquid crystal has been injected, the partition walls 12a and 12b are moved in the decompression direction as shown by the thick arrows in FIG.
The injection is quickly stopped by balancing the internal pressure of the liquid crystal injection chamber 13 with the internal pressure of the liquid crystal injection chamber 13.

Next, the sealing material boat 23 is moved in place of the liquid crystal boat 22, and the liquid crystal injection port of the liquid crystal cell 21b is immersed in the sealing material in the sealing material tank. By moving the partition walls 12a and 12b in the pressure direction to increase the pressure in the injection chamber 13, a predetermined amount of the sealing material is injected through the liquid crystal injection port. The operation of stopping the injection of the sealing material is quickly performed in the same manner as the operation of stopping the injection of the liquid crystal. Thereafter, the sealing material is cured by irradiating the liquid crystal injection port with ultraviolet rays through the cylindrical wall 11c. Finally, the internal pressure of the injection chamber 13 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, and the liquid crystal cell 21b is taken out.

Since the injection amount of the sealing material is very small as compared with that of the liquid crystal, it is required to change the internal pressure of the injection chamber 13 very quickly. Since it is possible to make changes, it is possible to accurately meet the above requirements. In the liquid crystal / sealant injecting apparatus shown in FIG. 3, a pressurizing gas supply source 16 is provided so that the injecting chamber 13 can be supplied with a pressurized inert gas. Liquid crystal injection and sealing material injection can also be performed under pressure.

Third Embodiment FIG. 5 shows that the internal pressure of the chamber 3 is raised or lowered to a predetermined value by changing the substantial internal volume of the chamber 3 (or the injection chamber 13 of FIG. 3) shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing a schematic structure and operation of the pressure adjusting means 30 for causing the pressure to be adjusted. In this pressure adjusting means 30,
A reciprocating linear motion mechanism 31 such as an air cylinder;
A cylinder consisting of a piston 34 sliding in the cylindrical cylinder 32 is connected to the chamber 3, and a cylindrical chamber 32 a formed by the cylinder 32 and the piston 34 communicates with the chamber 3. The piston 34 is provided at the tip of the piston rod 33.

In this pressure adjusting means 30, the total internal volume of the chamber 3 and the cylindrical chamber 32a is reduced (increased) by advancing (retreating) the piston 34 in the direction of the thick arrow. Can be raised (falled). Therefore, according to the pressure adjusting means 30, it is possible to quickly and accurately perform the above-described vacuum impregnation stop operation, liquid crystal injection / sealing material injection start / stop operation or interruption / resumption. This is because the vacuum impregnation operation and the liquid crystal injection / sealing material injection operation are performed under a reduced pressure close to the atmospheric pressure. This is because pressure adjustment by increasing or decreasing the internal volume of the chamber 3 can be performed more quickly and with higher accuracy than when returning from a reduced pressure state to an atmospheric pressure state (pressure increase) by gas introduction.

Fourth Embodiment FIG. 6 shows another pressure adjusting means 4 for increasing or decreasing the internal pressure of the chamber 3 (or the injection chamber 13) to a predetermined value.
FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing a schematic structure and an operation of the apparatus according to FIG. In the pressure adjusting means 40, a reciprocating linear motion mechanism 41 such as an air cylinder and a bellows 45 which expands and contracts by the mechanism 41 are connected to the chamber 3, and the space in the bellows 45 communicates with the chamber 3. In this case, a disk 44 is provided at the tip of the drive rod 43 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 41, and one end of the bellows 45 is fixed to the disk 44.

