Print quality inspection device and print quality inspection method

Abstract

A printed quality inspection device and a printed quality inspection method are provided. The printed quality inspection device can include a jig assembly including a lower jig including a mounting portion having a shape recessed inwardly, and a printed object configured to the mounting portion of the lower jig and containing the same material as the lower jig, an ink plate printing ink to the printed object, and an etching plate transferring the ink to the ink plate. The printed quality inspection can be performed using the printed object having the same shape as the cover window instead of the cover window. In this case, the material of the printed object is cheaper and easier to manufacture than the cover window, so the cost and time of the printed quality inspection can be reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed quality inspection device and a printed quality inspection method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Mobile devices such as portable telephones include a display panel that displays an image. The display panel includes a cover window for protecting the display panel. The display panel can include a liquid crystal display panel or an organic light emitting display panel. A user can observe an image displayed on the display panel through the cover window.

[0003] In order to hide an adhesive mark present on the outer contour of the cover window, a light-shielding area can be formed on the outer contour of the cover window. In order to form the light-shielding area, ink can be printed or painted on the outer contour of the cover window. When the printing or painting process is performed on the cover window, a jig for arranging the same is required. In addition, in order to improve the printing quality, a printed quality inspection is required in advance. SUMMARY

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a printed quality inspection device for achieving excellent printing quality.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a printed quality inspection method for achieving excellent printing quality.

[0006] However, the objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described objects, and various extensions can be made within the scope of the idea and the field of the present invention.

[0007] To achieve an object of the present invention, a printed quality inspection device according to an embodiment can include a jig assembly including a lower jig including a mounting portion having a shape recessed inwardly, and a printing object arranged on the mounting portion of the lower jig and containing the same material as the lower jig; an ink plate printing ink on the printing object; and an etching plate transferring the ink on the ink plate.

[0008] In an embodiment, the lower jig and the printing object can be in contact with each other.

[0009] In an embodiment, the mounting portion can include a first support portion which is flat, and a second support portion which is located at the outer contour of the first support portion and has an arc shape.

[0010] In an embodiment, the printing object can include a flat surface portion which is flat, and a curved surface portion which is located at the outer contour of the flat surface portion and has an arc shape.

[0011] In an embodiment, the flat surface portion can overlap the first support portion, and the curved surface portion can overlap the second support portion.

[0012] In an embodiment, the thickness of the flat portion and the thickness of the curved portion can be constant in the print object.

[0013] In an embodiment, the print object can include a first surface in contact with the lower jig and a second surface on which the ink is printed.

[0014] In an embodiment, the print object and the lower jig can include acetal.

[0015] In an embodiment, the etching plate can include a groove, and the ink can be supplied to the groove.

[0016] In an embodiment, the print quality inspection device can further include an ink cup that stores the ink.

[0017] To achieve other objects of the present application, an embodiment of a print quality inspection method can include a step of providing a jig assembly including a lower jig including a mounting portion having a shape recessed inwardly and a print object formed on the mounting portion of the lower jig and containing the same material as the lower jig, a step of transferring ink to an ink plate using an etching plate, and a step of printing the ink on the print object using the ink plate.

[0018] In an embodiment, the lower jig and the print object can be in contact.

[0019] In an embodiment, the mounting portion can include a flat first support portion and a second support portion located at an outer contour of the first support portion and having an arc shape.

[0020] In an embodiment, the print object can include a flat flat portion and a curved portion located at an outer contour of the flat portion and having an arc shape.

[0021] In an embodiment, the flat portion can overlap the first support portion, and the curved portion can overlap the second support portion.

[0022] In an embodiment, the print quality inspection method can further include, after the step of printing the ink on the print object using the ink plate, a step of providing the lower jig including the mounting portion, a step of locating a cover window on the mounting portion of the lower jig, a step of transferring the ink to the ink plate using the etching plate, and a step of printing the ink on the cover window using the ink plate.

[0023] In one embodiment, the step of printing the ink can include a step of positioning the ink plate above the printing object, a step of lowering the ink plate to print the ink on the printing object, and a step of raising the ink plate to position it on the etching plate.

[0024] (Effects of Invention)

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a printing object containing the same material as the lower clamp can be positioned at the lower clamp instead of the cover window when performing a print quality inspection. The print quality inspection can be performed using a printing object having the same shape as the cover window instead of the cover window.

[0026] In this case, the material of the printing object is inexpensive and easy to manufacture compared to the cover window, so the cost and time of the print quality inspection can be reduced. In addition, more inspections can be performed compared to when the print quality inspection is performed using the cover window. Thus, the print quality can be improved.

