Chemical liquid supply device

Abstract

A liquid chemical supply device is provided. The liquid chemical supply device can include at least two inkjet heads, a storage tank that stores a liquid chemical supplied from each of the inkjet heads to a substrate, a liquid chemical supply member that supplies the liquid chemical to each of the inkjet heads, and a liquid chemical collection member that collects the liquid chemical remaining in each of the inkjet heads. A length of one path of the liquid chemical from the liquid chemical supply member via one of the at least two inkjet heads to the liquid chemical collection member can be substantially the same as a length of another path of the liquid chemical from the liquid chemical supply member via another of the at least two inkjet heads to the liquid chemical collection member. The present invention can uniformly form a desired pixel on a substrate using the liquid chemical supply device and can improve reliability of the liquid chemical supply device because the lengths of the paths of the liquid chemical from the liquid chemical supply member to the liquid chemical collection member are substantially the same.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0103985, filed with the Korean Patent Office on August 6, 2021. Technical Field

[0002] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a liquid supply device. More specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a liquid supply device comprising at least two inkjet heads arranged substantially side-by-side. Background Technology

[0003] In the manufacturing process of a display device, a step of supplying a liquid chemical to a substrate to form pixels on the substrate is performed. Typically, the process of supplying the liquid chemical can be performed using a liquid chemical supply device that includes an inkjet head that sprays the liquid chemical onto the substrate, a storage tank for storing the liquid chemical, a liquid chemical supply component that supplies the liquid chemical to the inkjet head, and a liquid chemical supply device that includes a liquid chemical collection component that collects the liquid chemical from the inkjet head.

[0004] Recent ink supply devices may include two or more inkjet heads, thus the ink supply component may include two or more supply lines, and the ink collection component may also include two or more recovery lines. This results in not only increased structural complexity of the ink supply device and higher manufacturing costs for the display device, but also reduced reliability of the ink supply device.

[0005] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0006] [Patent Documents]

[0007] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0080131

[0008] Patent Document 2: Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0147857 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] Various aspects of the present invention provide a liquid supply device with a circulation structure comprising at least two inkjet heads.