In the pressure adjusting means 40, the disk 4
The internal pressure of the chamber 3 can be increased (decreased) by advancing (retreating) 4 in a thick arrow direction. In the case where the pressure inside the chamber 3 is reduced to a pressure close to the atmospheric pressure and an operation such as liquid crystal injection is performed, if the pressure reduction operation is performed by the vacuum pump, the pressure reduction speed is affected by the pumping speed of the vacuum pump, and the controllability of the pumping is controlled. Not too high. On the other hand, according to the pressure adjusting means 40, the above-mentioned vacuum impregnation operation, the liquid crystal
In the operation of injecting the sealing material, the same effect as that of the pressure adjusting means in FIG. 5 can be obtained. In the pressure adjusting means of FIG. 5, when the piston 34 moves back and forth, gas leakage may occur, but in the pressure adjusting means of FIG.
Since the inside of the chamber 3 is maintained in a completely airtight state at the time of expansion and contraction of the pressure 5, pressure adjustment can be performed with good reproducibility and with higher accuracy.

In the third and fourth embodiments, the reciprocating linear motion mechanisms 31, 41 may be provided by a stepping motor (not shown). In this way, by controlling the number of pulses of the stepping motor (pulse motor), the internal volume of the chamber 3, that is, its pressure can be adjusted with very high accuracy.
In a preliminary experiment, by performing the vacuum impregnation operation or the liquid crystal / sealing material injection operation using a stepping motor, the desired number of pulses of the stepping motor in each step of these operations was obtained, and each step of the formal operation was performed. By setting the appropriate number of pulses in advance,
The adjustment of the internal pressure of the chamber 3 in each step can be performed automatically, quickly and with high accuracy.

In the third embodiment, the piston 31
In the fourth embodiment, a scale (not shown) is provided at an appropriate position so that the front and rear movement position of the disk 44 can be directly read, and the relationship between the scale and the chamber internal pressure is clarified. Preferably. By doing so, the process setting can be easily quantified in both the automatic type and the manual type, and particularly advantageous results can be obtained when the stepping motor is provided as described above.

Fifth Embodiment This embodiment relates to a pressure control means for maintaining the internal pressure of the chamber 3 (or the injection chamber 13) at a predetermined value, unlike the pressure adjustment means 30 and 40. FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing the schematic structure and operation. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the handling manipulator is movably inserted into the chamber 3. However, when the manipulator is moved, the volume occupied in the chamber 3 changes, so that when the manipulator is operated, A change occurs in the internal pressure of the chamber 3. When the number of the manipulators is large and the chamber 3 is small, the pressure change cannot be ignored.

Therefore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is configured to prevent the internal pressure of the chamber 3 (or the injection chamber 13) from fluctuating due to the movement of the handling manipulator in the chamber 3. That is, the chamber 3 generated when the handling manipulator 51 is moved.
As means for maintaining the pressure inside the chamber 3 at a constant value by canceling the amount of change in the internal volume, a pressure control means 70 having the same structure as the pressure adjusting means 40 shown in FIG. 6 is provided. In this case, the space in the bellows 74 is communicated with the inside of the chamber 3. The structure of the driving mechanism 60 of the handling manipulator 51 is the same as that of the pressure control unit 70. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 51a denotes a driving rod of the manipulator 51. 61, 71 are reciprocating linear motion mechanisms;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a drive rod provided in these movement mechanisms. In the drive mechanism 60, the drive rod 51 is operated when the manipulator 51 is operated.
Although the substantial internal volume of the chamber 3 changes due to the rise and fall of “a” and the expansion and contraction of the bellows 64, the expansion and contraction of the bellows 74 offsets the change in the substantial internal volume. Thus, the internal pressure of the chamber 3 can be maintained at a constant value.

When the amount of change in the internal volume of the chamber 3 due to the movement of the manipulator 51 is large, it is preferable to increase the diameter of the bellows 74 correspondingly, so that the offset operation can be performed more quickly. Further, instead of the pressure control means 70, a pressure control means having the same structure as the pressure adjustment means 30 shown in FIG. 5 may be provided. In this case, when the fluctuation amount of the volume inside the chamber 3 is large, the cylinder 3
It is preferable to increase the caliber of No. 2 correspondingly.