[0027] When the print quality inspection is performed using the print quality inspection method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cost and time of the print quality inspection can be reduced. In addition, the manufacturing cost and time of the display device can be reduced.

[0028] However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and various extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a print quality inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 is a plan view showing a clamp assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along Figure 2 I-I' of FIG. 1.

[0032] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a clamp assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing a print quality inspection method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figures 6 to 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a print quality inspection method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] SYMBOL EXPLANATION

[0036] 10: print quality inspection device; 100, 101: jig assembly; 200: lower jig; 210: mounting portion; 211: first support portion; 212: second support portion; 300: print object; 310: flat surface portion; 320: curved surface portion; 400: ink plate; 410: ink; 420: lower surface of ink plate; 500: etching plate; 510: groove; 600: ink cup; 700: cover window. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present application will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0038] Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating a print quality inspection device to which an embodiment of the present application relates. Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating a jig assembly to which an embodiment relates. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line Figure 2 I-I' of

[0039] Referring to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the print quality inspection device 10 can include a jig assembly 100, an ink plate 400, an etching plate 500, and an ink cup 600. The jig assembly 100 can include a lower jig 200 and a print object 300.

[0040] The lower jig 200 can include a mounting portion 210. The mounting portion 210 can have a shape recessed inwardly. The mounting portion 210 can include a first support portion 211 and a second support portion 212. For example, the first support portion 211 can be flat. In addition, the second support portion 212 can be located at an outer contour of the first support portion 211 and can be arc-shaped. In other words, an upper surface of the lower jig 200 can include the flat first support portion 211 and the arc-shaped second support portion 212.

[0041] In a manufacturing process of a display device, the display device can include a cover window 700 and a display panel, which will be described later. When the cover window 700 is combined with the display panel, an adhesive material can be applied to an outer contour of the cover window 700. In order to hide an adhesive mark marked on the outer contour of the cover window 700, a light-shielding area (not shown) can be formed on the outer contour of the cover window 700. The light-shielding area can mean a portion on which ink is printed on the outer contour of the cover window 700. Accordingly, a print quality inspection can be performed before ink is printed on the cover window 700 of the display device.

[0042] In existing technology, when performing print quality inspection on a cover window, ink can be directly printed onto the cover window to check the print quality. That is, to check the print quality of the cover window, it needs to be manufactured directly. In this case, the cover window used for print quality inspection cannot be reused and is therefore discarded. Furthermore, print quality cannot be checked before the cover window is manufactured. Therefore, the manufacturing time and cost of the cover window are wasted. This results in increased costs and time associated with print quality inspection.

[0043] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a print quality inspection apparatus 10 that can print ink 410 on the printing object 300 instead of directly printing ink 410 on the cover window 700 (described later), thereby allowing for early prediction of the printed result. Since the printing object 300 contains the same material as the lower clamp 200, both the printing object 300 and the lower clamp 200 can be manufactured simultaneously during the manufacture of the lower clamp 200. Therefore, the time spent manufacturing the cover window 700 is eliminated.

[0044] The object to be printed 300 may be disposed in the mounting portion 210 of the lower clamp 200. The object to be printed 300 may include a flat portion 310 and a curved portion 320. For example, the flat portion 310 may be flat. In addition, the curved portion 320 may be located at the outer contour of the flat portion 310 and may be arc-shaped.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the object to be printed 300 may include a first surface 300a that contacts the lower clamp 200 and a second surface 300b that contacts the printing ink 410. The first surface 300a and the second surface 300b may each include a flat portion 310 and a curved portion 320.

[0046] The thickness of the planar portion 310 and the thickness of the curved portion 320 of the printing object 300 can be substantially constant. That is, the distance h between the first surface 300a and the second surface 300b can be substantially constant. However, the shape of the printing object 300 is not limited to this and can have various shapes.

[0047] The flat portion 310 of the printing object 300 can overlap with the first support portion 211 of the lower clamp 200. The curved portion 320 of the printing object 300 can overlap with the second support portion 212 of the lower clamp 200. The first surface 300a of the printing object 300 can have a shape substantially the same as the upper surface of the lower clamp 200. Therefore, during the process of inspecting the printing quality of the printing object 300, the flow of ink 410 on the printing object 300 can be reduced. As a result, the ink 410 can be printed to the predetermined position on the printing object 300, thereby improving the printing quality.

[0048] The lower jig 200 can be in contact with the print object 300. The first surface 300a of the print object 300 can be in contact with the upper surface of the lower jig 200 as a whole. The lower jig 200 can fix the print object 300. The lower jig 200 can fix the print object 300 by a vacuum suction method or an adhesive method.