[0011] Technical solution

[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, a drug supply device is provided, which may include at least two inkjet heads arranged side by side, a storage tank for receiving drug supplied from each of the inkjet heads to a substrate, a drug supply component for supplying the drug to each of the inkjet heads, and a drug collection component for removing and collecting residual drug from each of the inkjet heads. In this case, the length of one path of the drug from the drug supply component through one of the at least two inkjet heads to the drug collection component may be substantially the same as the length of another path of the drug from the drug supply component through the other of the at least two inkjet heads to the drug collection component.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the drug supply device may further include a pumping component that pumps the drug from the storage tank to the drug supply component and pumps residual drug from the at least two inkjet heads to the drug collection component.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the drug supply device may further include an attraction component that applies an attraction force to the drug supply component to supply the drug from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, and an attraction component that applies the attraction force to the drug collection component to recover residual drug from the at least two inkjet heads back to the storage tank.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, when the liquid medicine is supplied from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, the suction member can apply the suction force to the liquid medicine supply member; when the liquid medicine is supplied from the at least two inkjet heads to the substrate or when the liquid medicine circulates through the liquid medicine supply member, the at least two inkjet heads, and the liquid medicine collection member, the suction member may not apply the suction force to the liquid medicine supply member and / or the liquid medicine collection member.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply component may have substantially the same diameter as the liquid collection component.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply device may further include a pressure regulating member for adjusting the negative pressure applied to the storage tank such that the meniscus of the liquid within the ends of the nozzles of the at least two inkjet heads is maintained during the injection of the liquid from the nozzles of the at least two inkjet heads onto the substrate.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a liquid supply device is provided, which may include at least two inkjet heads arranged side by side, a storage tank for receiving liquid supplied from each of the inkjet heads to a substrate, a liquid supply component for supplying the liquid to each of the inkjet heads, and a liquid collection component for removing and collecting residual liquid from each of the inkjet heads. In this case, the liquid supply component may have a supply line connected to the storage tank and supply lines branching off to each of the at least two inkjet heads. Furthermore, the liquid recovery component may have a recovery line connected to the storage tank and recovery lines branching off to each of the at least two inkjet heads.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the length of the first path of the drug solution from one of the supply lines of the branch via one of the at least two inkjet heads to one of the recovery lines of the branch may be substantially the same as the length of the second path of the drug solution from the other of the supply lines of the branch via the other of the at least two inkjet heads to the other of the recovery lines of the branch.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the drug supply device may further include a pumping component that pumps the drug from the storage tank to the drug supply component and pumps residual drug from the at least two inkjet heads to the drug collection component.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the drug supply device may further include an attraction component that applies an attraction force to the drug supply component to supply the drug from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, and an attraction component that applies the attraction force to the drug collection component to recover residual drug from the at least two inkjet heads back to the storage tank.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the suction component may include a first portion connected to the drug supply component and a second portion connected to the drug collection component. The first portion of the suction component may include a first connecting line for providing the suction force to the drug supply component and a first valve for opening and closing the first connecting line. The second portion of the suction component may include a second connecting line for providing the suction force to the drug collection component and a second valve for opening and closing the second connecting line.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, when the liquid is supplied from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, the first portion of the suction member is capable of applying the suction force to the liquid supply member. When the liquid is supplied from the at least two inkjet heads to the substrate or when the liquid circulates through the liquid supply member, the at least two inkjet heads, and the liquid collection member, the first and second portions of the suction member may not apply the suction force to the liquid supply member and / or the liquid collection member.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply component may have substantially the same length as the liquid collection component.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply device may further include a pressure regulating member for adjusting the negative pressure applied to the storage tank such that the meniscus of the liquid within the ends of the nozzles of the at least two inkjet heads is maintained during the injection of the liquid from the nozzles of the at least two inkjet heads onto the substrate.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, a drug supply device is provided, which may include first to fifth inkjet heads arranged side by side, a storage tank for receiving drug supplied from the first to fifth inkjet heads to a substrate, a drug supply component for supplying the drug to the first to fifth inkjet heads, and a drug collection component for removing and collecting residual drug in each of the first to fifth inkjet heads. In this case, the drug supply component may have a supply line connected to the storage tank and five branches of supply lines respectively connected to the first to fifth inkjet heads. Furthermore, the drug recovery component may have a recovery line connected to the storage tank and five branches of recovery lines respectively connected to the first to fifth inkjet heads.

[0027] In some exemplary embodiments, the length of the first path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the first inkjet head to one of the five branch return lines is substantially the same as the length of the second path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the second inkjet head to one of the five branch return lines, the length of the third path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the third inkjet head to one of the five branch return lines, the length of the fourth path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the fourth inkjet head to one of the five branch return lines, and the length of the fifth path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the fifth inkjet head to one of the five branch return lines.

[0028] In some exemplary embodiments, the drug supply device may further include a pumping component that pumps the drug from the storage tank to the drug supply component, and a pumping component that pumps residual drug from the first to the fifth inkjet heads to the drug collection component.

[0029] In some exemplary embodiments, the drug supply device may further include an attraction component that applies an attraction force to the drug supply component to supply the drug from the storage tank to the first to fifth inkjet heads, and an attraction component that applies the attraction force to the drug collection component to recover residual drug from the first to fifth inkjet heads back to the storage tank.

[0030] In some exemplary embodiments, the diameter of the supply line may be substantially the same as the diameter of the supply lines of the five branches, the diameter of the recovery line, and the diameter of the recovery lines of the five branches.

[0031] In some exemplary embodiments, a pressure regulating member may also be included for adjusting the negative pressure applied to the storage tank to maintain the meniscus of the liquid within the nozzles of the first to fifth inkjet heads during the spraying of the liquid onto the substrate from the nozzles of the first to fifth inkjet heads.

