Display panel drying equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a display panel drying device which comprises a drying chamber, an air knife, a fan and an auxiliary heating device, and a conveying device used for conveying a display panel is arranged in the drying chamber. The air knife is arranged above the conveying device and used for blowing air to the upper surface of the display panel so as to remove accumulated liquid. In the conveying direction of the display panel, the fan is arranged on the downstream of the air knife, and the air outlet end of the fan faces the upper surface of the display panel. The auxiliary heating device comprises an air duct movably arranged between the fan and the conveying device, airflow blown out by the fan can penetrate through the air duct and be blown to the display panel, and a heating piece used for heating the airflow is arranged in the air duct. The fan and the auxiliary heating device are arranged at the downstream of the air knife, and the fan is utilized to blow air towards the upper surface of the display panel so as to evaporate liquid stains left on the display panel, so that the liquid stains are prevented from flowing into the next working procedure to influence the coating quality of photoresist.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to display device manufacturing technical field especially relates to a display panel drying equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] Cleaning process is an important process that display panel needs to carry out before photoetching, that is, using cleaning liquid to clean the surface of display panel to remove the impurities on the surface of display panel and ensure the quality of subsequent photoresist coating. After cleaning the display panel, the accumulated liquid on the surface of the display panel needs to be removed by a drying equipment. Referring to the display panel drying equipment shown in the figure, the existing drying equipment includes an air knife 1' arranged inside a drying chamber and a roller 5' for conveying a display panel 2'. After the display panel 2' is washed by the cleaning liquid, the roller 5' conveys the display panel 2' to pass below the air knife 1'. The air knife 1' sprays hot air towards the display panel 2' to remove the accumulated liquid 3' on the display panel 2'. Figure 1

[0003] The existing drying equipment has the following disadvantages: during the operation of the air knife 1', the accumulated liquid 3' is affected by the airflow fluctuation or the blockage of foreign matters in the air knife 1', which further affects the removal effect of the accumulated liquid 3', and in severe cases, liquid stains 4' are left on the display panel 2'. The remaining liquid stains 4' affect the adhesion of photoresist in the subsequent process, causing the photoresist to fall off, which further affects the photoetching quality. UTILITY MODEL CONTENT

[0004] The utility model aims at providing a display panel drying equipment which can timely remove the liquid stains left on the display panel and ensure the subsequent photoetching quality.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] The utility model provides a display panel drying equipment, which comprises:

[0007] A drying chamber, wherein a conveying device for conveying a display panel is arranged in the drying chamber;

[0008] An air knife, which is arranged above the conveying device and is used for spraying gas to the upper surface of the display panel to remove the accumulated liquid on the display panel;

[0009] A fan, which is arranged downstream of the air knife along the conveying direction of the display panel, and the air outlet end of the fan faces the upper surface of the display panel;

[0010] ​The auxiliary heating device comprises a wind tube movably arranged between the fan and the conveying device, the airflow blown by the fan can pass through the wind tube and be sprayed onto the display panel, and a heating element for heating the airflow is arranged in the wind tube.

[0011] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the auxiliary heating device further comprises a driving assembly for driving the wind tube to move, the driving assembly comprises guide rails, moving parts and a traction rope, the two guide rails are arranged on opposite sides of the drying chamber respectively, the moving parts are movably arranged on each guide rail, and the two ends of the traction rope are wound on the corresponding moving parts of the two guide rails respectively.

[0012] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the moving part comprises a base, a winding disc and a motor arranged on the base, the motor is in transmission connection with the winding disc to drive the winding disc to rotate forward and reverse, and the traction rope is wound on the winding disc.

[0013] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, a plurality of moving parts are arranged on each guide rail, two moving parts located on different guide rails form a group, and the two ends of the traction rope are connected with the two moving parts in the same group respectively.

[0014] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the traction rope is in a strip shape, the width of the traction rope extends in the horizontal direction, the width of the traction rope is B, the thickness of the traction rope is T, and B / T≥10.

