Flexible film transfer device and flexible device manufacturing device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a flexible film transfer device and a flexible device manufacturing device. The flexible film transfer device comprises a supporting part; the adsorption assembly comprises a main body part, a vacuum forming piece and an adsorption part; wherein the main body part is mounted on the supporting part; the adsorption part is mounted on the main body part and comprises a suction cup, and the suction cup is used for adsorbing a flexible film; the vacuum forming piece is connected with the adsorption part and is used for enabling a vacuum environment to be formed between the suction cup and the flexible film when the flexible film is adsorbed by the adsorption part; and when the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible film, the flexible film is positioned below the main body part. According to the flexible film transfer device, the problems of deformation and warping of the flexible film in the transfer process can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of flexible device manufacturing technology, and in particular to a flexible membrane transfer device and a flexible device manufacturing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the field of flexible device manufacturing technology, toothed forks are commonly used to transfer flexible films. However, during the transfer of flexible films using toothed forks, the flexible films often deform and warp, resulting in a low yield of the final manufactured flexible devices.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a flexible film transfer device and a flexible device manufacturing apparatus, wherein the flexible devices manufactured by the flexible film transfer device and the flexible device manufacturing apparatus have a high product yield.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a flexible membrane transfer device, comprising:

[0006] Support section;

[0007] An adsorption assembly includes a main body, a vacuum forming member, and an adsorption part; wherein, the main body is mounted on the support part; the adsorption part is mounted on the main body, and the adsorption part includes a suction cup for adsorbing a flexible membrane; the vacuum forming member is connected to the adsorption part and is used to create a vacuum environment between the suction cup and the flexible membrane when the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane;

[0008] When the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane is located below the main body.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the main body includes:

[0010] The mounting frame is formed by connecting multiple mounting rods, and the adsorption part is mounted on the mounting rods.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the adsorption portion is mounted on the side of the mounting rod opposite to the center of the mounting frame.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the adsorption unit includes a plurality of suction cups, and at least one of the suction cups is mounted on each of the mounting rods.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the suction cup includes:

[0014] The disc portion is mounted on the mounting rod;

[0015] A through hole is provided on the side of the disk facing the flexible membrane and communicates with the vacuum forming member, for creating a vacuum environment between the disk and the flexible membrane when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible membrane.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the orthographic projection of the disk portion in the first direction is circular or elliptical;

[0017] Alternatively, the orthographic projection of the disk portion in the first direction is a rectangle, and the orthographic projection of the through hole in the first direction is a rectangle;

[0018] Wherein, the first direction is the direction in which the suction cup points towards the flexible film when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible film.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the orthographic projection of the disk portion in the first direction is rectangular, and the orthographic projection of the through hole in the first direction is rectangular;

[0020] Each of the disk portions is connected end to end, and the through holes on each of the disk portions are spaced apart; or, each of the disk portions is connected end to end, and the through holes on each of the disk portions are interconnected.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the flexible membrane transfer device includes two adsorption components, which are spaced apart in a first direction; the support portion includes:

[0022] The transfer arm includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section;

[0023] A first support member connects the first mounting portion and the main body portion of one of the adsorption components;

[0024] The second support member connects the second mounting portion and the main body portion of another of the adsorption components;

[0025] The transfer arm can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components are misaligned in the first direction; the first direction is the direction in which the suction cup points to the flexible film when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible film.

[0026] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a flexible membrane transfer device, comprising:

[0027] Support section;

[0028] An adsorption assembly includes a main body, a vacuum forming member, and an adsorption section; wherein the main body is mounted on the support portion and is used to support a flexible membrane; the adsorption section includes a plurality of adsorption holes, which are formed on the side of the main body facing the flexible membrane; the vacuum forming member communicates with the plurality of adsorption holes and is used to create a vacuum environment between each adsorption hole and the flexible membrane when the adsorption section adsorbs the flexible membrane;

[0029] When the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane is located above the main body.

[0030] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the main body is a support plate, and the adsorption hole penetrates the support plate; the vacuum forming member communicates with the opening on the side of the adsorption hole opposite to the flexible membrane.

[0031] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the carrier plate has a central region and an edge adsorption region surrounding the central region, and the plurality of adsorption holes include a plurality of first adsorption holes, which are spaced apart in the edge adsorption region.