[0032] Technical effect

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since the path length of the liquid from the liquid supply component to the liquid collection component is substantially the same, the desired pixels can be uniformly formed on the substrate using the liquid supply device, thereby improving the reliability of the liquid supply device.

[0034] However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and various extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a simplified perspective view illustrating a pharmaceutical liquid supply device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a simplified block diagram illustrating a pharmaceutical supply device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a simplified block diagram illustrating a liquid medicine supply device according to a comparative embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Various modifications and methods can be applied to the present invention, and the embodiments are described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to a particular mode of disclosure, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions encompassed within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals are used for similar constituent elements in the description of the drawings. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe multiple constituent elements, but the constituent elements are not limited by the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from other constituent elements. The terminology used in this application is only for describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular form also includes the plural form unless otherwise expressly stated herein. Terms such as "comprising," "having," or "possessing" as used in this application should be understood as the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be construed as pre-excluding the presence or additional possibilities of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with the context of the relevant art, and shall not be construed as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.

[0040] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings, and repeated descriptions of the same constituent elements are omitted.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a simplified perspective view illustrating a liquid medicine supply device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a simplified block diagram illustrating a liquid medicine supply device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] See Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment of the liquid supply device 100 can be applied to the manufacturing process of display devices such as organic light-emitting display devices (OLED, QLED). For example, the liquid supply device 100 can be used to form predetermined pixels such as red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels on a substrate. In the exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply device 100 may include at least two inkjet heads 11, a reservoir 13, a liquid supply component 15, a liquid collection component 17, a pumping component 19, a suction component 21, a pressure regulating component 23, etc.

[0043] Each of the at least two inkjet heads 11 may include a plurality of nozzles capable of jetting the liquid medicine onto the substrate. For example, each of the at least two inkjet heads 11 may include approximately 128 nozzles or approximately 256 nozzles. The plurality of nozzles may be arranged at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, each of the plurality of nozzles is capable of supplying the liquid medicine onto the substrate in microgram units.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the at least two inkjet heads 11 may further include a plurality of piezoelectric elements, the number of which may be substantially the same as the number of nozzles. The plurality of piezoelectric elements may be adjacent to the plurality of nozzles, and the liquid medicine can be ejected from the nozzles onto the substrate by the operation of the piezoelectric elements. In this case, the amount of liquid medicine supplied from the nozzles to the substrate can be regulated by controlling the voltage applied to the piezoelectric elements.

[0045] The liquid supply device 100 can substantially be configured with at least two inkjet heads 11 arranged in parallel. For example... Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid supply device 100 may include five inkjet heads 11 arranged substantially side by side, the five inkjet heads 11 being substantially spaced apart.

[0046] The storage tank 13 of the liquid supply device 100 is capable of containing the liquid supplied to the substrate through the at least two inkjet heads 11. In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid can be supplied to the storage tank 13 from a liquid storage container (not shown) such as an external canister, and the storage tank 13 can store the liquid for a predetermined process performed using the liquid supply device 100. Furthermore, the storage tank 13 can contain liquid recovered and collected from each of the at least two inkjet heads 11 using the liquid collection component 17.

[0047] The drug supply component 15 can supply the drug from the storage tank 13 to each of the at least two inkjet heads 11. The drug collection component 17 can collect the drug from the at least two inkjet heads 11 back into the storage tank 13. The drug supply component 15 and the drug collection component 17 will be described in detail below.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply device 100 may include the liquid supply component 15 and the liquid collection component 17, thus having a circulation structure in which the liquid flows from the liquid supply component 15 through each of the at least two inkjet heads 11 (e.g., each of the five inkjet heads 11) to the liquid collection component 17. The liquid collection component 17 is capable of recovering residual liquid within each of the at least two inkjet heads 11, collecting the recovered liquid, and conveying the collected liquid to the storage tank 13. During the predetermined process performed on the substrate using the liquid supply device 100, a portion of the liquid may not be ejected from the at least two inkjet heads 11 onto the substrate, but may remain within the at least two inkjet heads 11. The liquid collection component 17 is capable of removing and collecting the residual liquid within the inkjet heads 11, and the storage tank 13 is capable of containing the collected liquid.

