Printing ink filling method in vacuum low-temperature environment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of ink filling, and provides an ink filling method in a vacuum low-temperature environment. The method comprises the steps that S1, a panel is input, specifically, the panel is conveyed into a machining cabin through a mechanical arm; s2, curing the ink at low temperature: spreading and coating the ink on the panel placed in the step S1; when polar liquid is injected into the panel, the processing cabin needs to be subjected to low-temperature treatment according to different ink freezing points; s3, removing bubbles in a vacuum mode, wherein the processing cabin is vacuumized, so that the panel arranged in the processing cabin is in a vacuum laminating processing operation environment; s4, warehousing frosting and dewing prevention treatment, wherein the processing cabin body needs to be continuously filled with dry inert gas; and S5, electrostatic chucks are additionally arranged, specifically, the electrostatic chucks are connected and matched through a mechanical arm, the electrostatic chucks stretch into the machining cabin, and then the electrostatic chucks are matched with the panel in an adsorption mode so that the machined panel can be conveyed away from the machining cabin. Compared with the prior art, the invention has the technical effects of no splitting, no bubble, no frosting and no shedding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of ink filling, and in particular relates to an ink filling method in a vacuum and low-temperature environment. Background Art

[0002] Electrowetting (Electrowetting, EW) refers to the phenomenon of changing the wettability of a droplet on the underlying solid structure (generally a highly hydrophobic material) by applying a voltage between the upper and lower substrates, that is, changing the contact angle, causing the droplet to deform and displace. Wetting refers to the process in which one fluid on the surface of a solid is replaced by another fluid. The liquid can spread on the solid surface, and the solid-liquid contact surface tends to expand, that is, the adhesion of the liquid to the solid surface is greater than its cohesive force, which is wetting. The liquid cannot spread on the solid surface, and the contact surface tends to shrink into a sphere, which is non-wetting. Non-wetting means that the adhesion of the liquid to the solid surface is less than its cohesive force.

[0003] Electronic paper products are also called digital paper. It is an ultra-thin and ultra-light display screen, which can be understood as a "display as thin as paper, soft and erasable". Then, for the ink filling on the electronic panel, in the prior art, for example, the Chinese invention patent publication number CN 105572857A discloses an electrowetting ink filling method, a filling device and a filling apparatus, and specifically discloses that "the filling method includes the following steps: S1: preparing a filling device with an array of microneedles and a lower substrate with a pixel grid; S2: filling the inner cavity of the microneedle with ink; S3: moving the filling device or the lower substrate to align the microneedle with the pixel grid; S4: pressurizing the inner cavity of the microneedle to form ink droplets at the needle tip until the ink droplets drip from the microneedle into the pixel grid or the ink droplets contact the lower substrate and are adsorbed in the pixel grid. The filling device has a accommodating cavity and a microneedle array. The filling device includes a filling device, a filling device moving mechanism, a workbench, a workbench moving mechanism and a ranging and positioning component." The existing ink filling method is limited by various factors such as the processing environment during the processing, so that the obtained panel will have technical problems such as splitting, bubbles, frosting, and falling off, resulting in low processing efficiency and poor bonding effect. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems existing in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink filling method in a vacuum and low-temperature environment to solve at least one technical problem raised by the background art.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] An ink filling method in a vacuum low-temperature environment includes a workbench, a panel, a polar liquid, ink, and a processing cabin surrounded by a glass substrate, wherein the panel is transported into the processing cabin; the ink filling method includes the following implementation steps

[0007] Step S1, panel input: transporting the panel into the processing cabin by a robot;

[0008] Step 2 S2, low temperature curing ink: spreading ink on the panel placed in step S1; when adding polar liquid into the panel, it is necessary to perform low temperature treatment on the processing cabin according to different solidification points of the ink;

[0009] Step 3 S3, vacuum removal of bubbles: vacuumizing the processing chamber to make the panel built in the processing chamber in a vacuum bonding processing operation environment;

[0010] Step 4 S4, anti-frost and condensation treatment: dry inert gas needs to be continuously filled into the processing chamber;

[0011] Step 5 S5, adding an electrostatic chuck: the electrostatic chuck is connected and cooperated through a manipulator, and the electrostatic chuck extends into the processing chamber, and then the electrostatic chuck is adsorbed and cooperated with the panel to transport the processed panel away from the processing chamber, completing the ink filling of the panel.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the processing chamber further comprises a lower substrate and an upper cover plate, and in step S2, polar liquid is respectively added to the lower substrate and the upper cover plate, and then the lower substrate and the upper cover plate are packaged.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the polar solution is an ionic liquid or water or a salt solution or a liquid metal.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the freezing point of the ink in the experiment in step S2 is -45°C.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, in step S4, the thickness of the ink on the panel ranges from 0.8 to 8 um.

