A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing

Abstract

The application provides a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing, which is applied to the technical field of OLED inkjet printing. The device comprises a storage device frame and a bearing installation support as a basic structure, and a plurality of array-shaped substrate flexible support components are introduced. Each component comprises an air film generating unit and a flexible connection unit. The air film generating unit forms an air film to bear the glass substrate through a positive pressure gas output structure, and generates suction through a negative pressure gas output structure to adjust the rigidity of the air film. The flexible connection unit is provided with a reed beam, which provides rotational freedom and / or axial movement freedom through stretching and bending, so that the air film generating unit can follow the surface topography of the glass substrate. A gas supply system interface ensures the normal operation of the air film generating unit. Therefore, the application has the beneficial effect of effectively improving the storage flatness and safety of the substrate.

Description

A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of OLED inkjet printing technology, and more particularly to a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing. Background Technology

[0002] Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology, as the core of the next generation of display technology, is rapidly developing towards larger sizes and higher resolutions. Inkjet printing technology, due to its advantages such as high material utilization, simple process steps, and ease of large-scale production, is considered one of the key technologies for manufacturing large-size OLED displays.

[0003] In the entire process of OLED inkjet printing, the glass substrate needs to undergo multiple steps, including cleaning, drying, thin film deposition, printing, and curing. During this process, the temporary storage and handling of large-size glass substrates (especially G8.5 and above generations, typically exceeding 2200mm × 2500mm in size) is essential. These substrates are not only enormous and heavy, but also require extremely high surface flatness. Any minute deformation, vibration, or contamination can lead to inaccurate pixel positioning, uneven film thickness, or even short circuits or open circuits in the devices, ultimately severely impacting the yield and performance of the display panel.

[0004] Currently, storage devices used for such large-size glass substrates are mostly general-purpose material racks or simple stacked shelves. These existing devices were not designed with full consideration of the stringent requirements of OLED inkjet printing processes for substrate storage environments, thus revealing many problems in practical applications.

[0005] First, existing storage racks mostly employ simple edge or four-point support structures. For large, ultra-thin glass substrates, their own weight causes the central area to sag naturally, resulting in deformation. This deformation, after long-term storage or repeated handling, can partially transform into plastic deformation, severely compromising the substrate's original flatness and directly affecting the accuracy and quality of subsequent inkjet printing. Second, unreasonable support point design, with small contact areas and excessive pressure, easily leads to stress concentration at the support points, posing a potential risk of microcracks or even breakage of the substrate, constituting a serious safety hazard for high-value OLED substrates. Furthermore, simple storage methods cannot effectively prevent vibration and contamination that may occur during substrate storage and handling, further reducing production yield.

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies urgently need improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, this application provides a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing. It is applied to the field of OLED inkjet printing technology and solves the problems of easy deformation, stress concentration leading to damage, and difficulty in following the surface morphology of the substrate during storage of large-size glass substrates in the prior art. It has the advantages of improving the storage flatness and safety of the substrate.

[0008] In a first aspect, a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing includes a storage device frame and a load-bearing mounting bracket disposed within the storage device frame, and also includes multiple substrate flexible support components and an air supply system interface.

[0009] Multiple substrate flexible support components are arranged in an array on the bearing mounting bracket to jointly support the glass substrate. Each substrate flexible support component includes an air film generating unit and a flexible connection unit.

[0010] The gas film generating unit is located on top of the substrate flexible support assembly and includes at least a positive pressure gas output structure and a negative pressure gas output structure. The positive pressure gas output structure is configured to output gas toward the glass substrate to form a gas film, and the negative pressure gas output structure is configured to generate suction to adjust the stiffness of the gas film.

[0011] The flexible connection unit is located between the air film generating unit and the support mounting bracket. It is equipped with a spring beam and provides at least one degree of rotational freedom and / or axial movement freedom through the stretching and bending of the spring beam, so that the air film generating unit can deflect or displace relative to the support mounting bracket to follow the surface morphology of the glass substrate.

[0012] The gas supply system interface includes a positive pressure air inlet and a negative pressure air inlet that connect the gas film generating unit to the outside.

[0013] Furthermore, the support mounting bracket is provided with an air passage for connecting the positive pressure gas output structure and the positive pressure air inlet; and for connecting the negative pressure gas output structure and the negative pressure air inlet.

[0014] Furthermore, the gas film generating unit also includes a metal substrate and a porous medium sheet disposed on the surface of the metal substrate;

[0015] The metal substrate has surface grooves and internal air channels. The internal air channels include positive pressure air channels and negative pressure air channels, which are respectively connected to the positive pressure gas output structure and the negative pressure gas output structure. The porous medium sheet covers the positive pressure air channels. External positive air pressure is transmitted to the porous medium sheet through the positive pressure air channels and seeps out evenly to form an air film.