[0049] The circulation structure of the medicine supply device 100, including the storage tank 13, the medicine supply component 15, the at least two inkjet heads 11, and the medicine collection component 17, will be described in more detail below.

[0050] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The drug supply component 15 may include a first portion in fluid communication with the storage tank 13 and a second portion in fluid communication with each of the at least two inkjet heads 11. The second portion of the drug supply component 15 may have supply lines corresponding to at least two branches of each of the at least two inkjet heads 11. In some exemplary embodiments, when the drug supply device 100 includes five inkjet heads 11, the second portion of the drug supply component 15 may have five branch supply lines. The second portion of the drug supply component 15 may extend substantially parallel to the five inkjet heads 11, and the five branch supply lines of the second portion may be respectively connected to the five inkjet heads 11.

[0051] like Figure 2As illustrated, when the liquid supply device 100 includes five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, the liquid supply component 15 may include supply lines 151 extending parallel to the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, and supply lines 153 branching off from each of the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. In this case, the five branch supply lines 153 may have substantially the same length between the supply lines 151 and the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. Therefore, the liquid can be uniformly supplied from the storage tank 13 to the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5 through the liquid supply component 15.

[0052] The drug collection component 17 is capable of recovering drug residues within the at least two inkjet heads 11, and of collecting drug recovered from the at least two inkjet heads 11. The drug collection component 17 may include a first portion in fluid communication with the at least two inkjet heads 11 and a second portion connected to the storage tank 13 via the pumping component 19. The first portion of the drug collection component 17 may have recovery lines corresponding to at least two branches of each inkjet head 11.

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 2 As illustrated, the first portion of the liquid collection component 17 may include a recovery line 171 extending parallel to the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, and five branches of recovery lines 173 respectively connected to the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. The five branches of the recovery lines 173 may have substantially the same length between the recovery lines 171 and the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. Therefore, the liquid residue remaining in the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5 can be simultaneously recovered and collected by the liquid collection component 17, and the collected liquid residue can be stored in the storage tank 13.

[0054] As described above, the liquid supply device 100 may include the circulation structure having the storage tank 13, the liquid supply component 15, the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and the liquid collection component 17, wherein the liquid supply component 15 has the supply line 151 and the branch supply line 153, and the liquid collection component 17 has the recovery line 171 and the branch recovery line 173.

[0055] The circulation structure of the liquid supply device 100 may include at least two paths. For example, the circulation structure may include a first path through one of the at least two inkjet heads 11 and a second path through the other of the at least two inkjet heads 11. In some exemplary embodiments, the circulation structure may include five paths. More specifically, as... Figure 2 As illustrated, the circulation structure may include: a first path from one of the branch's supply lines 153 through one side (I) and the other side (VI) of the first inkjet head H1 to one of the branch's return lines 173; a second path from one of the branch's supply lines 153 through one side (II) and the other side (VII) of the second inkjet head H2 to one of the branch's return lines 173; a third path from one of the branch's supply lines 153 through one side (III) and the other side (VII) of the third inkjet head H3 to one of the branch's return lines 173; a fourth path from one of the branch's supply lines 153 through one side (IV) and the other side (IX) of the fourth inkjet head H4 to one of the branch's return lines 173; and a fifth path from one of the branch's supply lines 153 through one side (V) and the other side (X) of the fifth inkjet head H5 to one of the branch's return lines 173. In this case, the first to fifth paths can have substantially the same length. Therefore, the liquid can not only be uniformly supplied to the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, but also the residual liquid can be simultaneously removed from the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5.

[0056] In the above-described circulation structure, the length of the supply path from the drug supply component 15 to the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5 is substantially the same as the length of the recovery path from the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. That is, the length of the supply path including the supply line 151 and its branch supply line 153 is substantially the same as the length of the recovery path including the recovery line 171 and its branch recovery line 173 from the inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5.