[0015] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the wind tube comprises a cylinder and a gas guide element arranged in the cylinder, the gas guide element is spaced from the inner wall of the cylinder to form a first airflow channel, a plurality of second airflow channels for passing airflow are arranged through the gas guide element, one end of the second airflow channels faces the fan, and the other end of the second airflow channels faces the display panel.

[0016] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the diameter of one end of the cylinder facing the fan is D1, the diameter of one end of the cylinder facing the display panel is D2, and D1>D2.

[0017] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, the heating element is arranged reciprocatingly and bent on one side of the gas guide element facing the fan.

[0018] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, a detection unit is further included, which is electrically connected with the auxiliary heating device, and is arranged above the conveying device, and is used for detecting the position of the liquid stain on the display panel.

[0019] As an optional solution of the display panel drying device, a positioning assembly is further arranged in the drying chamber, which includes a liftable baffle, which is used for abutting against the display panel to limit the movement of the display panel along the conveying direction.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the display panel drying device has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The display panel drying device has the following beneficial effects: the fan is arranged downstream of the air knife, and blows air towards the upper surface of the display panel to evaporate the liquid stain left on the display panel, so that the liquid stain does not flow into the next process to affect the coating quality of the photoresist. Meanwhile, the auxiliary heating device is used to heat the airflow at the position corresponding to the liquid stain, which can improve the evaporation efficiency of the liquid stain, and only a small part of the airflow is heated, which is beneficial to saving energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The display panel drying device will be further described in detail below according to the drawings and embodiments.

[0023] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a drying device in the prior art.

[0024] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the display panel drying device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 3 FIG. 5 is a top view of the display panel drying device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 4 FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a fan barrel according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 5 FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the fan barrel according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 6 FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a moving part according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 1 In the display panel drying device according to the present application, the fan barrel is arranged downstream of the air knife, and blows air towards the upper surface of the display panel to evaporate the liquid stain left on the display panel, so that the liquid stain does not flow into the next process to affect the coating quality of the photoresist.

[0030] 1', air knife; 2', display panel; 3', liquid accumulation; 4', liquid stain; 5', roller.

[0031] Figures 2 to 6 In the display panel drying device according to the present application, the fan barrel is arranged downstream of the air knife, and blows air towards the upper surface of the display panel to evaporate the liquid stain left on the display panel, so that the liquid stain does not flow into the next process to affect the coating quality of the photoresist.

[0032] 1, drying chamber; 10, chamber wall; 11, inlet; 12, outlet; 13, air vent; 2, display panel; 3, conveying device; 31, roller; 4, positioning assembly; 41, baffle; 42, air cylinder; 5, air knife; 6, fan; 7, auxiliary heating device; 71, driving assembly; 711, guide rail; 712, moving part; 7121, base; 7122, winding reel; 7123, guide wheel; 7124, driving wheel; 713, traction rope; 72, air duct; 721, duct body; 722, air guide piece; 723, first air flow channel; 724, second air flow channel; 725, fixing rod; 73, heating piece; 8, detection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The advantages and features of the present application and the method of realizing them will become apparent from the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present application is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be realized in various different forms, and the present embodiments are provided only to accomplish the disclosure of the present application and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the present application, and the present application is limited only by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals denote the same constituent elements throughout the specification.