[0016] The surface groove is connected to the negative pressure air inlet through the negative pressure air passage, thereby generating an adsorption force in the area where the surface groove is located.

[0017] Furthermore, the flexible connection unit is a flexible hinge structure;

[0018] One end of the flexible hinge structure is connected to the bottom of the air film generating unit, and the other end is connected to the load-bearing mounting bracket.

[0019] The flexible hinge structure includes a first spring beam arranged along the X-axis and at least a second spring beam arranged along the Y-axis. The thickness direction of the first spring beam is parallel to the Y-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the Y-axis and bends in the XZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the X-axis. The thickness direction of the second spring beam is parallel to the X-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the X-axis and bends in the YZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the Y-axis. The first spring beam and the second spring beam are arranged in layers or coplanarly or orthogonally in the Z-axis direction.

[0020] The reed beam includes a first reed beam and a second reed beam, with the Z-axis perpendicular to the bearing plane of the glass substrate, and the X-axis and Y-axis parallel to the bearing plane of the glass substrate and perpendicular to each other.

[0021] Furthermore, the storage device frame includes a base plate, a top plate, and a support column connecting the base plate and the top plate;

[0022] The support mounting brackets are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction, thereby forming a multi-layer substrate storage unit within the storage device frame. Each layer of the substrate storage unit is equipped with multiple substrate flexible support components.

[0023] Furthermore, the support mounting bracket is also equipped with detection sensors and multiple substrate pose adjustment components;

[0024] The detection sensor is used to detect whether the glass substrate is in place and whether its position is accurate.

[0025] The substrate pose adjustment components are distributed at the edge of the glass substrate and are used to push the glass substrate in the horizontal plane to fine-tune the position of the glass substrate.

[0026] Furthermore, the substrate pose adjustment assembly includes a cylinder and a push rod;

[0027] The substrate pose adjustment component is used to activate the cylinder to push the push rod when the detection sensor detects that the glass substrate is misaligned. The push rod pushes the edge of the glass substrate in the horizontal plane, thereby actively correcting the positional accuracy of the glass substrate.

[0028] Furthermore, a broken substrate storage assembly is provided below the support mounting bracket. The broken substrate storage assembly is configured as a pull-out structure to collect and isolate accidentally broken glass substrate fragments, so as to facilitate cleaning and prevent the fragments from contaminating other intact glass substrates.

[0029] Furthermore, this also includes the glove box;

[0030] The storage device frame is integrated inside the glove box, which is filled with nitrogen gas, and the water oxygen content inside the glove box is controlled to be below 1 ppm.

[0031] Furthermore, the glove box is also equipped with an electrostatic eliminator, which is used to eliminate static electricity on the glass substrate during storage to prevent electrostatic adsorption of dust particles.

[0032] Beneficial Effects: This application provides a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing. It innovatively incorporates multiple array-distributed flexible substrate support components, each including a gas film generating unit and a flexible connection unit. The gas film generating unit forms a gas film to support the glass substrate through a positive pressure gas output structure and generates suction through a negative pressure gas output structure to adjust the gas film stiffness. This achieves non-contact, uniform, and adjustable support for the large-size glass substrate, effectively avoiding substrate deformation and stress concentration caused by traditional support methods. The flexible connection unit is equipped with a spring beam, which provides rotational and / or axial movement freedom through tension and bending, allowing the gas film generating unit to dynamically conform to the surface morphology of the glass substrate, further ensuring high flatness of the substrate during storage. The gas supply system interface ensures the normal operation of the gas film generating unit. This technical solution fundamentally solves the problems of deformation, stress concentration leading to damage, and difficulty in conforming to the surface morphology of large-size glass substrates during storage in existing technologies, and has the beneficial effect of effectively improving the flatness and safety of the substrate during storage. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing provided in this application.

[0034] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a load-bearing mounting bracket provided in this application.

[0035] Figure 3 is a top view of a load-bearing mounting bracket provided in this application.

[0036] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a flexible support assembly for a substrate provided in this application.

[0037] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible support assembly for a substrate provided in this application.