[0049] On the other hand, after checking the print quality of the print object 300, the lower jig 200 and the print object 300 can be separated, and a new print object 300 can be disposed on the lower jig 200. Accordingly, the re-checking can be performed by merely replacing the print object 300. In other words, the lower jig 200 of the jig assembly 100 can be reused when the re-checking is performed. Since the re-checking can be performed as long as the print object 300 is newly manufactured, the checking cost or the checking time can be reduced.

[0050] In an embodiment, the print object 300 can include the same material as the lower jig 200. The print object 300 can be manufactured together when the lower jig 200 is manufactured. The print object 300 can not be used when the display device is manufactured, and can be used for the print quality check.

[0051] The print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can include acetal. The print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can be manufactured of plastic including acetal or the like. Alternatively, the print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can be manufactured of a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or stainless steel (SUS). When the ink plate 400 prints the ink 410 on the print object 300, the print object 300 can withstand the load of the ink plate 400. In order to withstand the load of the ink plate 400, the material of the print object 300 can have high strength. Acetal is excellent in strength and low in cost, and thus the print quality checking cost can be relatively reduced. However, the material included in the print object 300 and the lower jig 200 is not limited thereto.

[0052] Referring again to Figure 1 , the ink plate 400 can print the ink 410 on the print object 300. Specifically, the ink plate 400 can print the ink 410 on the outer contour of the print object 300. The outer contour of the print object 300 can mean a portion of the curved portion 320 and the flat portion 310 adjacent to the curved portion 320. The etching plate 500 to be described later can transfer the ink 410 to the ink plate 400. That is, the ink 410 supplied to the etching plate 500 to be described later can be in contact with the ink plate 400, and thus be transferred to the ink plate 400, and the ink 410 transferred to the ink plate 400 can be printed on the print object 300.

[0053] The ink plate 400 can have a certain shape according to the shape of the print object 300 so that sufficient pressure can be transferred to the print object 300. Thus, the ink 410 can be printed to the print object 300 with sufficient adhesion.

[0054] The ink 410 transferred to the ink plate 400 can be in contact with the second surface 300b of the print object 300. The ink plate 400 can be selectively in contact with the second surface 300b of the print object 300 as the ink plate 400 is pressed in the fourth direction D4. At this time, in order to uniformly perform printing, the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 can have a shape similar to that of the second surface 300b of the print object 300. For example, the second surface 300b of the print object 300 can have a curved portion 320 in an arc shape, and in correspondence to this, the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 can be in an arc shape. In the case where the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 and the second surface 300b of the print object 300 are both in an arc shape, the ink 410 can be uniformly printed to the outer contour of the print object 300.

[0055] The ink plate 400 can be composed of a material having elasticity such as silicon rubber. As described above, the ink plate 400 can be in contact with the print object 300 as the ink plate 400 is pressed. The shape of the ink plate 400 can be compressed or stretched as pressure is transferred to the area in contact with the print object 300. Thus, the load of the ink plate 400 can be applied to the print object 300.

[0056] In order to print the ink 410 to the print object 300, the ink plate 400 can be moved. For example, the ink plate 400 can be provided with a linear motor (not shown) for moving the ink plate 400. Alternatively, the ink plate 400 can be connected to a plate driving portion (not shown).

[0057] The ink plate 400 can be moved in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, the third direction D3, and the fourth direction D4 by the linear motor or the plate driving portion. Any structure can be used as long as it is a structure for moving the ink plate 400 in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, the third direction D3, and the fourth direction D4, in addition to the linear motor.

[0058] The etching plate 500 can transfer the ink 410 to the ink plate 400. The etching plate 500 can be disposed to be spaced apart from the jig assembly 100 in the first direction D1. The etching plate 500 can provide the ink 410 printed or transferred to the print object 300.

[0059] Ink 410 can be transferred or printed onto a component using the surface energy between the different components. For example, ink 410 can be transferred from the etching plate 500 to the ink plate 400 when the ink plate 400 and the etching plate 500 are in contact with each other. In addition, ink 410 can be printed from the ink plate 400 to the printing object 300 when the ink plate 400 and the printing object 300 are in contact with each other.

[0060] The etching plate 500 may include a groove 510. Ink 410 may be supplied to the groove 510. The shape of the groove 510 may be the same as the shape of the ink 410 printed onto the printing object 300. For example, when manufacturing a cover window 700, in order to form a light-shielding area (not shown) only on the outer contour of the cover window 700, the etching plate 500 may include a groove 510 with the same shape as the light-shielding area. The light-shielding area may mean the shape of the ink printed on the outer contour of the cover window 700 as described above.