[0016] Preferably, the inert gas dried in step S4 is N2.

[0017] As described above, compared with the prior art, the ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment according to the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] First, in step S2, since the ink is cured at low temperature, the risk of the ink being dispersed during the filling process due to its fluidity can be avoided, and there is no splitting;

[0019] Second, in step S3, the processing chamber is vacuumed so that the panel filling ink process is performed in a vacuum environment to avoid the generation of bubbles, which has the effect of eliminating bubbles;

[0020] Third, in step S4, by continuously filling the processing chamber with dry inert gas, the technical problem of frost and condensation on the chamber, glass substrate and panel is solved to eliminate the impact on the equipment and improve the bonding effect;

[0021] Fourth, in step S5, by setting an electrostatic suction cup, the electrostatic force is used to adsorb the processed panel so that it can be transported away from the processing chamber, and the processing can be carried out efficiently and quickly without shedding, thereby improving the processing efficiency. In summary, the panel obtained by filling the ink of the present invention has the technical effect of no splitting, no bubbles, no frost, and no shedding.

[0022] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific implementation modes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the principle of the ink filling method under vacuum and low temperature environment applied for by the present invention (see Figures (a), (b), (c) and (d));

[0024] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a display pixel structure in the ink filling method under a vacuum and low-temperature environment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural model diagram of the ink filling method under vacuum and low temperature environment applied for by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural test diagram of the panel in a low temperature environment in the ink filling method applied by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the processing chamber is in a vacuum state in the ink filling method of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 Comparative test diagrams of the ink filling method of the present invention without anti-frost and condensation treatment (see Figures (e), (f), (g) and (h));

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electrostatic suction cup in the ink filling method of the present invention.

[0030] Reference numerals - In the drawings:

[0031] Workbench 1; panel 2; polar liquid 3; ink 4; processing cabin 5; glass substrate 50; lower substrate 51; upper cover plate 52; transparent electrode 53; hydrophobic insulating layer 54; pixel wall 55; electrostatic suction cup 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is a description of the implementation of the present invention by means of specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification.

[0033] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions that the present invention can be implemented, so they have no substantial technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship, or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention without affecting the effects that the present invention can produce and the purposes that can be achieved. At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" quoted in this specification are only for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. The change or adjustment of the relative relationship should also be regarded as the scope of the implementation of the present invention without substantial changes in the technical content. The specific structure can be described with reference to the drawings of the patent application.

[0034] The present invention provides an ink filling method in a vacuum low temperature environment, combined with Figures 1 to 7 As shown, it includes a workbench 1, a panel 2, a polar liquid 3, an ink 4 and a processing chamber 5 surrounded by a glass substrate 50. The panel 2 is transported into the processing chamber 5. The ink filling method includes the following implementation steps:

[0035] Step S1, panel 2 input: the panel 2 is transported into the processing chamber 5 by a robot;

[0036] Step 2 S2, low temperature curing ink: spreading ink on the panel 2 placed in step S1; when the polar liquid 3 is added into the panel 2, the processing chamber 5 needs to be subjected to low temperature treatment according to different solidification points of the ink;

[0037] Step 3 S3, vacuum removal of bubbles: vacuumizing the processing chamber 5 so that the panel 2 built into the processing chamber 5 is in a vacuum bonding processing operation environment;

[0038] Step 4 S4, anti-frosting and condensation treatment: dry inert gas needs to be continuously filled into the processing chamber 5;

[0039] The fifth step S5, adding an electrostatic suction cup 6: the electrostatic suction cup 6 is connected and cooperated through a robot (not shown in the figure, the same below), and the electrostatic suction cup 6 extends into the processing chamber 5. Then the electrostatic suction cup 6 is adsorbed and cooperated with the panel 2, so that the processed panel 2 is transported away from the processing chamber, and the ink filling of the panel 2 is completed.