[0038] Labeling Explanation: 11. Storage Frame; 1. Base Plate; 2. Support Column; 3. Top Plate; 4. Glass Substrate; 5. Gas Supply System Interface; 6. Substrate Storage Unit; 61. Gas Film Generating Unit; 62. Spring Beam; 601. Bearing Mounting Bracket; 602. Substrate Position Adjustment Assembly; 603. Substrate Flexible Support Assembly; 604. Broken Substrate Storage Assembly; 605. Detection Sensor; 606. Positive Pressure Inlet; 607. Negative Pressure Inlet; 6031. Porous Medium Sheet; 6032. Metal Substrate; 6033. Flexible Connection Unit; 6034. Mounting Screw; 6035. Positive Pressure Gas Output Structure; 6036. Negative Pressure Gas Output Structure; 6037. Surface Groove; 6038. Internal Air Channel. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and marked in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5. A large-size glass substrate 4 storage device for OLED inkjet printing includes a storage device frame and a support mounting bracket 601 disposed within the storage device frame, as well as multiple substrate flexible support components 603 and an air supply system interface 5.

[0041] Multiple substrate flexible support components 603 are arranged in an array on the support mounting bracket 601 to jointly support the glass substrate 4. Each substrate flexible support component 603 includes an air film generating unit 61 and a flexible connection unit 6033.

[0042] The gas film generating unit 61 is located on top of the substrate flexible support assembly 603 and includes at least a positive pressure gas output structure 6035 and a negative pressure gas output structure 6036. The positive pressure gas output structure 6035 is configured to output gas in the direction of the glass substrate 4 to form a gas film, and the negative pressure gas output structure 6036 is configured to generate suction to adjust the stiffness of the gas film.

[0043] The flexible connection unit 6033 is located between the air film generating unit 61 and the support mounting bracket 601. It is equipped with a spring beam 62 and provides at least one degree of rotational freedom and / or axial movement freedom through the stretching and bending of the spring beam 62, so that the air film generating unit 61 can deflect or displace relative to the support mounting bracket 601 to follow the surface morphology of the glass substrate 4.

[0044] The air supply system interface 5 includes a positive pressure air inlet 606 and a negative pressure air inlet 607 that connect the air film generating unit 61 to the outside.

[0045] In the manufacturing process of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels, especially when using inkjet printing technology, extremely stringent requirements are placed on the flatness and surface cleanliness of large-size glass substrates 4. For example, glass substrates 4 of generation G8.5 and above can reach several square meters in size, while being very thin. During storage and transportation, relying solely on traditional edge supports or a few point supports, the substrate will experience significant sagging deformation due to its own weight. This deformation not only damages the original flatness of the substrate, affecting the accuracy of subsequent inkjet printing, but also creates stress concentration near the support points, increasing the risk of substrate breakage. The technical solution proposed in this application aims to fundamentally solve the above problems through a non-contact, flexible support method.

[0046] Gas is distributed to each substrate flexible support assembly 603 through internal conduits. Inside each assembly, the gas splits into two paths, entering the positive pressure gas output structure 6035 and the negative pressure gas output structure 6036 of the gas film generating unit 61, respectively. The positive pressure gas output structure 6035 uniformly ejects gas upwards towards the glass substrate 4. This high-speed flowing gas forms a thin and stable gas film, also known as an air cushion or air bearing, between the bottom of the substrate and the top surface of the gas film generating unit 61. The pressure generated by this gas film is sufficient to overcome the gravity of the glass substrate 4, smoothly suspending it, thus achieving complete physical isolation between the substrate and the support structure, i.e., non-contact load-bearing. This method completely avoids scratches, indentations, and stress concentration problems that may be caused by mechanical contact.

[0047] Simultaneously, the negative pressure gas output structure 6036 begins operation, generating negative pressure in a specific area by pumping air, creating a downward suction force. This suction force is not intended to adhere the substrate to the support assembly, but rather to precisely adjust and control the stiffness of the gas film. Under purely positive pressure gas film support, the substrate may experience slight floating or vibration due to minute fluctuations in airflow. The introduction of negative pressure is equivalent to adding a downward stabilizing force to the upward lifting force field, effectively suppressing substrate sway and enhancing the stability of the entire support system. By precisely controlling the relative magnitudes of positive and negative pressure, the support characteristics of the gas film can be dynamically adjusted, ensuring both sufficient load-bearing capacity and substrate stability.

[0048] More importantly, the large-size glass substrate 4 itself may have micron-level surface undulations or slight warping due to factors such as temperature differences. To accommodate this imperfect surface morphology, the air film generating unit 61 of each substrate flexible support assembly 603 is not rigidly fixed to the support mounting bracket 601, but is connected through a flexible connecting unit 6033. This flexible connecting unit 6033 has a precision spring beam 62 structure designed inside. When there is a local height change on the surface of the floating glass substrate 4, the corresponding air film generating unit 61 will be subject to changes in air film pressure. This pressure change will drive the flexible connecting unit 6033 to undergo slight deformation, for example, the spring beam 62 will bend or stretch, allowing the air film generating unit 61 to automatically translate upwards or downwards, or deflect at a small angle. This adaptive displacement and deflection ensures that the top surface of the air film generating unit 61 can always follow and conform to the local surface contour of the glass substrate 4, maintaining the uniformity of the air film thickness. This ensures that the supporting force is evenly distributed across the entire bottom surface of the substrate, avoiding new stress caused by excessively high or low local air pressure, thereby maximizing the protection of the substrate's flatness.