[0032] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the plurality of adsorption pores further include a plurality of second adsorption pores and a plurality of third adsorption pores;

[0033] The central region is provided with a first central adsorption region extending along a second direction and a second central adsorption region extending along a third direction, a plurality of second adsorption holes are provided in the first central adsorption region, and a plurality of third adsorption holes are provided in the second central adsorption region.

[0034] Wherein, the second direction and the third direction intersect.

[0035] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the flexible membrane transfer device includes two adsorption components, which are spaced apart in a fourth direction; the support portion includes:

[0036] The transfer arm includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section;

[0037] A first support member connects the first mounting portion and the main body portion of one of the adsorption components;

[0038] The second support member connects the second mounting portion and the main body portion of another of the adsorption components;

[0039] The transfer arm can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components are misaligned in the fourth direction; the fourth direction is the direction in which the main body points to the flexible membrane when the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane.

[0040] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the two adsorption components are a first adsorption component and a second adsorption component, wherein the first adsorption component is an adsorption component in the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of the first aspects, the second adsorption component is an adsorption component in the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of the second aspects, and the first adsorption component is located above the second adsorption component.

[0041] The third aspect of this disclosure provides a flexible device manufacturing apparatus, including the flexible film transfer device described in any one of the first aspects above, and / or the flexible film transfer device described in any one of the second aspects above.

[0042] The technical solution provided in this disclosure can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0043] This disclosure provides a flexible membrane transfer device, which may include a support portion and an adsorption assembly. The adsorption assembly may include a main body portion, a vacuum forming member, and an adsorption portion. The vacuum forming member can create a vacuum environment between the suction cup of the adsorption portion and the flexible membrane, thereby allowing the suction cup to adsorb the flexible membrane for transfer.

[0044] Therefore, this disclosure utilizes vacuum adsorption to transfer the flexible film, which, compared to existing technologies, avoids deformation and warping. Consequently, in subsequent flexible device manufacturing processes, this avoids situations where deformation or warping of the flexible film would prevent manufacturing processes from being halted. Alternatively, it avoids problems such as adhesive breakage, abnormal liquid crystal diffusion, and abnormal flexible device thickness that can occur in subsequent processes due to flexible film deformation or warping. Thus, using the flexible film transfer device of this disclosure can significantly improve the product yield of flexible devices.

[0045] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0046] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible membrane transfer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0048] Figure 2A partial structural schematic diagram of a flexible membrane transfer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0049] Figure 3 An exemplary embodiment according to this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the diagram;

[0050] Figure 4 A partial structural schematic diagram of a flexible membrane transfer device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Figure 5 An exemplary embodiment according to this disclosure is shown. Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point B in the diagram;

[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible membrane transfer device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0053] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible membrane transfer device according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0054] Figure 8 A partial structural schematic diagram of a flexible membrane transfer device according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0055] Figure 9 An exemplary embodiment according to this disclosure is shown. Figure 8 A magnified structural diagram at point C in the diagram.

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0057] 1. Support unit; 11. Transfer arm; 12. Support component; 121. Support rod; 122. Connecting block; 13. Robotic arm;

[0058] 2. Adsorption assembly; 21. Main body; 211. Mounting frame; 2111. First mounting rod; 2112. Second mounting rod; 2113. Third mounting rod; 2114. Fourth mounting rod; 212. First reinforcing rod; 213. Second reinforcing rod; 214. Central region; 215. Edge adsorption region; 216. First central adsorption region; 217. Second central adsorption region; 22. Vacuum forming element; 221. Vacuum pipeline; 23. Adsorption part; 231. Suction cup; 2311. Disk part; 2312. Through hole; 232. Adsorption hole; 2321. First adsorption hole; 2322. Second adsorption hole; 2323. Third adsorption hole; 24. First adsorption assembly; 25. Second adsorption assembly;

[0059] 3. Flexible membrane;

[0060] X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction; W, fourth direction. Detailed Implementation

[0061] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.

[0062] Although relative terms such as "up" and "down" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down." When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0063] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” and “the” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion meaning and that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first” and “second” are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0064] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the first aspect of this disclosure provides a flexible membrane transfer device. This flexible membrane transfer device can avoid the problems of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transfer. This flexible membrane transfer device can be used to transfer the lower membrane of flexible devices, but is not limited thereto.