[0057] Figure 3 This is a simplified block diagram illustrating a liquid medicine supply device according to a comparative embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] See Figure 3According to a comparative embodiment, the liquid supply device may include a liquid supply component 35 and a liquid collection component 37. The liquid supply component 35 may include a supply line and five branches connected to the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, respectively. The liquid collection component 37 may include a recovery line and five branches connected to the five inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, respectively.

[0059] like Figure 3 As illustrated, the liquid supply device may have a circulation structure including five paths from the liquid supply component 35 to the liquid collection component 37. However, the five paths of this circulation structure are not the same. More specifically, the sixth path, through one of the supply lines from the supply line to the branch supply line, the sixth inkjet head H6, and one of the branch recovery lines to the recovery line, is different in length from the seventh path, through one of the supply lines from the branch supply line, the seventh inkjet head H7, and one of the branch recovery lines to the recovery line. Similarly, the length of the eighth path through the eighth inkjet head H8 is different from the lengths of the seventh and sixth paths. Furthermore, the length of the ninth path through the ninth inkjet head H9 is different from the lengths of the eighth, seventh, and sixth paths. Further, the length of the tenth path through the tenth inkjet head H10 is different from the lengths of the ninth, eighth, seventh, and sixth paths. In other words, in the circulation structure of the liquid supply device according to the comparative embodiment, the length from the sixth path to the tenth path is increased. Therefore, not only can the liquid be supplied uniformly to the inkjet heads H6, H7, H8, H9, and H10, but residual liquid within the inkjet heads H6, H7, H8, H9, and H10 cannot be removed simultaneously. As a result, pixels cannot be uniformly formed on the substrate using the liquid supply device, and the reliability of the liquid supply device is reduced. In contrast, in the liquid supply device 100 of the exemplary embodiment, the first path to the fifth path from the liquid supply member 15 to the liquid collection member 17 are substantially the same, thus enabling the uniform formation of the desired pixels on the substrate and improving the reliability of the liquid supply device 100.

[0060] See you again Figure 1 and Figure 2The liquid supply component 15 and the liquid collection component 17 may have substantially the same diameter. That is, each of the supply lines 151, the branch supply lines 153, the recovery lines 171, and the branch recovery lines 173 may have substantially the same diameter. Therefore, the liquid can be supplied to the at least two inkjet heads 11 in substantially the same amount through the supply lines 151 and the branch supply lines 153. Furthermore, residual liquid can be simultaneously discharged to the liquid collection component 17 through the recovery lines 171 and the branch recovery lines 173. As a result, the desired pixels can be formed more uniformly on the substrate, and the reliability of the liquid supply device 100 is further improved.

[0061] like Figure 1 As illustrated, the pumping component 19 is capable of pumping residual medication from the at least two inkjet heads 11 into the storage tank 13. Furthermore, the pumping component 19 is capable of pumping the medication from the storage tank 13 through the medication supply component 15, the at least two inkjet heads 11, and the medication collection component 17. In other words, the pumping component 19 enables the medication to circulate within the medication supply device 100, which includes the circulation structure. For example, the pumping component 19 may include a motor such as an electric motor or a three-phase motor.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the pumping component 19 may be disposed between the drug collection component 17 and the storage tank 13, but is not limited thereto. The pumping component 19 allows for convenient and rapid recovery of residual drug within the at least two inkjet heads 11, and collection into the storage tank 13. If drug remains in the at least two inkjet heads 11, precipitates may form within them, potentially clogging the nozzles. The pumping component 19 prevents the formation of these precipitates within the at least two inkjet heads 11, thus minimizing defects in processes performed using the drug supply device 100.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the suction member 21 is capable of providing an attractive force to the liquid supply member 15 and / or the liquid collection member 17. That is, the suction member 21 can apply the attractive force to the liquid supply member 15, allowing the liquid to flow from the storage tank 13 to the at least two inkjet heads 11. Furthermore, the suction member 21 can apply the attractive force to the liquid collection member 17, allowing residual liquid to flow from the at least two inkjet heads 11 to the storage tank 13. In particular, the suction member 21 can advantageously provide the attractive force to the liquid collection member 17 when inspecting the at least two inkjet heads 11 for maintenance. And, when supplying liquid to the at least two inkjet heads 11 again after maintenance, the suction member 21 can advantageously apply the attractive force to the liquid supply member 15.