[0049] In summary, through the coordinated operation of multiple substrate flexible support components 603, non-contact load bearing is achieved by utilizing the air film combining positive and negative pressure, and with the adaptive bonding capability of the flexible connection unit 6033, this device can provide a uniform, stable, stress-free, and damage-free storage environment for large-size glass substrates 4, meeting the extreme requirements of OLED inkjet printing process for substrate condition.

[0050] Furthermore, the support bracket 601 is provided with an air passage for connecting the positive pressure gas output structure 6035 and the positive pressure air inlet 606; and for connecting the negative pressure gas output structure 6036 and the negative pressure air inlet 607.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3, in the specific implementation, compared to using a large number of external hoses or rigid pipes to connect each substrate flexible support component 603, directly integrating the gas channels into the internal structure of the support mounting bracket 601 has significant advantages. The support mounting bracket 601 can be made of a single piece of metal, such as aluminum alloy, and through precision machining, complex, independent network channels are milled inside. One set of channel network serves as the main distribution pipe for positive pressure gas, connecting from the positive pressure inlet 606 and branching to the positive pressure interface at the mounting position of each substrate flexible support component 603. Another independent channel network serves as the main collection pipe for negative pressure gas, collecting the negative pressure interfaces of each component and finally connecting to the negative pressure inlet 607.

[0052] The advantages of this integrated flow channel design are multifaceted. First, the structure is extremely compact and clean, avoiding the installation complexity and space occupation problems caused by crisscrossing external pipelines. Second, it significantly improves system reliability. Since all channels are encapsulated within a robust metal bracket, a large number of external joints are reduced, thereby greatly reducing the risk of gas leakage and ensuring the long-term stability of the gas film pressure. Third, it facilitates uniform pressure distribution. Through optimized design of the internal flow channel diameter and path, the gas pressure drop from the inlet to the furthest support component is minimized, ensuring that all support components receive essentially the same gas pressure, which is a prerequisite for uniform support force. Finally, this design also facilitates maintenance and cleaning, especially in semiconductor and display manufacturing environments with extremely high cleanliness requirements. The absence of external pipelines reduces the surface area prone to dust accumulation, making it easier to maintain a clean environment.

[0053] Furthermore, the gas film generating unit 61 also includes a metal substrate 6032 and a porous dielectric sheet 6031 disposed on the surface of the metal substrate 6032;

[0054] The metal substrate 6032 has a surface groove 6037 and an internal air channel 6038. The internal air channel 6038 includes a positive pressure air channel and a negative pressure air channel, which are respectively connected to the positive pressure gas output structure 6035 and the negative pressure gas output structure 6036. The porous medium sheet 6031 covers the positive pressure air channel. The external positive air pressure is transmitted to the porous medium sheet 6031 through the positive pressure air channel and permeates evenly to form an air film.

[0055] The surface groove 6037 is connected to the negative pressure air inlet 607 through the negative pressure air passage, thereby generating an adsorption force in the area where the surface groove 6037 is located.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 4, which shows a preferred design for the internal structure of the air film generating unit 61. The metal substrate 6032, typically made of stainless steel or hard anodized aluminum, provides sufficient structural strength and machining precision. Inside this metal substrate 6032, two independent micro-airway systems are machined, namely a positive pressure airway and a negative pressure airway. These two airways are respectively connected to the airflow channels on the support mounting bracket 601.

[0057] The structural design of the top surface of the metal substrate 6032, facing the glass substrate 4, is crucial to its functionality. The outlet of the positive pressure gas channel does not open directly onto the top surface but is covered by a porous dielectric sheet 6031. This porous dielectric sheet 6031 can be made of sintered metal powder, porous ceramics, or special polymer materials, and contains a large number of interconnected micron-sized pores. When positive pressure gas from the outside reaches the bottom of the porous dielectric sheet 6031 through the positive pressure gas channel, the gas does not exit as a concentrated column but rather permeates evenly throughout the entire volume of the porous dielectric sheet 6031 and gently and diffusely overflows from its upper surface. This gas exit method converts concentrated kinetic energy into uniform static pressure, thereby forming a gas film with extremely uniform pressure distribution beneath the substrate, avoiding any localized high-pressure points that could potentially impact the substrate surface.