[0061] The etching plate 500 can supply ink 410 through the groove 510. Ink 410 may not be supplied to areas where the groove 510 is not formed. Thus, even if the ink plate 400 comes into contact with the groove 510 and other areas of the etching plate 500, the ink 410 can be transferred only to the area where the groove 510 and the ink plate 400 are in contact.

[0062] The ink plate 400 can print ink 410 transferred from the etching plate 500 onto the printing object 300. When pressure is applied to the ink plate 400 along the fourth direction D4, ink 410 can be printed onto the printing object 300 by bringing the etching plate 500 into direct contact with the printing object 300 disposed on the lower fixture 200. As described above, the ink plate 400 can be configured at the upper part of the fixture assembly 100 to be spaced apart from the etching plate 500, and can be moved in a specific direction.

[0063] The ink cup 600 can hold ink 410. The ink cup 600 can be positioned above the etching plate 500 and can supply ink 410 to the etching plate 500. The ink cup 600 can move in a second direction D2 to supply ink 410 to the groove 510 of the etching plate 500.

[0064] To supply ink 410 to the etching plate 500, the ink cup 600 can be moved. For example, a linear motor (not shown) for moving the ink cup 600 can be provided in the ink cup 600. Alternatively, a board drive unit (not shown) can be connected to the ink cup 600. In addition to the linear motor, any structure that moves the ink cup 600 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be used.

[0065] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 13The printing quality inspection device 10 may include a cover window 700. Specifically, instead of Figure 1 The printing object 300 of the printing quality inspection device 10 shown is... Figure 13 The cover window 700 shown can be configured above the lower clamp 200. Figure 1 The printed object 300 can be in the shape of a cover window 700. The printed object 300 can be used when checking print quality, and the cover window 700 can be used when performing final checks on print quality and when manufacturing display devices.

[0066] The cover window 700 may be optically transparent. For example, the cover window 700 may comprise glass or plastic. The cover window 700 may have a multi-layered or single-layered structure. For example, the cover window 700 may also have a laminated structure of multiple plastic films bonded together with adhesive, or it may have a laminated structure of a glass substrate and plastic films bonded together with adhesive.

[0067] The cover window 700 may include a flat portion and an arcuate portion in at least one of a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 orthogonal to it. For example, only the two sides of the cover window 700 located in the first direction D1 may be arcuate. Furthermore, only the two sides of the cover window 700 located in the second direction D2 may be arcuate. Both the two sides of the cover window 700 located in the first direction D1 and the two sides located in the second direction D2 may be arcuate. The following description focuses on the case where the two sides of the cover window 700 located in the first direction D1 are arcuate.

[0068] When printing on the overlay window 700, a print quality check can be performed to improve print quality. During print quality check, ink 410 may not be printed directly on the overlay window 700. That is, the overlay window 700 can be replaced by the object to be printed 300, and the object to be printed 300 can replace the overlay window 700 for printing. Because the object to be printed 300 is printed during print quality check, the printing status of the overlay window 700 can be predicted.

[0069] The flat portion of the cover window 700 may correspond to the flat portion 310 of the printable object 300. The arc-shaped portion located at the outer contour of the cover window 700 may correspond to the curved portion 320 of the printable object 300. That is, the flat portion 310 and the curved portion 320 of the printable object 300 may have substantially the same shape as the flat portion of the cover window 700 and the arc-shaped portion at the outer contour of the flat portion.

[0070] The upper surface of the cover window 700 may correspond to the first surface 300a of the object to be printed 300. The lower surface of the cover window 700 may correspond to the second surface 300b of the object to be printed 300. (See reference) Figure 13In the manufacturing process of the display device, the upper surface of the cover window 700 can be located at the lower portion in the drawing. The lower surface of the cover window 700 can be located at the upper portion in the drawing. The upper surface of the cover window 700 can be the surface of the display screen of the completed display device. The lower surface of the cover window 700 can be the surface which is combined with the display panel at the time of manufacturing the display device.

[0071] In the case where the printing target 300 is used instead of the cover window 700 for printing, the time required for manufacturing the cover window 700 can be reduced. The cover window 700 is included in the configuration of the display device, and high precision is required at the time of manufacturing. However, since the printing target 300 is a spare target for inspection, it can be manufactured with relatively low precision compared to the cover window 700.

[0072] In the case where the printing target 300 and the lower jig 200 are made of the same material and the printing target 300 is used instead of the cover window 700, it is not necessary to manufacture a plurality of cover windows 700 at the time of inspecting the printing quality. Therefore, the time and cost required for manufacturing a plurality of cover windows 700 can be reduced. Further, by using the printing target 300 which is relatively inexpensive instead of the cover window 700, the cost can be reduced.