[0064] In some exemplary embodiments, the suction component 21 may include a first portion connected to the drug supply component 15 and a second portion connected to the drug collection component 17. The first portion of the suction component 21 may include a first connecting line and a first valve. The first connecting line provides the suction force to the drug supply component 15, and the first valve opens and closes the first connecting line. Similarly, the second portion of the suction component 21 may include a second connecting line and a second valve. The second connecting line provides the suction force to the drug collection component 17, and the second valve opens and closes the second connecting line. For example, as... Figure 2 As illustrated, the first connecting line of the suction component 21 can be connected to the supply line 151 of the liquid supply component 15 adjacent to the fifth inkjet head H5. Furthermore, the second connecting line of the suction component 21 can be connected to the recovery line 171 of the liquid collection component 17 adjacent to the first inkjet head H1. In this case, when the liquid is supplied to the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, H5 again after maintenance, the first valve and the second valve can respectively open the first connecting line and the second connecting line. When the liquid is sprayed onto the substrate from the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, or when the liquid circulates within the circulation structure including the liquid supply component 15 and the liquid collection component 17, the first valve and the second valve can respectively close the first connecting line and the second connecting line.

[0065] As described above, the liquid supply device 10 may include the suction member 21. Therefore, by applying the suction force to the liquid supply member 15, the liquid can be rapidly supplied to the at least two inkjet heads 11, and by applying the suction force to the liquid collection member 17, residual liquid can be rapidly removed from the at least two inkjet heads 11. In fact, compared to... Figure 3 Compared to the time taken to supply the drug solution to the sixth to tenth inkjet heads H6, H7, H8, H9, and H10 as illustrated, the time taken to supply the drug solution to the inkjet heads H6 to H10 is [not specified]. Figure 2 The time for the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5 to supply the drug solution is reduced by approximately 6%. That is, the time used for the first to fifth inkjet heads H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5 is approximately 94% of the time used for the sixth to tenth inkjet heads H6, H7, H8, H9, and H10.

[0066] See you again Figure 1 During the process of applying the liquid to the substrate using the liquid supply device 100, the pressure regulating member 23 can regulate the negative pressure applied to the storage tank 13. For example, the pressure regulating member 23 may include a vacuum pump that can reduce the internal pressure of the storage tank 13 by applying a suction force to the storage tank 13. The pressure regulating member 23 can maintain the meniscus of the liquid at the tip of the nozzle when the liquid is sprayed onto the substrate from the at least two inkjet heads 11. In other words, the pressure regulating member 23 can regulate the negative pressure applied to the liquid contained in the storage tank 13, thus maintaining the meniscus of the liquid at the tip of the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid from being unintentionally sprayed onto the substrate from the nozzles of the at least two inkjet heads 11.

[0067] Experimental example regarding the flow rate of the liquid in the inkjet head.

[0068] In such Figure 2 The illustrated liquid supply device, comprising five inkjet heads consisting of a single unit, a liquid supply component with a diameter of approximately 4 mm, and a liquid collection component with a diameter of approximately 4 mm, maintains a negative pressure of approximately -3,500 Pa while circulating liquid at a rate of approximately 6.3 cc per minute within the liquid supply device.

[0069] The flow rate of the liquid medication at one end of the first inkjet head H1 is approximately 1.525 cc per minute, at one end of the second inkjet head H2 it is approximately 1.126 cc per minute, and at one end of the third inkjet head H3 it is approximately 1.002 cc per minute. Furthermore, the flow rate of the liquid medication at one end of the fourth inkjet head H4 is approximately 1.124 cc per minute, and at one end of the fifth inkjet head H5 it is approximately 1.521 cc per minute.