[0058] Simultaneously, an annular surface groove 6037 is machined on the top surface of the metal substrate 6032, surrounding the porous dielectric sheet 6031. The surface groove 6037 is connected to the negative pressure pipeline through an internal negative pressure air channel. When the negative pressure system is working, a negative pressure zone is formed within the surface groove 6037. Due to the extremely small gap between the surface groove 6037 and the bottom surface of the glass substrate 4, a significant adsorption force is generated in this area according to Bernoulli's principle and the gas viscosity effect. This design ingeniously divides and combines the positive pressure support zone and the negative pressure stabilization zone in space. The positive pressure zone provides the main load-bearing capacity, while the negative pressure zone acts like an invisible constraint, increasing the normal stiffness of the gas film, so that the small displacement of the substrate in the vertical direction will be subject to a greater restoring force, thus exhibiting higher stability. By adjusting the layout and size of the positive and negative pressure air channels, the overall performance of the gas film can be precisely designed and optimized.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to realize the adaptive deflection and displacement function of the air film generating unit 61, the flexible connection unit 6033 is a flexible hinge structure.

[0060] One end of the flexible hinge structure is connected to the bottom of the air film generating unit 61, and the other end is connected to the support mounting bracket 601;

[0061] The flexible hinge structure includes a first spring beam arranged along the X-axis and at least a second spring beam arranged along the Y-axis. The thickness direction of the first spring beam is parallel to the Y-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the Y-axis and bends in the XZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the X-axis. The thickness direction of the second spring beam is parallel to the X-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the X-axis and bends in the YZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the Y-axis. The first spring beam and the second spring beam are arranged in layers or coplanarly or orthogonally in the Z-axis direction.

[0062] The reed beam 62 includes a first reed beam and a second reed beam. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the bearing plane of the glass substrate 4, and the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the bearing plane of the glass substrate 4 and perpendicular to each other.

[0063] A flexible hinge is a precision mechanical structure that relies on the elastic deformation of the material itself to achieve relative motion. Compared with traditional rolling or sliding hinges, flexible hinges have no friction, require no lubrication, have no backlash, and have extremely high motion accuracy and repeatability, making them ideal for use in clean, high-precision applications.

[0064] In this embodiment, the flexible hinge structure is manufactured through integrated processing or precision assembly. One end is firmly connected to the bottom of the metal substrate 6032 of the air film generating unit 61, and the other end can be fixed to the support mounting bracket 601 by mounting screws 6034. Its core function is realized by the internal array of spring beams 62. For ease of understanding, a coordinate system can be established: the Z-axis is perpendicular to the bearing plane of the glass substrate 4 and points upward, while the X-axis and Y-axis are in the bearing plane and perpendicular to each other. The core of the flexible hinge structure is two sets of orthogonally arranged spring beams 62. The first spring beam is arranged along the X-axis direction, and its geometric feature is a narrow and tall rectangle with its height direction (thickness direction) parallel to the Y-axis. This shape gives the first spring beam high stiffness when resisting torsion around the Y-axis, but it is very easy to bend in the XZ plane, i.e., around the Y-axis direction. Conversely, the second spring beam is arranged along the Y-axis direction, and its cross-section is also a narrow and tall rectangle, but its height direction (thickness direction) is parallel to the X-axis. This shape gives the second reed beam high stiffness against torsion around the X-axis, but it is very prone to bending in the YZ plane, i.e., around the X-axis.

[0065] When these two sets of reed beams 62 are combined, for example, by layering them in the Z-axis direction (i.e., one set of reed beams 62 is above or below the other), or by coplanar orthogonal arrangement (i.e., the two sets of reed beams 62 intersect each other in the same plane), the combined effect is like a frictionless universal joint. The flexibility of the first reed beam provides the air film generating unit 61 with rotational freedom around the X-axis, while the flexibility of the second reed beam provides rotational freedom around the Y-axis. When there is a slight tilt angle on a local surface of the glass substrate 4, the air film pressure acting on the air film generating unit 61 will generate an overturning moment. This moment will easily cause the corresponding reed beam 62 to bend, thereby causing the air film generating unit 61 to deflect until its top surface is completely parallel to the local surface of the glass substrate 4, and the overturning moment disappears. This passive adaptive adjustment process is instantaneous and precise, ensuring that each support point perfectly conforms to the surface morphology of the glass substrate 4, thus providing the most uniform support.