[0034] Hereinafter, the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] As Figures 2 to 5As shown, the present embodiment provides a display panel drying device (hereinafter referred to as drying device) for drying display panel 2. After cleaning, a large amount of liquid is accumulated on the upper surface of display panel 2. The cleaned display panel 2 is transported to the drying device to remove the liquid on the display panel 2, so that the display panel 2 can enter the next process for photoresist coating operation. The drying device includes a drying chamber 1, an air knife 5, a conveying device 3, a fan 6 and a supplementary heating device 7. Among them, the drying chamber 1 provides space for the drying process of the display panel 2, and the drying chamber 1 is a cuboid structure surrounded by a chamber wall 10, and the length direction of the drying chamber 1 is set as the X direction shown in the figure, the width direction is the Y direction shown in the figure, and the height direction is the Z direction shown in the figure. The air knife 5, the conveying device 3, the fan 6 and the supplementary heating device 7 in the drying chamber 1 are all installed on the chamber wall 10. Along the length direction of the drying chamber 1, the chamber wall 10 is provided with an entrance 11 and an exit 12 at both ends for the display panel 2 to enter and exit. The conveying device 3 is used to carry and convey the display panel 2, and the conveying direction of the conveying device 3 extends along the length direction of the drying chamber 1, one end of the conveying device 3 is close to the entrance 11, and the other end is close to the exit 12. The conveying device 3 includes a plurality of spaced apart rollers 31, which rotate to drive the display panel 2 to move along the length direction of the drying chamber 1. In the present embodiment, the conveying direction of the display panel 2 is the X direction shown in the figure. The air knife 5 is arranged above the conveying device 3, and when the display panel 2 passes below the air knife 5, the air knife 5 can blow gas to the upper surface of the display panel 2 to remove the liquid on the upper surface of the display panel 2. Along the conveying direction of the display panel 2, the fan 6 is arranged downstream of the air knife 5, the fan 6 is installed on the top of the chamber wall 10, and the top of the chamber wall 10 is correspondingly provided with an air inlet 13 matched with the fan 6. The air inlet end of the fan 6 faces the air inlet 13, and the air outlet end of the fan 6 is arranged downward. When the display panel 2 passes below the fan 6, the air outlet end of the fan 6 faces the upper surface of the display panel 2 to blow air to the upper surface of the display panel 2. The air knife 5 is a prior art, and the specific structure and working principle will not be described here. The supplementary heating device 7 is arranged below the fan 6, and the supplementary heating device 7 includes a wind pipe 72 movably arranged between the fan 6 and the conveying device 3, the axis of the wind pipe 72 extends in the vertical direction, and the two ends of the wind pipe 72 in the vertical direction are penetrated, so that the airflow blown by the fan 6 can pass through the wind pipe 72 and blow directly to the upper surface of the display panel 2. The wind pipe 72 is provided with a heating element 73 for heating the airflow entering the inside of the wind pipe 72.

[0036] Understandably, after cleaning, the display panel 2 enters the drying chamber 1 through inlet 11, and the conveyor 3 transports the display panel 2 from inlet 11 towards outlet 12. When the display panel 2 passes under the air knife 5, the air knife 5 blows hot air towards the display panel 2 to remove the liquid accumulation on the upper surface of the display panel 2. Subsequently, the display panel 2 continues to move under the fan 6. When there are liquid stains on the display panel 2 that have not been completely removed by the air knife 5, the display panel 2 stops under the fan 6, and the fan 6 blows air towards the display panel 2. In addition, the air duct 72 moves above the location of the liquid stain, so that part of the airflow blown by the fan 6 towards the display panel 2 can pass through the air duct 72. This part of the airflow is heated by the heating element 73 inside the air duct 72 and becomes hot air, which is then blown onto the area where the liquid stain is located, thereby accelerating the evaporation and removal of the liquid stain, so that the liquid stains remaining on the surface of the display panel 2 can be quickly removed, and the subsequent photolithography quality of the display panel 2 can be guaranteed.