[0040] Please note: Please refer to Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the panel 2 is firstly input into the processing chamber 5 surrounded by the glass substrate 50 by a robot, and then in step S2, the ink 4 is cured at low temperature, so that the risk of the ink 4 being dispersed due to its fluidity during the filling process can be avoided, and there is no splitting; then in step S3, the processing chamber 5 is vacuumed, so that the panel 2 is filled with ink 4 in a vacuum environment during the bonding operation, so as to avoid the generation of bubbles and eliminate the bubbles; then in step S4, the processing chamber 5 is continuously filled with dry inert gas to solve the problem of the chamber. 5. The technical problem of frost and condensation on the glass substrate 50 and the panel 2 is eliminated to eliminate the impact on the equipment and improve the bonding effect; finally, in step S5, because the ink filling of the present invention is carried out under a vacuum environment without pressure difference, the ordinary suction cup cannot be adsorbed at this time, so the electrostatic suction cup 6 is set to rely on the electrostatic force to adsorb the processed panel 2; so that it can be transported away from the processing cabin 5, and can be processed and produced efficiently and quickly without shedding, thereby improving the processing efficiency; in summary, the panel obtained by the ink filling of the present invention can have the technical effects of no splitting, no bubbles, no frost, and no shedding.

[0041] In this embodiment, please combine Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the processing chamber 5 also includes a lower substrate 51 and an upper cover plate 52. In step S2, polar liquid 3 is added to the lower substrate 51 and the upper cover plate 52 respectively, and then the lower substrate 51 and the upper cover plate 52 are packaged. In addition, the processing chamber 5 of the present invention also includes a transparent electrode 53, a hydrophobic insulating layer 54, and a pixel wall 55. The specific processing principle is: an external electric field is used to control the contraction and expansion of the colored ink 4 in the pixel unit to realize an optical switch. This optical switch has excellent grayscale display characteristics. Figure 1 As shown in (a), when no external voltage is applied, the colored ink 4 in the pixel spreads naturally under the action of surface tension, covering the entire pixel unit, and the color of the ink is displayed; when an external voltage is applied, the charged particles in the polar liquid gather in the dielectric layer under the action of the electric field force. The force between the charges pushes the ink to the corner, and the ink shrinks, and the color of the substrate is displayed, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 (b) Figure 1 (c) is a top view of the ink when it is spread, showing the color of the ink, indicating the closed state; Figure 1 (d) is a top view of the ink when it is contracted, showing the color of the substrate, indicating the open state.

[0042] The cross-sectional view of the display pixel structure of the ink filling method of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the general structural model of the ink filling method of the present invention is shown in Figure 3 shown.

[0043] In this embodiment, the polar solution 3 is an ionic liquid, water, salt solution or liquid metal.

[0044] In this embodiment, the freezing point of the ink in the experiment in step S2 is -45° C. In the present invention, different low temperature values ​​can be set according to different freezing points of the ink, so as to avoid the risk of being dispersed due to its fluidity.

[0045] In this embodiment, in step S4, the thickness of the ink on the panel 2 is in the range of 0.8-8 um.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inert gas dried in step S4 is N2.

[0047] In summary, the present invention effectively overcomes various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

[0048] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ink filling method in a vacuum low-temperature environment, comprising a workbench, a panel, a polar liquid, ink and a processing cabin surrounded by a glass substrate, wherein the panel is transported into the processing cabin; characterized in that: The ink filling method comprises the following implementation steps: Step S1, panel input: transporting the panel into the processing cabin by a robot; Step 2 S2, low temperature curing ink: spreading ink on the panel placed in step S1; when adding polar liquid into the panel, it is necessary to perform low temperature treatment on the processing cabin according to different solidification points of the ink; Step 3 S3, vacuum removal of bubbles: vacuumizing the processing chamber to make the panel built in the processing chamber in a vacuum bonding processing operation environment; Step 4 S4, anti-frost and condensation treatment: dry inert gas needs to be continuously filled into the processing chamber; Step 5 S5, adding an electrostatic chuck: the electrostatic chuck is connected and cooperated through a manipulator, and the electrostatic chuck extends into the processing chamber, and then the electrostatic chuck is adsorbed and cooperated with the panel to transport the processed panel away from the processing chamber, completing the ink filling of the panel.

2. The ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The processing chamber also includes a lower substrate and an upper cover plate. In step S2, polar liquid is respectively added to the lower substrate and the upper cover plate, and then the lower substrate and the upper cover plate are packaged.

3. The ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The polar solution is an ionic liquid, water, salt solution or liquid metal.

4. The ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The freezing point of the ink in the experiment in step S2 is -45°C.

5. The ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: In step S4, the thickness of the ink on the panel ranges from 0.8 to 8 um.

6. The ink filling method in a vacuum and low temperature environment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The inert gas used for drying in step S4 is N2.

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