[0066] Furthermore, the storage device frame includes a base plate 1, a top plate 3, and a support column 2 connecting the base plate 1 and the top plate 3;

[0067] Multiple support brackets 601 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction to form a multi-layer substrate storage unit 6 within the storage device frame. Each substrate storage unit 6 is equipped with multiple substrate flexible support components 603.

[0068] Referring to Figure 1, this design expands a single flexible support platform into a high-density, three-dimensional storage warehouse. The storage unit frame consists of a robust base plate 1, a top plate 3, and several columns forming a stable frame structure. Inside this frame, multiple layers of load-bearing mounting brackets 601 are precisely positioned and installed along the vertical direction (Z-axis). Each layer of load-bearing mounting brackets 601 constitutes an independent substrate storage unit 6. Importantly, each storage unit completely replicates the aforementioned flexible support system; that is, each layer has multiple substrate flexible support components 603 densely arranged and connected to an external air supply system via integrated flow channels.

[0069] This multi-layered structure significantly increases the number of substrates that can be stored per unit area, effectively saving expensive cleanroom space. When automated equipment needs to access substrates, it can precisely deliver or retrieve substrates to any designated layer. Because each layer uses the same non-contact flexible support technology, all glass substrates 4 stored in the device, regardless of their layer, receive the same high standard of protection, avoiding deformation and damage, and ensuring consistent substrate quality throughout the process.

[0070] In automated production processes, simply providing passive support is insufficient; it is also necessary to ensure that the substrate is precisely placed in the predetermined position. To this end, the support mounting bracket 601 is also equipped with a detection sensor 605 and multiple substrate pose adjustment components 602.

[0071] The detection sensor 605 is used to detect whether the glass substrate 4 is in place and whether its position is accurate.

[0072] The substrate pose adjustment component 602 is distributed on the edge of the glass substrate 4 and is used to push the glass substrate 4 in the horizontal plane to finely adjust the position of the glass substrate 4.

[0073] After the robotic arm places the glass substrate 4 into a certain storage unit, the detection sensor 605 will be activated immediately before or after the air film is fully effective to measure the position and orientation of the substrate.

[0074] The detection sensor 605 here can be implemented in a variety of ways.

[0075] Referring to Figure 2, in one embodiment, the detection sensor 605 employs an optical blocking principle. A pair of through-beam photoelectric sensors are mounted at key edge locations on the support bracket 601, such as the four corners. When the substrate is correctly positioned, its edges precisely block the light paths of all sensors. If one or more sensors are not blocked, or if the blocking sequence is incorrect, the control system can determine that there is a positional or angular deviation on the substrate. This method is low-cost, fast-responding, and highly reliable.

[0076] In another embodiment where higher precision is required, the detection sensor 605 employs a machine vision system. One or more industrial cameras are mounted above or to the side of the storage unit, aimed at the edge of the substrate or pre-marked points on the substrate. Once the substrate is in place, the cameras capture images, and image processing software, through algorithms such as edge detection and feature matching, can accurately calculate the translational deviation of the substrate in the XY plane and the rotational deviation around the Z-axis, with an accuracy down to the micrometer level.

[0077] In another embodiment, the detection sensor 605 can be a laser displacement sensor. Two or more laser rangefinders are installed on two adjacent sides of the support, emitting laser beams to the edge of the substrate and receiving the reflected light. By accurately measuring the time of flight or phase difference of the laser, the precise distance from the sensor to the edge of the substrate can be obtained. By combining the distance data from multiple measurement points, the pose deviation of the substrate can also be accurately calculated.

[0078] Once the detection sensor 605 detects that the substrate's position is inaccurate, the control system activates multiple substrate pose adjustment components 602 distributed along the edge of the glass substrate 4. These adjustment components apply a small, controllable thrust to the substrate in the horizontal plane, precisely moving it to the target position.

[0079] Specifically, the substrate pose adjustment assembly 602 includes a cylinder and a push rod;

[0080] The substrate pose adjustment component 602 is used to activate the cylinder to push the push rod when the detection sensor 605 detects that there is a deviation in the glass substrate 4. The push rod pushes the edge of the glass substrate 4 in the horizontal plane, thereby actively correcting the positional accuracy of the glass substrate 4.