[0073] Further, the material forming the printing target 300 can be less expensive than the material forming the cover window 700. The printing target 300 can include acetal. The cover window 700 can include ordinary glass or plastic. Therefore, the printing quality inspection cost can be reduced.

[0074] Since the manufacturing time and cost are reduced as described above, more printing quality inspections than in the past can be performed. As the printing quality inspections are performed a plurality of times, the printing quality can be improved. For example, the conventional printing quality inspection device can perform 7 printing quality inspections. In the case where the printing quality inspection device 10 according to the present embodiment is used, several tens of printing quality inspections can be performed. Since the printing quality inspections can be performed a plurality of times, the result thereof can improve the quality of the display device.

[0075] Figure 4 FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a jig assembly according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0076] Referring to Figure 4 , the jig assembly 101 can include the lower jig 200 and the printing target 300.

[0077] The lower jig 200 and the printing target 300 can be formed in one body. That is, the upper portion of the jig assembly 101 can be defined by the printing target 300, and the side surface portion and the lower portion of the jig assembly 101 can be defined by the lower jig 200.

[0078] The print object 300 can include a flat planar portion 310 and a curved portion 320 located at an outer contour of the planar portion 310 and curved. Specifically, the second face 300b of the print object 300 can include the flat planar portion 310 and the curved portion 320. The second face 300b can mean an upper face of the print object 300. However, the shape of the print object 300 can not be limited thereto.

[0079] In a case where the lower jig 200 is formed in one body with the print object 300, manufacturing costs or time can be reduced compared to a case where the lower jig 200 and the print object 300 are manufactured separately and combined. That is, in a case where the lower jig 200 and the print object 300 are not separated, there is no need to separately form the upper face of the lower jig 200 and the lower face of the print object 300, and thus time and costs required therefor can be saved. In addition, time and costs required to combine the lower jig 200 and the print object 300 can be saved.

[0080] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating a print quality inspection method according to an embodiment. Figures 6 to 13 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a print quality inspection method according to an embodiment.

[0081] Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 A print quality inspection method 1000 according to an embodiment can include a step S100 of providing a jig assembly 100. The jig assembly 100 can include a lower jig 200 and a print object 300.

[0082] The print object 300 can be formed at the lower jig 200 after the lower jig 200 including the mounting portion 210 is provided.

[0083] The mounting portion 210 can be formed in the lower jig 200. The mounting portion 210 can have a shape recessed inward. The mounting portion 210 can include a first support portion 211 and a second support portion 212. For example, the first support portion 211 can be flat. In addition, the second support portion 212 can be located at an outer contour of the first support portion 211 and can be curved. In other words, the upper face of the lower jig 200 can include the flat first support portion 211 and the curved second support portion 212.

[0084] The print object 300 can be formed at the mounting portion 210 of the lower jig 200. The print object 300 can include a planar portion 310 and a curved portion 320. For example, the planar portion 310 can be flat. In addition, the curved portion 320 can be located at an outer contour of the planar portion 310 and can be curved.

[0085] The print object 300 can include a first surface 300a which is in contact with the lower jig 200, and a second surface 300b on which the ink 410 is printed. The first surface 300a and the second surface 300b can include a flat portion 310 and a curved portion 320, respectively.

[0086] The thickness of the flat portion 310 of the print object 300 and the thickness of the curved portion 320 can be substantially constant. That is, the distance h between the first surface 300a and the second surface 300b can be substantially constant. However, the shape of the print object 300 is not limited thereto, and can have various shapes.

[0087] The flat portion 310 of the print object 300 can overlap the first support portion 211 of the lower jig 200. The curved portion 320 of the print object 300 can overlap the second support portion 212 of the lower jig 200. The lower surface of the print object 300 can be formed in a substantially same shape as the upper surface of the lower jig 200. Accordingly, in the process of checking the print quality of the print object 300, when the ink is printed on the print object 300, the flow of the print object 300 can be reduced. Thus, the ink can be printed at a predetermined position of the print object 300, thereby improving the print quality.

[0088] The lower jig 200 and the print object 300 can be in contact with each other. The first surface 300a of the print object 300 can be in contact with the upper surface of the lower jig 200 as a whole. The lower jig 200 can fix the print object 300. The lower jig 200 can fix the print object 300 by a vacuum suction method or an adhesive method.

[0089] In addition, after checking the print quality of the print object 300, the lower jig 200 and the print object 300 can be separated, and a new print object 300 can be disposed on the lower jig 200. That is, only the print object 300 is replaced, and thus re-checking can be performed. In other words, the lower jig 200 in the jig assembly 100 can be reused at the time of re-checking. Since the re-checking can be performed as long as the print object 300 is newly manufactured, the checking cost or the checking time can be reduced.

