Modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of roll-to-roll continuous embossing technology, and particularly to a modular, inlaid optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller. It includes a polyhedral metal substrate and multiple glass mold units. The polyhedral metal substrate is in the shape of a regular polygonal prism, with a rectangular groove on each facet. Each glass mold unit is independently embedded within a rectangular groove, and its surface is processed with an optical micro / nano array structure using precision glass molding technology. The roller also includes a thermally conductive elastic gasket disposed between the glass mold unit and the bottom surface of the rectangular groove, and a sealing filler filling the gaps between adjacent glass mold units. The polyhedral metal substrate has temperature-controlled flow channels and vacuum adsorption channels inside. This invention achieves independent replacement of mold units and pattern reconstruction through modular design, reducing maintenance costs and improving production flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of roll-to-roll continuous embossing technology, and in particular to a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller. Background Technology

[0002] Roll-to-roll continuous embossing technology is currently the mainstream method for industrial production of large-area flexible polymer optical micro / nano array structures, and its core lies in the mold roller. Existing mold rollers mainly suffer from the following problems: the integral or spliced ​​overall covering structure leads to permanent curing of the surface micro / nano structure, making it unable to flexibly adapt to different functional structural requirements; local damage requires the entire roll to be scrapped or remanufactured, resulting in high maintenance costs; metal or resin molds have limited thermal stability, are prone to wear, and have poor demolding performance.

[0003] In existing technologies, the film mold winding and splicing technology uses resin film to be wound onto the transfer roller and spliced ​​at both ends, but its mold hardness is limited, wears quickly, has poor thermal stability, and defects are prone to occur at the joints; the electroforming splicing flat mold coating technology replicates multiple nickel alloy mold sheets by electroforming, splices them, and then coats them onto the surface of the steel roller, but the nickel alloy has limited thermal stability, poor demolding performance, wears quickly, the splicing process is complex, and the joint structure is discontinuous; while the integral metal mold roller processing uses mechanical engraving, laser direct writing, and other processes to form micro-nano structures on the surface of the metal roller, but each mold roller needs to be processed separately, which is costly, the surface structure is fixed and cannot be reconstructed, and local damage requires the entire roller to be scrapped.

[0004] Existing mold rollers all adopt a "one-piece" or "split-and-covered" structural form. Once the preparation is completed, the surface micro-nano structure is permanently solidified, and it cannot be flexibly reconstructed according to product requirements. Furthermore, any local damage will lead to high maintenance costs or complete scrapping. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller, comprising a polyhedral metal substrate and multiple glass mold units. The polyhedral metal substrate is in the shape of a regular polygonal prism with multiple facets. A rectangular groove is formed on each facet of the polyhedral metal substrate, and each glass mold unit is independently embedded in one of the rectangular grooves. A preset optical micro / nano array structure is formed on the surface of each glass mold unit. The glass mold roller also includes a thermally conductive elastic gasket and a filling seal. The thermally conductive elastic gasket is disposed between the edges of the glass mold unit and the polyhedral metal substrate, and the filling seal fills the splicing gap between adjacent glass mold units.

[0007] Preferably, the polyhedral metal substrate has 6 to 12 facets.

[0008] Preferably, the polyhedral metal matrix is ​​made of a high-strength lightweight alloy.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom of the rectangular groove is machined with a V-shaped positioning groove, and the bottom surface of the glass mold unit is machined with a V-shaped positioning protrusion that cooperates with the V-shaped positioning groove. The V-shaped positioning protrusion cooperates with the V-shaped positioning groove to achieve precise positioning.

[0010] Preferably, the thermally conductive elastic pad is laid between the bottom surface of the glass mold unit and the facet of the polyhedral metal substrate, avoiding the area where the V-shaped positioning protrusion and the V-shaped positioning groove contact each other.

[0011] Preferably, the polyhedral metal substrate has a vacuum adsorption channel inside, which is connected to an external vacuum source and is used to further adsorb and fix the glass mold unit onto the edge surface of the polyhedral metal substrate through negative pressure.

[0012] Preferably, the polyhedral metal substrate has a temperature-controlled flow channel inside, which is used to connect a constant temperature medium to regulate the working temperature of the mold.