[0081] For example, at least one substrate pose adjustment assembly 602 is provided along the X and Y axes of the mounting bracket 601. Each substrate pose adjustment assembly 602 consists of a small precision cylinder and a push rod with a flexible cushioning material at its tip. When the control system calculates from sensor data that the substrate needs to move 0.5 mm in the positive X direction, it sends a precise pulse air pressure signal to the cylinder in the X direction, driving the push rod to extend and gently push the edge of the substrate. The stroke of the push rod is precisely controlled, pushing the substrate to move the corresponding distance. Similarly, by controlling the cylinder in the Y direction, adjustment in the Y direction can be achieved. If rotational adjustment is required, multiple push rods located at different positions on the substrate can be controlled in concert to generate a rotational torque, causing the substrate to rotate slightly. The entire adjustment process is closed-loop; that is, after the adjustment assembly moves, the detection sensor 605 will measure the substrate position again until the deviation is less than a preset allowable threshold, at which point the adjustment process ends. This active correction mechanism ensures that each substrate entering the warehouse has extremely high positional consistency, laying the foundation for the precise gripping and processing of subsequent automated equipment.

[0082] Considering the possibility of unexpected situations during the production process, a broken substrate storage component 604 is also provided below the support mounting bracket 601. The broken substrate storage component 604 is configured as a pull-out structure to collect and isolate fragments of accidentally broken glass substrate 4, so as to facilitate cleaning and prevent fragments from contaminating other intact glass substrates 4.

[0083] Directly beneath each layer of the support bracket 601, a shallow, tray-shaped collection device, namely the broken substrate storage assembly 604, is designed. This assembly is typically made of corrosion-resistant and easy-to-clean materials such as stainless steel. In the event that a glass substrate 4 on a certain layer breaks for any reason, most of the fragments will fall directly into this collection tray below due to gravity. This assembly is designed with a pull-out structure, similar to a drawer. In the event of a breakage incident, operators do not need to enter the equipment for dangerous and tedious cleaning; they can simply pull out the corresponding collection tray from the outside to safely and quickly handle all the glass fragments. This design achieves immediate collection and effective isolation of fragments, preventing fragments from splashing onto intact substrates on other layers and causing secondary damage. It also prevents fine glass dust from contaminating the entire storage device and cleanroom environment, greatly improving the safety and maintainability of the equipment.

[0084] Organic light-emitting diode materials are extremely sensitive to water and oxygen. In order to fundamentally eliminate the damage of environmental factors to the functional materials on the substrate, the storage device proposed in this application also includes a glove box.

[0085] The storage device frame is integrated inside a glove box, which is filled with nitrogen and the water oxygen content inside the glove box is controlled to be below 1 ppm.

[0086] The entire aforementioned multilayer storage device is not directly exposed to ordinary cleanroom air, but is entirely encapsulated within a sealed glove box system. The glove box is continuously filled with high-purity nitrogen or other inert gases, and, in conjunction with a gas purification and circulation system, completely isolates its internal environment from the outside world. Through sophisticated sensors and control systems, the water and oxygen content within the glove box is strictly controlled to below one part per million (ppm). Before entering the storage device, the glass substrate 4 undergoes atmosphere replacement in a transition chamber. All subsequent storage and transfer processes are carried out in this ultra-clean, ultra-dry, oxygen-free inert atmosphere. This provides ultimate chemical protection for the organic material layers, electrode materials, and various sensitive receptor surfaces on the substrate, ensuring that their performance does not degrade during storage and guaranteeing the subsequent fabrication of high-performance, long-life OLED devices.

[0087] Finally, in addition to the protection of an inert atmosphere, an electrostatic eliminator is also installed in the glove box to address the problem of physical particulate contamination. The electrostatic eliminator is used to eliminate static electricity on the glass substrate 4 during storage to prevent the electrostatic adsorption of dust particles.

[0088] As an excellent insulator, the glass substrate 4 is highly susceptible to generating and accumulating static charge during handling and friction. Even in the glove box environment with extremely low water and oxygen content, a small amount of suspended particles are inevitable. The electrostatically charged substrate surface acts like a magnet, strongly attracting these particles. Once attracted, these particles are difficult to remove, and in subsequent inkjet printing processes, they can cause pixel defects, directly leading to bright or dark spots on the display panel. Therefore, an electrostatic discharge device is installed inside the glove box, particularly at the entrance or inside the substrate storage unit 6. This device, such as an ion fan or ion bar, generates a large number of positive and negative ions, forming an ion cloud. When the glass substrate 4 passes through this area, the static charge on its surface is neutralized by ions of opposite charge in the air. By actively eliminating static electricity on the substrate surface, its ability to attract particles is greatly reduced, thereby maintaining the highest level of cleanliness on the substrate surface and providing another crucial guarantee for achieving defect-free inkjet printing.