[0090] In an embodiment, the print object 300 can include the same material as the lower jig 200. The print object 300 can be manufactured together when the lower jig 200 is manufactured. The print object 300 can be used for print quality checking, and can not be used in actual manufacturing of a display device.

[0091] The print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can be formed of acetal. The print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can be manufactured of plastic including acetal or the like. Alternatively, the print object 300 and the lower jig 200 can be manufactured of a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or stainless steel (SUS). When the ink plate 400 prints the ink 410 on the print object 300, the print object 300 can withstand a load of the ink plate 400. In order to withstand the load of the ink plate 400, the material of the print object 300 can have high strength. Acetal is excellent in strength and inexpensive, and thus the printing quality inspection cost can be relatively saved. However, the material forming the print object 300 and the lower jig 200 is not limited thereto.

[0092] Referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the printing quality inspection method 1000 can further include a step of moving the ink cup 600 to supply the ink 410 to the etching plate 500. The ink cup 600 can store the ink 410. The ink cup 600 can be formed above the etching plate 500, and can supply the ink 410 to the etching plate 500. The ink cup 600 can move in a second direction D2 to supply the ink 410 to the groove 510 of the etching plate 500.

[0093] The ink cup 600 can move in order to supply the ink 410 to the etching plate 500. Referring to Figures 6 to 8 , the ink cup 600 can move in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The first direction D1 can be a direction toward the etching plate 500 from the jig assembly 100. The second direction D2 can be a direction opposite to the first direction D1. A linear motor (not shown) for moving the ink cup 600 can be provided in the ink cup 600. Alternatively, a plate driving portion (not shown) can be connected to the ink cup 600. Any structure can be used as long as it is a structure for moving the ink cup 600 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, in addition to the linear motor.

[0094] Referring to Figure 8 , the printing quality inspection method 1000 can include a step S200 of transferring the ink 410 to the ink plate 400 using the etching plate 500. The etching plate 500 can transfer the ink 410 to the ink plate 400. The etching plate 500 can be configured to be spaced apart from the jig assembly 100 in the first direction D1. The etching plate 500 can supply the ink 410 printed or transferred to the print object 300.

[0095] The ink 410 can be transferred or printed on any one of the components by surface energy between the components different from each other. For example, the ink 410 can be transferred from the etching plate 500 to the ink plate 400 when the ink plate 400 and the etching plate 500 are in contact with each other. Also, the ink 410 can be printed from the ink plate 400 to the printing object 300 when the ink plate 400 and the printing object 300 are in contact with each other.

[0096] The etching plate 500 can form a groove 510. The ink 410 can be provided to the groove 510. The shape of the groove 510 can be the same as that of the shape in which the ink 410 is printed on the printing object 300. For example, in manufacturing the cover window 700, in order to form a light-shielding area (not shown) only at the contour of the cover window 700, the groove 510 having the same shape as the light-shielding area can be formed in the etching plate 500. The light-shielding area can mean a shape printed at the contour of the cover window 700.

[0097] The etching plate 500 can provide the ink 410 through the groove 510. The ink 410 can not be provided in an area in which the groove 510 is not formed. Thus, even if the ink plate 400 is in contact with the etching plate 500 at the groove 510 and an area other than the groove 510, the ink 410 can be transferred only to an area in which the groove 510 of the etching plate 500 is in contact with the ink plate 400.

[0098] Referring again to Figure 5 , the print quality inspection method 1000 can include a step S300 of printing the ink 410 on the printing object 300 with the ink plate 400.

[0099] The ink plate 400 can print the ink 410 on the printing object 300. In particular, the ink plate 400 can print the ink 410 on the contour of the printing object 300. The contour of the printing object 300 can mean the curved portion 320 and a portion of the flat portion 310 adjacent to the curved portion 320. The etching plate 500 can transfer the ink 410 to the ink plate 400. That is, the ink 410 provided to the etching plate 500 can be in contact with the ink plate 400, thereby being transferred to the ink plate 400. In a case in which the ink plate 400 is pressed in the fourth direction D4, the ink plate 400 can be in direct contact with the etching plate 500 and the printing object 300 disposed on the lower jig 200. The ink 410 transferred to the ink plate 400 can be printed on the printing object 300.

[0100] The ink plate 400 can have a specific shape according to the shape of the printing object 300 so as to be able to transmit sufficient pressure to the printing object 300. Thus, the ink 410 can be printed on the printing object 300 with sufficient adhesion.