[0013] Preferably, the cross-section of the temperature control channel is circular and arranged in a serpentine or parallel pattern; the interior of the polyhedral metal substrate is also provided with vacuum adsorption channels, and a solid metal isolation layer is provided between the vacuum adsorption channels and the temperature control channel.

[0014] Preferably, the thermally conductive elastic pad is a high thermal conductivity pad with a microporous structure.

[0015] Preferably, the glass mold unit is a glass sheet mass-produced by glass molding process, and its material is selected from ordinary optical glass, borosilicate glass or low melting point optical glass.

[0016] Therefore, this invention provides a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller, which has the following advantages: This invention adopts a modular embedded structure, decomposing the mold roller into multiple independent and replaceable glass mold units. When product structure requirements change, only the corresponding mold unit needs to be replaced to complete the switch; when a local structure is damaged, only the damaged module needs to be replaced, without the need for complete scrapping, thus reducing the cost of mold use and maintenance and improving equipment utilization.

[0017] This invention features a modular design, allowing each glass mold unit to be designed and combined independently. Mold units with different patterns can be configured on the same mold roller as needed, enabling rapid switching and even combination processing of various structures to meet the needs of multi-variety, small-batch, and customized production.

[0018] This invention uses glass material as the mold unit, which maintains an elastic and rigid state within the working temperature range of the roll-to-roll embossing process. The micro-nano structure is not prone to creep, wear or morphological degradation, which significantly improves the service life of the mold roller and the stability of structure replication.

[0019] This invention achieves high-precision positioning of the glass mold unit by embedding a rectangular groove in a polyhedral metal substrate, combined with a V-shaped positioning protrusion and a V-shaped positioning groove. Furthermore, the glass mold unit is fixed using vacuum adsorption, eliminating the need for mechanical clamping and allowing for convenient and quick assembly and disassembly. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the glass mold roller and the polyhedral metal substrate in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure Labels 1. Polyhedral metal substrate; 11. Rectangular groove; 12. V-shaped positioning groove; 13. Temperature-controlled flow channel; 14. Vacuum adsorption channel; 15. Metal solid isolation layer; 2. Glass mold unit; 21. Optical micro-nano array structure; 22. V-shaped positioning protrusion; 3. Thermally conductive elastic gasket; 4. Filling seal; 5. Pressure roller; 6. Flexible polymer film. Detailed Implementation

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0024] Example like Figure 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller, including a polyhedral metal substrate 1 and multiple glass mold units 2. The polyhedral metal substrate 1 is in the shape of a regular polygonal prism; in this embodiment, a regular octagonal prism is used as an example, which has eight facets. The polyhedral metal substrate 1 is made of a high-strength lightweight alloy, specifically Kovar alloy, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, or stainless steel; in this embodiment, Kovar alloy is preferred.

[0025] Each facet is provided with a rectangular groove 11, and each glass mold unit 2 is independently embedded in a rectangular groove 11. This modular inlay structure decomposes the large-area cylindrical mold roller into multiple independent small-sized planar glass mold units, making the mold roller change from an integral structure to a detachable and replaceable structure. When it is necessary to replace the product structure or when there is local damage, only the corresponding module needs to be replaced, without the need for the whole to be scrapped, thereby reducing maintenance costs and improving flexibility.

[0026] Each glass mold unit 2 has a pre-defined optical micro / nano array structure 21 formed on its surface, such as a microlens array, Fresnel structure, or diffraction grating. The glass mold unit 2 is prepared using precision glass molding technology, which replicates the glass material using a high-precision master mold, forming the required optical micro / nano array structure 21 on the glass surface in a single step, thereby achieving mass production of planar glass mold units 2. The material of the glass mold unit 2 is selected from ordinary optical glass, borosilicate glass, or low-melting-point optical glass; in this embodiment, borosilicate glass is preferred. The glass mold unit 2 remains in a rigid state, and its micro / nano structure is not prone to creep, wear, or morphological degradation under long-term continuous high pressure, thus ensuring the long-term stable operation of the imprinting process and the consistency of the product.