[0089] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing, comprising a storage device frame and a support mounting bracket (601) disposed within the storage device frame, characterized in that, It also includes multiple flexible substrate support components (603) and a gas supply system interface (5); the multiple flexible substrate support components (603) are arranged in an array on the bearing mounting bracket (601) to jointly support the glass substrate (4), each flexible substrate support component (603) includes a gas film generating unit (61) and a flexible connection unit (6033); the gas film generating unit (61) is located on top of the flexible substrate support component (603) and includes at least a positive pressure gas output structure (6035) and a negative pressure gas output structure (6036), the positive pressure gas output structure (6035) is configured to output gas toward the glass substrate (4) to form a gas film, and so on. The negative pressure gas output structure (6036) is configured to generate suction to adjust the stiffness of the gas film; the flexible connection unit (6033) is located between the gas film generating unit (61) and the support mounting bracket (601), and is equipped with a spring beam (62), and provides at least one rotational degree of freedom and / or axial movement degree of freedom through the stretching and bending of the spring beam (62), so that the gas film generating unit (61) can deflect or displace relative to the support mounting bracket (601) to follow the surface morphology of the glass substrate (4); the gas supply system interface (5) includes a positive pressure inlet (606) and a negative pressure inlet (607) connecting the gas film generating unit (61) to the outside.

2. The large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support mounting bracket (601) is provided with an air passage, which is used to connect the positive pressure gas output structure (6035) and the positive pressure air inlet (606); And for connecting the negative pressure gas output structure (6036) and the negative pressure air inlet (607).

3. The large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas film generating unit (61) further includes a metal substrate (6032) and a porous medium sheet (6031) disposed on the surface of the metal substrate (6032); the metal substrate (6032) has a surface groove (6037) and an internal air channel (6038), the internal air channel (6038) includes a positive pressure air channel and a negative pressure air channel, which are respectively connected to the positive pressure gas output structure (6035) and the negative pressure gas output structure (6036), the porous medium sheet (6031) covers the positive pressure air channel, and the external positive air pressure is transmitted to the porous medium sheet (6031) through the positive pressure air channel and permeates evenly to form a gas film; the surface groove (6037) is connected to the negative pressure air inlet (607) through the negative pressure air channel, thereby generating an adsorption force in the area where the surface groove (6037) is located.

4. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connection unit (6033) is a flexible hinge structure; one end of the flexible hinge structure is connected to the bottom of the air film generating unit (61), and the other end is connected to the bearing mounting bracket (601); the flexible hinge structure includes a first spring beam arranged along the X-axis direction and a second spring beam arranged along the Y-axis direction. The thickness direction of the first spring beam is parallel to the Y-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the Y-axis and bends in the XZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the X-axis. The thickness direction of the second spring beam is parallel to the X-axis to provide rotational stiffness about the X-axis and bends in the YZ plane to provide rotational freedom about the Y-axis. The first spring beam and the second spring beam are arranged in layers or coplanarly or orthogonally in the Z-direction. The spring beam (62) includes the first spring beam and the second spring beam. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the bearing plane of the glass substrate (4), and the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the bearing plane of the glass substrate (4) and perpendicular to each other.

5. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage device frame includes a base plate (1), a top plate (3), and a support column (2) connecting the base plate (1) and the top plate (3); multiple support brackets (601) are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction to form a multi-layer substrate storage unit (6) within the storage device frame, and each layer of the substrate storage unit (6) is equipped with multiple substrate flexible support components (603).

6. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support mounting bracket (601) is also provided with a detection sensor (605) and a plurality of substrate pose adjustment components (602); the detection sensor (605) is used to detect whether the glass substrate (4) is in place and whether its position is accurate; the substrate pose adjustment components (602) are distributed on the edge of the glass substrate (4) and are used to push the glass substrate (4) in the horizontal plane to fine adjust the position of the glass substrate (4).

7. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 6, characterized in that, The substrate pose adjustment assembly (602) includes a cylinder and a push rod; the substrate pose adjustment assembly (602) is used to activate the cylinder to push the push rod when the detection sensor (605) detects that the glass substrate (4) is misaligned, and the push rod pushes the edge of the glass substrate (4) in the horizontal plane, thereby actively correcting the position accuracy of the glass substrate (4).

8. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 5, characterized in that, Below the support mounting bracket (601), there is also a broken substrate storage assembly (604), which is configured as a pull-out structure to collect and isolate accidentally broken glass substrate (4) fragments, so as to facilitate cleaning and prevent fragments from contaminating other intact glass substrates (4).

9. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a glove box; the storage device frame is integrated inside the glove box, which is filled with nitrogen gas, and the water oxygen content inside the glove box is controlled to be less than 1 ppm.

10. A large-size glass substrate storage device for OLED inkjet printing according to claim 9, characterized in that, The glove box is also equipped with an electrostatic elimination device, which is used to eliminate the static electricity of the glass substrate (4) during storage to avoid static electricity adsorption of dust particles.

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