[0101] The ink 410 of the ink plate 400 can be in contact with the second surface 300b of the print object 300. The ink plate 400 can be in contact with the second surface 300b of the print object 300 selectively in a case where the ink plate 400 is pressed in the fourth direction D4. At this time, in order to uniformly perform printing, the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 can have a shape similar to that of the second surface 300b of the print object 300. For example, the second surface 300b of the print object 300 can have a curved surface 320 in an arc shape, and the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 can have an arc shape in correspondence thereto. In a case where the lower surface 420 of the ink plate 400 and the second surface 300b of the print object 300 each have an arc shape, the ink 410 can be uniformly printed to the outer contour of the print object 300.

[0102] The ink plate 400 can be composed of a material having elasticity such as silicon rubber. When the ink plate 400 is pressed as described above, the ink plate 400 can be in contact with the print object 300. The shape of the ink plate 400 can be compressed or stretched while the pressure is transmitted to the area in contact with the print object 300. Thus, the load of the ink plate 400 can be applied to the print object 300.

[0103] In order to print the ink 410 to the print object 300, the ink plate 400 can be moved. Referring to Figures 8 to 13 , the ink plate 400 can be moved in the first direction D1, the second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1, the third direction D3 perpendicular to the first direction D1, and the fourth direction D4 opposite to the third direction D3. For example, the ink plate 400 can be provided with a linear motor (not shown) for moving the ink plate 400. Alternatively, the ink plate 400 can be connected to a plate driving part (not shown). Any structure can be used as long as it is a structure for moving the ink plate 400 in the first direction D1, the second direction D2, the third direction D3, and the fourth direction D4, in addition to the linear motor.

[0104] The step S300 of printing the ink 410 to the print object 300 with the ink plate 400 can include a step of locating the ink plate 400 above the print object 300, a step of lowering the ink plate 400 to print the ink 410 to the print object 300, and a step of locating the ink plate 400 on the etching plate 500 after the ink plate 400 is raised.

[0105] Referring to Figure 8 and Figure 9First, the ink sheet 400 on which the ink 410 is transferred can be positioned above the print object 300. At this time, the ink sheet 400 can be raised in the third direction D3 away from the etching plate 500, and can be moved in the second direction D2 which is a direction from the etching plate 500 toward the jig assembly 100.

[0106] Referring to Figure 10 , the ink sheet 400 positioned above the print object 300 can be lowered in the fourth direction D4 which is a direction from the ink sheet 400 toward the jig assembly 100. The ink sheet 400 can be lowered in the fourth direction D4 to print the ink 410 on the print object 300.

[0107] Referring to Figure 11 , after the ink sheet 400 prints the ink 410 on the print object 300, the ink sheet 400 can be raised in the third direction D3. Referring to Figure 12 , the raised ink sheet 400 can be moved in the first direction D1 to be positioned on the etching plate 500. That is, in order to perform the print quality inspection method 1000 again, the ink sheet 400 can be positioned Figure 6 at the original position.

[0108] The print quality inspection method 1000 according to the embodiment can use the print object 300 instead of the cover window 700, and thus can reduce the cost and time for inspecting the print quality. In addition, more print quality inspection can be performed than before. Accordingly, the manufacturing time and cost of the display device can be reduced, and the quality of the display device can be improved.

[0109] Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 13 , the print quality inspection method 1000 according to an embodiment can further include a step S400 of printing the ink 410 on the cover window 700 after the step of printing the ink 410 on the print object 300 with the ink sheet 400. The step S400 of printing the ink 410 on the cover window 700 can include a step of providing the lower jig 200, a step of disposing the cover window 700 on the mounting portion 210 of the lower jig 200, a step of transferring the ink 410 to the ink sheet 400 using the etching plate 500, and a step of printing the ink 410 on the cover window 700 with the ink sheet 400.

[0110] After the ink 410 is printed on the print object 300, the print object 300 can be separated from the lower jig 200 (see Figure 12 ). Then, the cover window 700 can be positioned on the lower jig 200, and the ink 410 can be printed on the cover window 700.

[0111] The step of positioning the cover window 700 on the mounting portion 210 of the lower jig 200 can correspond to Figure 6the step of forming the printed object 300 on the mounting portion 210 of the lower jig 200. That is, the covering window 700 is used instead of the printed object 300 to be located behind the lower jig 200, and the same process can be repeatedly performed Figures 6 to 12 the steps S100, S200, S300.

[0112] The printing quality can be checked using the covering window 700. The printed object 300 is used when checking the printing quality, and the covering window 700 can be used when checking the printing quality and when actually manufacturing the display device.