[0037] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 As shown, the auxiliary heating device 7 includes a drive assembly 71 and a blower 72. The blower 72 is used to heat the airflow directly sprayed onto the liquid stain, and the drive assembly 71 is used to drive the blower 72 to move so that it can move directly above the liquid stain. The drive assembly 71 includes guide rails 711, a moving part 712, and a traction rope 713. There are two guide rails 711, which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the drying chamber 1. In this embodiment, the two guide rails 711 are parallel and spaced apart along the width direction of the drying chamber 1. The moving part 712 is movably disposed on the guide rail 711 and can move along the length direction of the guide rail 711 (X direction in the figure). Each guide rail 711 is provided with a moving part 712. The traction rope 713 is used to fix the blower 72 and drive the blower 72 to move in the length and width directions of the drying chamber 1. One end of the traction rope 713 is wound around the moving part 712 corresponding to one of the guide rails 711, and the other end of the traction rope 713 is wound around the moving part 712 corresponding to the other guide rail 711. The air duct 72 is installed at a non-end position of the traction rope 713. The two moving parts 712 straighten the traction rope 713 so that the air duct 72 can be suspended between the two guide rails 711. By moving the moving parts 712 on the guide rails 711, the air duct 72 can be moved in the length direction of the drying chamber 1. By releasing or winding the traction rope 713 using the corresponding moving parts 712 on the two guide rails 711, the air duct 72 can be moved in the width direction of the drying chamber 1. Specifically, by releasing the traction rope 713 from one of the two moving parts 712 and winding the traction rope 713 around the other moving part 712, the air duct 72 can be moved in the width direction of the drying chamber 1.

[0038] To simultaneously blow hot air onto multiple liquid stains on the display panel 2, each guide rail 711 is equipped with multiple moving parts 712, with the same number of moving parts 712 on each guide rail 711. Two moving parts 712 located on different guide rails 711 form a group, and each group of two moving parts 712 is equipped with a corresponding traction rope 713, meaning that the two ends of the traction rope 713 are connected to two moving parts 712 in the same group. In this embodiment, three groups of moving parts 712 are configured, which corresponds to the ability to simultaneously drive three air blowers 72 to blow away the liquid stains on the display panel 2.

[0039] Specifically, refer to Figure 6 As shown, the moving part 712 includes a base 7121, a winding reel 7122, a motor (not shown), guide wheels 7123, and a drive wheel 7124. The base 7121 is an integral housing structure of the moving part 712, slidably mounted on a guide rail 711. A cavity is formed within the base 7121, and the winding reel 7122, motor, and guide wheels 7123 are all installed within the cavity. The motor is drively connected to the winding reel 7122, and drives the winding reel 7122 to rotate in both directions. The traction rope 713 passes through the base 7121 and is wound around the winding reel 7122. The guide wheels 7123 are used to limit the extension trajectory of the traction rope 713. The guide wheels 7123 are arranged in pairs, using two guide wheels 7123 to clamp the traction rope 713. In practical applications, corresponding guide wheels 7123 can be installed at turning points in the extension trajectory of the traction rope 713 and at openings near the base 7121. A drive wheel 7124 is located at the bottom of the base 7121 and is connected to a motor to drive the entire moving part 712 to move along the guide rail 711. It is understood that the drive assembly 71, consisting of the guide rail 711 and the moving part 712, is prone to generating foreign objects during operation due to friction between moving parts. In this embodiment, by providing guide rails 711 on both sides of the display panel 2, foreign objects generated by the drive assembly 71 can be prevented from falling onto the display panel 2. Furthermore, by using the winding and unwinding of the traction rope 713 to drive the air duct 72, it is possible to avoid installing moving parts above the display panel 2, thus reducing the risk of foreign objects falling onto the display panel 2. Therefore, this drive assembly 71, while driving the air duct 72 to move above the display panel 2, can also prevent the generation of foreign objects above the display panel 2 due to mechanical friction, reducing the risk of foreign objects being missed during the drying process of the display panel 2.