[0027] A V-shaped positioning groove 12 is machined at the bottom of the rectangular groove 11. The V-shaped positioning groove 12 has a triangular cross-section and is arranged along the length of its facet. A V-shaped positioning protrusion 22 is machined on the bottom surface of the glass mold unit 2 to precisely fit the V-shaped positioning groove 12. The V-shaped positioning protrusion 22 is in direct contact with the V-shaped positioning groove 12 to achieve precise positioning. The V-shaped positioning structure achieves high-precision position constraint through surface contact, ensuring that each glass mold unit 2 has a consistent reference after installation.

[0028] The glass mold roller also includes a thermally conductive elastic pad 3 and a filling seal 4. The thermally conductive elastic pad 3 is disposed between the bottom surface of the glass mold unit 2 and the rectangular groove 11. In this embodiment, the thermally conductive elastic pad 3 is laid between the bottom surface of the glass mold unit 2 and the bottom surface of the rectangular groove 11, avoiding the area where the V-shaped positioning protrusion 22 contacts the V-shaped positioning groove 12. The thermally conductive elastic pad 3 is a high thermal conductivity pad with a microporous structure, which allows vacuum adsorption airflow to pass through. While ensuring good thermal contact, the thermally conductive elastic pad 3 can absorb the thermal expansion difference between glass and metal, reduce interfacial thermal stress, and thus prevent the glass mold from cracking or deforming. Its microporous structure allows vacuum negative pressure to pass through, so that the glass mold unit 2 is firmly adsorbed, and provides a certain elastic buffer to prevent the hard and brittle glass mold unit 2 from breaking under pressure or thermal expansion.

[0029] The filling seal 4 is used to fill the joint gap between adjacent glass mold units. Elastic filling materials such as silicone rubber sealing strips, fluororubber sealing strips, or curable filling resins can be used. In this embodiment, silicone rubber sealing strips are preferred due to their good elasticity and heat resistance. After filling, the surface of the filling seal 4 is flush with or slightly lower than the surface of the glass mold unit 2, without affecting the imprinting quality. Its main function is to prevent polymer material from seeping into the joint during the imprinting process, avoiding demolding difficulties or product defects, and simultaneously buffering thermal and mechanical stress between modules.

[0030] The polyhedral metal substrate 1 contains a temperature-controlled flow channel 13 and a vacuum adsorption channel 14. The temperature-controlled flow channel 13 has a circular cross-section and is arranged in a serpentine or parallel pattern within the metal substrate, used to connect a constant-temperature medium to regulate the mold's operating temperature. The vacuum adsorption channel 14 is connected to an external vacuum source, used to further adsorb and fix the glass mold unit 2 onto the edges of the polyhedral metal substrate 1 through negative pressure. A solid metal isolation layer 15 is provided between the temperature-controlled flow channel 13 and the vacuum adsorption channel 14 to achieve physical isolation between the heat source and the vacuum system, preventing high temperatures from affecting the performance of the vacuum seal.

[0031] The constant temperature medium in the temperature control channel 13 transfers heat to the metal substrate, and then to the glass mold unit 2 through the thermally conductive elastic pad 3, so that its surface reaches the temperature required for imprinting; the vacuum adsorption channel 14 provides uniform negative pressure, so that the glass mold unit 2 fits tightly to the substrate surface, without mechanical clamping, and is easy to disassemble and assemble.

[0032] The assembly process of the glass mold roller in this embodiment is as follows: First, the thermally conductive elastic pad 3 is laid at the bottom of the rectangular grooves 11 on each facet of the polyhedral metal substrate 1. Then, the V-shaped positioning protrusion 22 on the back of the glass mold unit 2 is aligned with the V-shaped positioning groove 12 at the bottom of the rectangular groove 11 and slid in to achieve precise positioning. Next, a filling seal 4 is installed at the splicing gap between adjacent glass mold units 2. Finally, the vacuum system is turned on, and negative pressure is applied to the glass mold unit 2 through the vacuum adsorption channels 14 inside the polyhedral metal substrate 1, so that it is tightly attached to the thermally conductive elastic pad 3, thereby completing the overall assembly of the glass mold roller.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, the working process of the glass mold roller in this embodiment for roll-to-roll continuous embossing production is as follows: First, the assembled mold roller is installed in the roll-to-roll continuous embossing equipment, forming an embossing working area with the counter-pressure roller 5. The temperature control system is activated, causing the constant temperature medium to circulate in the temperature-controlled flow channel 13 inside the polyhedral metal substrate 1, heating or controlling the temperature of the mold roller, keeping the surface temperature of the glass mold unit 2 below 200°C.