[0041]

As apparent from the above description, the following effects can be obtained according to the present invention. (1) Effect of the Invention of Claim 1 Since the internal pressure of the vacuum impregnation chamber is reduced by increasing the internal volume of the chamber and the impregnation process is stopped, unlike the normal pressure adjustment method, the atmosphere in the chamber remains. The impregnation amount can be easily and accurately adjusted without changing the partial pressure of the gas, and the quality of the impregnated product is stabilized. (2) Effect of the Second Invention The liquid crystal is injected by increasing the internal pressure of the chamber for liquid crystal injection / sealing material injection to start liquid crystal injection by decreasing the internal volume of the chamber for liquid crystal injection / sealing material injection, and decreasing the internal pressure of the chamber by increasing the internal volume of the chamber. After finishing the injection, the sealing material injection was started by increasing the chamber internal pressure by the same operation as above, and the sealing material injection was ended by lowering the chamber internal pressure by the same operation as above. The injection amount of the liquid crystal and the sealing material can be easily and accurately adjusted. Further, since the injection amount of the sealing material is considerably smaller than that of the liquid crystal, the present invention is particularly advantageous in adjusting the injection amount of the sealing material. (3) Effect of the Invention of Claim 3 According to this vacuum impregnation apparatus, the impregnation method described in claim 1 can be carried out simply and accurately, and the structure is simple, so that it can be provided at low cost. (4) Effect of the Invention of Claim 4 According to the liquid crystal / sealing material injection device, the injection method described in claim 2 can be simply and accurately implemented, and the structure is simple, so that the device can be provided at low cost. Can be. (5) Effect of the invention of claim 5 The bellows is connected to the vacuum impregnation chamber, the space in the chamber and the space in the bellows are communicated, and the internal pressure of the chamber is adjusted by expansion and contraction of the bellows.
In addition to the effect of the third aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the structure of the chamber internal pressure adjusting means becomes simpler. Furthermore, very high reliability is obtained since there is no leakage of gas or liquid in the chamber. (6) Effect of the invention of claim 6 The bellows are connected to the chamber for injecting liquid crystal and sealing material, and the space in these chambers and the space in the bellows are communicated. Thus, there is an effect that the structure of the chamber internal pressure adjusting means becomes simpler.
Furthermore, very high reliability is obtained since there is no leakage of gas or liquid in the chamber. (7) Effect of the invention of claim 7 Since the internal volume change of the vacuum impregnation chamber caused by the movement of the handling manipulator is offset by the pressure control means, the chamber internal pressure is maintained at a constant value, so that the impregnation amount is maintained. Can be adjusted with particularly high precision. In addition, since the above pressure control means requires only a simple structure,
The vacuum impregnation device according to the present invention can be provided at low cost. (8) Effect of the Invention of Claim 8 A change in the internal volume of the liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber due to the movement of the handling manipulator is canceled by the pressure control means, so that the chamber internal pressure is maintained at a constant value. Therefore, the injection amount of the liquid crystal and the sealing material can be adjusted with very high precision. Further, since the pressure control means has a simple structure, the liquid crystal / sealing material injection device according to the present invention can be provided at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view according to a first embodiment, illustrating a schematic structure of a vacuum impregnation apparatus and a preceding step of a vacuum impregnation operation using the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view for explaining a latter step of a vacuum impregnation operation by the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a liquid crystal / sealing material injection device and a liquid crystal injection process using the device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing a sealing material injecting step performed after the liquid crystal injecting step in the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view illustrating a schematic structure and operation of a pressure adjusting unit according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view illustrating a schematic structure and operation of a pressure adjusting unit according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view illustrating a schematic structure and operation of a pressure control unit according to a fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chamber main body 1a, 1b Side plate 1c Cylindrical wall 2a, 2b Partition wall 3 Vacuum impregnation chamber 4a, 4b Valve 5 Vacuum exhaust system 6 Pressurizing gas supply source 7 Valve 8 Impregnating material supply source 8a Normal pressure tank 8b Impregnating material 9 Work 11 Chamber main body 11a, 11b Side plate 11c Cylindrical wall 12a, 12b Partition wall 13 Liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber (chamber) 14a, 14b Valve 15 Vacuum exhaust system 16 Pressurizing gas supply source 21 Liquid crystal cell 21a Liquid crystal cell (empty cell) 21b Liquid crystal Cell (after liquid crystal injection) 22 Liquid crystal boat 23 Sealant boat 30 Pressure adjusting means 31 Reciprocating linear motion mechanism 32 Cylinder 32a Cylindrical chamber 33 Piston rod 34 Piston 40 Pressure adjusting means 41 Reciprocating linear motion mechanism 43 Drive rod 44 Disk 45 Bellows 51 Handling manipulator 51a Driving Rod 60 drive mechanism 61, 71 reciprocating linear motion mechanism 63, 73 the drive rod 64, 74 a bellows 70 pressure control means