[0040] Specifically, refer to Figure 4As shown, the traction rope 713 is in a band shape. The width of the traction rope 713 extends in the horizontal direction, and the thickness of the traction rope 713 extends in the vertical direction. This structure can reduce the swing of the traction rope 713 in the horizontal direction, so as to facilitate the wind cylinder 72 to be accurately positioned above the liquid stain. The width of the traction rope 713 is B, and the thickness of the traction rope 713 is T, and the ratio of the width to the thickness B / T≥10. In order to reduce the swing of the traction rope 713 in the horizontal direction, the ratio of the width to the thickness should be as large as possible. Of course, in actual application, the ratio of the width to the thickness can be reasonably selected according to the specific material of the traction rope 713.

[0041] Specifically, referring to Figure 5 As shown, the wind cylinder 72 includes a cylinder body 721 and a gas guide 722 arranged in the cylinder body 721. The wind cylinder 72 is in a cylinder structure, the axis direction of the wind cylinder 72 extends in the vertical direction, the top end of the wind cylinder 72 forms an air inlet end, and the bottom end forms an air outlet end. The air inlet end of the wind cylinder 72 faces the fan 6, and the air outlet end faces the display panel 2. The gas guide 722 is coaxially arranged with the cylinder body 721, and the gas guide 722 is located on one side of the cylinder body 721 close to the air outlet end. The gas guide 722 is installed on the inner wall of the cylinder body 721 through a fixing rod 725, and the gas guide 722 is spaced from the inner wall of the cylinder body 721 to form a first airflow passage 723 between the gas guide 722 and the cylinder body 721. A plurality of second airflow passages 724 are arranged through the gas guide 722, the second airflow passages 724 are for airflow, one end of the second airflow passage 724 faces the fan 6, and the other end faces the display panel 2. The airflow entering from the air inlet end can be blown onto the display panel 2 through the first airflow passage 723 and the second airflow passage 724. The heating element 73 is an electric heating wire, and the heating element 73 is arranged in a reciprocating bending manner to form an “S” shape. The heating element 73 is arranged on the side of the gas guide 722 facing the fan 6, so that the airflow entering the cylinder body 721 is heated by the heating element 73 and then enters the first airflow passage 723 or the second airflow passage 724.

[0042] Further, in order to improve the cleaning effect on the liquid stain, the cylinder body 721 is arranged in a structure with one end large and the other end small. The diameter of the inlet end of the cylinder body 721 is D1, and the diameter of the outlet end is D2, and D1>D2. This structure is conducive to accelerating the sprayed airflow and improving the cleaning efficiency of the liquid stain. At the same time, in this embodiment, the second airflow passage 724 is arranged vertically, so that the airflow sprayed from the second airflow passage 724 is directly sprayed to the upper surface of the display panel 2 in the vertical direction. The first airflow passage 723 is arranged obliquely, and the first airflow passage 723 is inclined from the periphery of the cylinder body 721 to the middle part, so that the airflow sprayed from the first airflow passage 723 is inclined toward the axis of the wind cylinder 72. During the spraying process of the liquid stain, the airflow sprayed from the first airflow passage 723 can form an air wall on the periphery of the liquid stain, so as to avoid the spread of the liquid stain to the surrounding area.

[0043] Specifically, with continued reference to Figure 2 As shown, the drying device further comprises a detection unit 8 and a positioning assembly 4. The detection unit 8 is used to detect the position of the liquid stain on the display panel 2. The detection unit 8 is an existing infrared thermal imaging device. Since the hot air blown by the air knife 5 upstream removes the liquid, the temperature of the remaining liquid stain is different from that of the surrounding area of the display panel 2. In turn, the position of the liquid stain can be identified by the temperature difference. The infrared thermal imaging identification technology is a mature technology, and the specific structure and working principle of the detection unit 8 will not be described here. The detection unit 8 is installed on the top of the chamber wall 10 and located between the air knife 5 and the fan 6. The detection unit 8 is electrically connected with the auxiliary heating device 7 to transmit the position data of the liquid stain to the auxiliary heating device 7 so as to drive the air cylinder 72 to move to the corresponding position of the liquid stain.