[0070] In such Figure 2 The illustrated liquid supply device, comprising five inkjet heads forming a unit, a liquid supply component with a diameter of approximately 6 mm, and a liquid collection component with a diameter of approximately 6 mm, maintains a negative pressure of approximately -3,500 Pa while circulating liquid at a rate of approximately 6.7 cc per minute within the liquid supply device.

[0071] The flow rate of the liquid medication at one end of the first inkjet head H1 is approximately 1.390 cc per minute, at one end of the second inkjet head H2 it is approximately 1.302 cc per minute, and at one end of the third inkjet head H3 it is approximately 1.277 cc per minute. Furthermore, the flow rate of the liquid medication at one end of the fourth inkjet head H4 is approximately 1.307 cc per minute, and at one end of the fifth inkjet head H5 it is approximately 1.391 cc per minute.

[0072] As described above, it can be confirmed that the flow rates of the medication supplied to the inkjet head of the medication supply device are very close. That is, it is known that since the difference in the flow rate of the medication flowing into the inkjet head is very small, the amount of medication supplied to the inkjet head is substantially the same. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the medication is supplied to the inkjet head uniformly.

[0073] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A medicine liquid supply device characterized by comprising: includes: at least two inkjet heads arranged side by side; a storage tank that stores a chemical liquid supplied from each of the inkjet heads to a substrate; a chemical liquid supply unit that supplies the chemical liquid to each of the inkjet heads; a chemical liquid collection unit that collects the chemical liquid remaining in each of the inkjet heads, a length of one path of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid supply unit via one of the at least two inkjet heads to the chemical liquid collection unit is the same as a length of another path of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid supply unit via another of the at least two inkjet heads to the chemical liquid collection unit; wherein the chemical liquid supply apparatus further includes: a suction unit that applies a suction force to the chemical liquid supply unit to supply the chemical liquid from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads and to the chemical liquid collection unit to recover the chemical liquid remaining from the at least two inkjet heads to the storage tank; wherein the suction unit includes a first portion connected to the chemical liquid supply unit and a second portion connected to the chemical liquid collection unit, the first portion of the suction unit includes a first connection line for applying the suction force to the chemical liquid supply unit and a first valve for opening and closing the first connection line, and the second portion of the suction unit includes a second connection line for applying the suction force to the chemical liquid collection unit and a second valve for opening and closing the second connection line. further includes:

2. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by a pumping unit that pumps the chemical liquid from the storage tank to the chemical liquid supply unit and pumps the chemical liquid remaining from the at least two inkjet heads to the chemical liquid collection unit.

3. The chemical liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the suction unit applies the suction force to the chemical liquid supply unit when the chemical liquid is supplied from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, and does not apply the suction force to the chemical liquid supply unit and / or the chemical liquid collection unit when the chemical liquid is supplied from the at least two inkjet heads to the substrate or when the chemical liquid is circulated through the chemical liquid supply unit, the at least two inkjet heads, and the chemical liquid collection unit.

4. The chemical liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the chemical liquid supply unit and the chemical liquid collection unit have the same diameter. further includes:

5. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts a negative pressure applied to the storage tank to maintain a meniscus of the chemical liquid in a tip of a nozzle of the at least two inkjet heads during ejection of the chemical liquid from the nozzle to the substrate. includes:

6. A medicine liquid supply device characterized by comprising: at least two inkjet heads arranged side by side; a storage tank that stores a chemical liquid supplied from each of the inkjet heads to a substrate; a chemical liquid supply unit that supplies the chemical liquid to each of the inkjet heads; a chemical liquid collection unit that collects the chemical liquid remaining in each of the inkjet heads, the chemical liquid supply unit has a supply line connected to the storage tank and branch supply lines connected to the at least two inkjet heads, respectively, ​ ​ The liquid collecting member has a recovery line connected to the storage tank and branch recovery lines connected to the at least two inkjet heads, respectively; wherein the liquid supply device further comprises: a suction member for applying a suction force to the liquid supply member to supply the liquid from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, and to the liquid collecting member to recover the residual liquid from the at least two inkjet heads to the storage tank; wherein the suction member includes a first portion connected to the liquid supply member, and a second portion connected to the liquid collecting member, the first portion of the suction member includes a first connection line for supplying the suction force to the liquid supply member, and a first valve for opening and closing the first connection line, and the second portion of the suction member includes a second connection line for supplying the suction force to the liquid collecting member, and a second valve for opening and closing the second connection line.