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. When the work in a vacuum impregnation chamber is impregnated with a predetermined amount of material, the impregnation of the work is stopped by increasing the internal volume of the chamber and lowering the internal pressure. A vacuum impregnation method. 2. An empty cell for constituting a liquid crystal display cell is housed in a chamber for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material, the chamber and the empty cell are evacuated, and the liquid crystal injection port of the empty cell is placed in the chamber. After contacting the liquid crystal stored in the liquid crystal storage section, raising the internal pressure of the chamber to inject the liquid crystal, returning the chamber to a reduced pressure state and stopping the liquid crystal injection, the liquid crystal injection port is stored in the sealing material in the chamber. This is a method of injecting a liquid crystal / sealing material in which the sealing material is brought into contact with the sealing material, the pressure inside the chamber is increased, the sealing material is injected, and the inside of the chamber is returned to a reduced pressure state to stop the injection of the sealing material. Then, the operation of increasing the pressure in the chamber is performed by reducing the volume in the chamber, and the operation of lowering the pressure to return the chamber to a reduced pressure state is performed by increasing the volume in the chamber. A liquid crystal / encapsulating material injection method characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. A chamber for vacuum impregnation in which the partition wall is part of the inner wall is formed by slidably providing a partition wall in the chamber main body with respect to the inner wall of the chamber main body. And a work take-out port is formed to be freely openable and closable, and the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust means, a vacuum breaking means, a supply source of a pressurized inert gas and a supply source of an impregnation material. . 4. A chamber for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material, wherein the partition is a part of the inner wall, is formed by providing a partition in the chamber main body so as to be slidable with respect to an inner wall of the chamber main body. A liquid crystal / encapsulation wherein a work inlet and a work outlet are formed in the chamber so as to be openable and closable, and the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust means, a vacuum breaking means and a supply source of a pressurized inert gas. Material injection equipment. 5. A bellows is connected to a vacuum impregnation chamber in which a work input port and a work takeout port are formed to be openable and closable, and the space in the chamber and the space in the bellows communicate with each other. A vacuum impregnating apparatus, which is connected to an exhaust unit, a vacuum breaking unit, a supply source of a pressurized inert gas, and a supply source of an impregnating material. 6. A bellows is connected to a chamber for injecting a liquid crystal and a sealing material in which a work introduction port and a work takeout port are formed so as to be openable and closable so that the space in the chamber and the space in the bellows communicate with each other. A liquid crystal / sealing material injection device, wherein the inside of the chamber is connected to a vacuum exhaust means, a vacuum breaking means, and a supply source of a pressurized inert gas. 7. A handling manipulator for a workpiece is movably provided in the vacuum impregnation chamber, and the pressure in the chamber is kept constant by offsetting an increase / decrease in the volume of the chamber caused by the movement of the handling manipulator. 6. A vacuum impregnating apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pressure control means for maintaining the pressure in the vacuum impregnating apparatus. 8. A liquid crystal boat, a sealing material boat, and a handling manipulator for moving these boats in the chamber are provided in the liquid crystal / sealing material injection chamber, and the handling manipulator is moved. 5. A pressure control means for maintaining a constant pressure in the chamber by canceling the increase / decrease of the volume in the chamber caused by the pressure.
Or a liquid crystal / sealing material injection device according to 6.