[0113] The covering window 700 can be optically transparent. For example, the covering window 700 can include glass or plastic. The covering window 700 can have a multi-layered or single-layered structure. For example, the covering window 700 can also have a laminated structure of a plurality of plastic films combined with an adhesive, or a laminated structure of a glass substrate and a plastic film combined with an adhesive.

[0114] The covering window 700 can include a flat portion and a portion that is curved in at least one of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 orthogonal to the first direction D1. For example, only both side surfaces of the covering window 700 in the first direction D1 can be curved. Also, only both side surfaces of the covering window 700 in the second direction D2 can be curved. Both side surfaces of the covering window 700 in the first direction D1 and both side surfaces of the covering window 700 in the second direction D2 can be curved. Hereinafter, a case where both side surfaces of the covering window 700 in the first direction D1 are curved will be described as a center.

[0115] When printing is performed on the covering window 700, in order to improve the printing quality, printing quality checking can be performed. When checking the printing quality, the ink 410 can not be directly printed on the covering window 700. That is, the covering window 700 can be replaced with the printed object 300, and the printed object 300 can receive printing instead of the covering window 700. In the printing quality checking, since printing is performed on the printed object 300, the printing state of the covering window 700 can be predicted.

[0116] The flat portion of the covering window 700 can correspond to the flat portion 310 of the printed object 300. The portion of the covering window 700 that is located at the outer contour and is curved can correspond to the curved portion 320 of the printed object 300. That is, the flat portion 310 and the curved portion 320 of the printed object 300 can be formed in substantially the same shape as the flat portion of the covering window 700 and the portion at the outer contour of the flat portion that is curved.

[0117] Referring to Figure 6 and Figure 13The upper surface of the cover window 700 can correspond to the first surface 300a of the print object 300. The lower surface of the cover window 700 can correspond to the second surface 300b of the print object 300. Since Figure 13 The process of checking the print quality of the cover window 700 is shown, so the upper surface of the cover window 700 can be located at the lower portion on the drawing. The lower surface of the cover window 700 can be located at the upper portion on the drawing. The upper surface of the cover window 700 can be the surface of the display panel of the completed display device. The lower surface of the cover window 700 can be the surface combined with the display panel when the display device is manufactured.

[0118] In the case of performing the step of checking the print quality using the cover window 700, the actual shape printed on the cover window 700 can be confirmed. The print object 300 and the cover window 700 can have a difference in material and actual shape. By adding the step of printing the cover window 700, the difference can be corrected. Thus, the print quality can be improved.

[0119] (Industrial applicability)

[0120] The print quality checking device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present application can be applied to the print quality checking of the display device included in a computer, a notebook computer, a portable phone, a smart phone, a smart pad, a PMP, a PDA, an MP3 player, etc.

[0121] Although the above description has been made with reference to the embodiments of the present application, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, which are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A printed quality inspection apparatus comprising: a jig assembly including a lower jig including a mounting portion having a shape recessed inwardly, and a printed object configured to the mounting portion of the lower jig and containing the same substance as the lower jig; an ink plate to print ink to the printed object; and an etching plate to transfer the ink to the ink plate, wherein the printed object has the same shape as a cover window for a display panel and a different material, and after the ink is printed to the printed object with the ink plate, the ink is printed to the cover window installed at the mounting portion instead of the printed object with the ink plate.

2. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower jig and the printed object are in contact with each other.

3. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion includes: a flat first support portion; and a second support portion located at an outer contour of the first support portion and having an arc shape.

4. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the printed object includes: a flat plane portion; and a curved surface portion located at an outer contour of the plane portion and having an arc shape.

5. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plane portion overlaps the first support portion, the curved surface portion overlaps the second support portion.

6. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printed object includes: a first surface in contact with the lower jig; and a second surface printed with the ink.

7. The printed quality inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printed object and the lower jig include acetal.

8. A printed quality inspection method comprising: a step of providing a jig assembly including a lower jig including a mounting portion having a shape recessed inwardly, and a printed object formed to the mounting portion of the lower jig and containing the same substance as the lower jig; a step of transferring ink to an ink plate with an etching plate; a step of printing the ink to the printed object with the ink plate; and a step of printing the ink to a cover window for a display panel after the step of printing the ink to the printed object with the ink plate, wherein the printed object has the same shape as the cover window and a different material.

9. The printed quality inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the lower jig and the printed object are in contact.

10. The printed quality inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the step of printing the ink to the cover window includes: a step of providing the lower jig including the mounting portion; a step of locating the cover window to the mounting portion of the lower jig; a step of transferring the ink to the ink plate with the etching plate; and a step of printing the ink to the cover window with the ink plate. ​

Images