7. The liquid supply device according to claim 6, wherein: a length of a first path of the liquid from one of the branch supply lines via one of the at least two inkjet heads to one of the branch recovery lines is the same as a length of a second path of the liquid from the other of the branch supply lines via the other of the at least two inkjet heads to the other of the branch recovery lines.

8. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein further comprising: a pumping member for pumping the liquid from the storage tank to the liquid supply member, and for pumping the residual liquid from the at least two inkjet heads to the liquid collecting member.

9. The liquid supply device according to claim 6, wherein: the first portion of the suction member applies the suction force to the liquid supply member when supplying the liquid from the storage tank to the at least two inkjet heads, and the first and second portions of the suction member do not apply the suction force to the liquid supply member and / or the liquid collecting member when the liquid is supplied from the at least two inkjet heads to the substrate or when the liquid is circulated through the liquid supply member, the at least two inkjet heads, and the liquid collecting member.

10. The liquid supply device according to claim 6, wherein: the liquid supply member and the liquid collecting member have the same length.

11. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein further comprising: a pressure adjusting member for adjusting a negative pressure applied to the storage tank to maintain a meniscus of the liquid within a tip of a nozzle of the at least two inkjet heads during ejection of the liquid from the nozzle to the substrate.

12. A medicine liquid supply device characterized by comprising: comprising: first to fifth inkjet heads arranged in parallel; a storage tank for accommodating liquid supplied from each of the first to fifth inkjet heads to a substrate; a liquid supply member for supplying the liquid to each of the first to fifth inkjet heads; and a liquid collecting member for taking out and collecting the liquid remaining in each of the first to fifth inkjet heads, The liquid supply part has one supply line connected to the storage tank and five branch supply lines connected to the first to fifth inkjet heads, respectively, The liquid collection part has one recovery line connected to the storage tank and five branch recovery lines connected to the first to fifth inkjet heads, respectively; The liquid supply device further comprises: a suction part for applying a suction force to the liquid supply part to supply the liquid from the storage tank to the first to fifth inkjet heads, and applying the suction force to the liquid collection part to recover the residual liquid from the first to fifth inkjet heads to the storage tank; The suction part includes a first part connected to the liquid supply part and a second part connected to the liquid collection part, the first part of the suction part includes a first connection line for supplying the suction force to the liquid supply part and a first valve for opening and closing the first connection line, and the second part of the suction part includes a second connection line for supplying the suction force to the liquid collection part and a second valve for opening and closing the second connection line.

13. The liquid supply device according to claim 12, wherein: the length of a first path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the first inkjet head to one of the five branch recovery lines is the same as the length of a second path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the second inkjet head to one of the five branch recovery lines, the length of a third path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the third inkjet head to one of the five branch recovery lines, the length of a fourth path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the fourth inkjet head to one of the five branch recovery lines, and the length of a fifth path of the liquid from one of the five branch supply lines via the fifth inkjet head to one of the five branch recovery lines.

14. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 12, wherein Further comprising: a pumping part for pumping the liquid from the storage tank to the liquid supply part, and pumping the residual liquid from the first to fifth inkjet heads to the liquid collection part.

15. The liquid supply device according to claim 12, wherein: the diameter of the supply line is the same as the diameter of the five branch supply lines, the diameter of the recovery line, and the diameter of the five branch recovery lines.

16. The liquid medicine supply apparatus according to claim 12, wherein Further comprising: a pressure adjusting part for adjusting the negative pressure applied to the storage tank to maintain a meniscus of the liquid inside the end of the nozzle of the first to fifth inkjet heads during ejection of the liquid onto the substrate from the nozzle of the first to fifth inkjet heads.

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