[0034] The flexible polymer film 6 is continuously conveyed into the imprinting area under the action of the traction system. As the mold roller rotates, the glass mold units 2 on each facet come into contact with the flexible polymer film 6 in sequence. Under the action of external load, the optical micro-nano array structure 21 on the surface of the glass mold unit 2 applies pressure to the polymer material in a softened or plastic state, causing the polymer to flow locally and fill into the mold structure, thereby realizing high-fidelity replication of the micro-nano structure.

[0035] After glass mold unit 2 leaves the imprinting area, the polymer material cools or solidifies, the structure is fixed, and it separates from the glass mold under demolding action, completing one imprinting cycle. The eight facets alternately enter the imprinting area, achieving a processing method that combines intermittent contact with continuous output. The multi-faceted structure allows each glass mold unit 2 to enter the imprinting area sequentially during rotation, and each glass mold unit 2 has sufficient time to dissipate heat or recover in the non-imprinting area, which is beneficial for long-term stable operation.

[0036] When the product structure needs to be changed, simply shut down the equipment, release the vacuum adsorption, replace the corresponding glass mold unit 2, and then reassemble. When a local glass mold unit 2 is damaged, only the corresponding module needs to be replaced, without replacing the entire mold roller.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular tessellated optical micro- and nano-structure array glass mold roller, characterized by: It includes a polyhedral metal substrate and multiple glass mold units. The polyhedral metal substrate is in the shape of a regular polygonal prism with multiple facets. A rectangular groove is formed on each facet of the polyhedral metal substrate. Each glass mold unit is independently embedded in one of the rectangular grooves. A preset optical micro / nano array structure is formed on the surface of each glass mold unit. The glass mold roller also includes a thermally conductive elastic gasket and a filling seal. The thermally conductive elastic gasket is disposed between the edges of the glass mold unit and the polyhedral metal substrate, and the filling seal fills the splicing gap between adjacent glass mold units.

2. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The polyhedral metal substrate has 6 to 12 facets.

3. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 2, characterized in that: The polyhedral metal matrix is ​​made of a high-strength, lightweight alloy.

4. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller of claim 1, wherein: The bottom of the rectangular groove is machined with a V-shaped positioning groove, and the bottom surface of the glass mold unit is machined with a V-shaped positioning protrusion that cooperates with the V-shaped positioning groove. The V-shaped positioning protrusion cooperates with the V-shaped positioning groove to achieve precise positioning.

5. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thermally conductive elastic pad is laid between the bottom surface of the glass mold unit and the edge of the polyhedral metal substrate, avoiding the area where the V-shaped positioning protrusion and the V-shaped positioning groove contact each other.

6. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller of claim 5, wherein: The polyhedral metal substrate has vacuum adsorption channels inside, which are connected to an external vacuum source to further adsorb and fix the glass mold unit onto the edge surface of the polyhedral metal substrate through negative pressure.

7. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The polyhedral metal substrate has a temperature-controlled flow channel inside, which is used to connect a constant temperature medium to regulate the working temperature of the mold.

8. The modular tessellation optical micro-nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The temperature control channel has a circular cross-section and is arranged in a serpentine or parallel pattern; the polyhedral metal substrate is also provided with vacuum adsorption channels, and a solid metal isolation layer is provided between the vacuum adsorption channels and the temperature control channel.

9. A modular embedded optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 8, characterized in that: The thermally conductive elastic pad is a high thermal conductivity pad with a microporous structure.

10. A modular inlaid optical micro / nano structure array glass mold roller according to claim 9, characterized in that: The glass mold unit is a glass sheet mass-produced through a glass molding process, and its material is selected from ordinary optical glass, borosilicate glass or low-melting-point optical glass.

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