[0044] The positioning assembly 4 plays a role in positioning the display panel 2, and the positioning assembly 4 is arranged at the bottom of the drying chamber 1. The positioning assembly 4 comprises a baffle 41 and an air cylinder 42 for driving the baffle 41 to ascend and descend. The baffle 41 is installed on the output end of the air cylinder 42. When the baffle 41 ascends, the baffle 41 can abut against the front end of the display panel 2 to limit the display panel 2 from continuing to move in the conveying direction, i.e., to play a role in positioning the display panel 2. Under the positioning action of the baffle 41, the display panel 2 can be accurately stopped at a suitable position below the fan 6 so as to accurately move the air cylinder 72 above the liquid stain. Of course, in other embodiments, the air cylinder 42 can also be replaced by a hydraulic cylinder or an electric telescopic piece.

[0045] The beneficial effects of the embodiment are as follows: by arranging the fan 6 and the auxiliary heating device 7 downstream of the air knife 5, the fan 6 blows air towards the upper surface of the display panel 2 to evaporate the liquid stain remaining on the display panel 2, avoiding the liquid stain from flowing into the next process and affecting the coating quality of the photoresist. At the same time, the auxiliary heating device 7 heats the airflow at the position corresponding to the liquid stain, which can improve the evaporation efficiency of the liquid stain on one hand, and can only heat a small part of the airflow on the other hand, which is conducive to saving energy.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present application is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be manufactured in various forms, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present application can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or basic characteristics of the present application. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary in all aspects rather than limiting.

Claims

1. A display panel drying device, characterized in that, include: A drying chamber, wherein a conveying device for conveying display panels is provided inside the drying chamber; An air knife is positioned above the conveying device and is used to spray gas onto the upper surface of the display panel to remove accumulated liquid from the display panel. A fan is positioned downstream of the air knife along the conveying direction of the display panel, with the fan's outlet facing the upper surface of the display panel. An auxiliary heating device includes a duct that is movably disposed between the fan and the conveying device. The airflow blown by the fan can pass through the duct and be sprayed onto the display panel. A heating element for heating the airflow is disposed inside the duct.

2. The display panel drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auxiliary heating device also includes a drive assembly for driving the air duct to move. The drive assembly includes a guide rail, a moving part, and a traction rope. There are two guide rails, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the drying chamber. The moving part is movably arranged on each guide rail. The two ends of the traction rope are respectively wound around the moving parts corresponding to the two guide rails. The air duct is mounted on the traction rope.

3. The display panel drying equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The moving part includes a base, a winding reel and a motor disposed on the base, the motor being driven to drive the winding reel to rotate in both directions, and the traction rope being wound on the winding reel.

4. The display panel drying equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each guide rail is provided with multiple moving parts, and two moving parts located on different guide rails form a group. The two ends of the traction rope are respectively connected to two moving parts in the same group.

5. The display panel drying equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The traction rope is strip-shaped, and its width extends horizontally. The width dimension of the traction rope is B, and the thickness dimension of the traction rope is T, with B / T ≥ 10.

6. The display panel drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct includes a cylinder and an air guide disposed inside the cylinder. The air guide is spaced from the inner wall of the cylinder to form a first airflow channel. A plurality of second airflow channels for supplying gas flow are provided through the air guide. One end of the second airflow channel faces the fan and the other end faces the display panel.

7. The display panel drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of the end of the cylinder facing the fan is D1, and the diameter of the end of the cylinder facing the display panel is D2, where D1 > D2.

8. The display panel drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heating element is arranged in a reciprocating bending manner on the side of the air guide facing the fan.

9. The display panel drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, It also includes a detection unit, which is electrically connected to the auxiliary heating device and is located above the conveying device. The detection unit is used to detect the position of liquid stains on the display panel.

10. The display panel drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The drying chamber is also equipped with a positioning component, which includes a baffle that can be raised and lowered. The baffle is used to abut against the display panel to restrict the movement of the display panel along the conveying direction.

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