[0065] The flexible membrane transfer device may include a support portion 1 and an adsorption assembly 2. The adsorption assembly 2 may include a main body portion 21, a vacuum forming member 22, and an adsorption portion 23. The main body portion 21 may be mounted on the support portion 1. The adsorption portion 23 may be mounted on the main body portion 21 and may include a suction cup 231 for adsorbing the flexible membrane 3. The vacuum forming member 22 may be connected to the adsorption portion 23 to create a vacuum environment between the suction cup 231 and the flexible membrane 3 when the adsorption portion 23 adsorbs the flexible membrane 3. When the adsorption portion 23 adsorbs the flexible membrane 3, the flexible membrane 3 is located below the main body portion 21.

[0066] Therefore, this disclosure utilizes vacuum adsorption to transfer the flexible film 3, which, compared to existing technologies, avoids deformation and warping. Consequently, in subsequent manufacturing processes of flexible devices, this prevents manufacturing failures due to deformation or warping of the flexible film 3. Alternatively, it avoids problems such as adhesive breakage, abnormal liquid crystal diffusion, and abnormal flexible device thickness caused by deformation or warping of the flexible film 3 in subsequent processes. Thus, the flexible film transfer device of this disclosure can significantly improve the product yield of flexible devices.

[0067] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the adsorption part 23 adsorbs the flexible film 3, the process surface of the flexible film 3 can be located on the side of the flexible film 3 facing away from the adsorption part 23, and the non-process surface of the flexible film 3 can be located on the side of the flexible film 3 close to the adsorption part 23. That is, the adsorption part 23 can transfer the flexible film 3 by adsorbing the non-process surface of the flexible film 3.

[0068] It should be noted that the "process surface" of the flexible film 3 mentioned here refers to the surface where subsequent processes such as frame adhesive coating are required in the manufacturing process of the flexible device. The "non-process surface" of the flexible film 3 refers to the surface where subsequent processes such as frame adhesive coating are not required in the manufacturing process of the flexible device. When the process surface of the flexible film 3 is contaminated, it may affect subsequent processes such as frame adhesive coating and liquid crystal injection, thereby affecting the product yield of the flexible device.

[0069] Therefore, in this embodiment, the adsorption part 23 is used to adsorb the non-process surface of the flexible film 3 to transfer the flexible film 3, which can effectively avoid the adsorption part 23 from contacting the process surface of the flexible film 3 and avoid the adsorption part 23 from contaminating the process surface of the flexible film 3, thereby improving the product yield of flexible devices.

[0070] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the main body 21 may include a mounting frame 211. The mounting frame 211 may be formed by connecting multiple mounting rods together. By setting the main body 21 in the form of a mounting frame 211, the variety of the main body 21 can be reduced, and the supporting pressure on the support 1 can be decreased.

[0071] The adsorption part 23 can be installed on the mounting rod. Furthermore, the adsorption part 23 can be installed on the side of the mounting rod away from the center of the mounting frame 211 to increase the adsorption range of the adsorption part 23 and to avoid positional interference of the mounting frame 211 on the adsorption operation of the adsorption part 23.

[0072] The adsorption section 23 may include multiple suction cups 231, and at least one suction cup 231 may be mounted on each mounting rod. This arrangement can increase the adsorption range of the adsorption section 23 and improve the adsorption stability of the adsorption section 23, further reducing the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transportation.

[0073] In one embodiment, the spacing between any two adjacent suction cups 231 can be the same to improve the uniformity of the adsorption force applied by the adsorption part 23 to the flexible membrane 3, further improve the stability of the adsorption by the adsorption part 23 on the flexible membrane 3, and further reduce the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during the transfer process.

[0074] The aforementioned suction cup 231 may include a disk portion 2311 and a through hole 2312. The disk portion 2311 can be mounted on a mounting rod. The through hole 2312 can be located on the side of the disk portion 2311 facing the flexible film 3 and communicates with the vacuum forming member 22, used to create a vacuum environment between the disk portion 2311 and the flexible film 3 when the suction cup 231 adsorbs the flexible film 3. That is, when the suction cup 231 adsorbs the flexible film 3, the vacuum forming member 22 can be opened, and the air between the suction cup 231 and the flexible film 3 can be extracted through the through hole 2312, thus creating a vacuum environment between the suction cup 231 and the flexible film 3.

[0075] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the projection of the disk portion 2311 in the first direction X can be circular or elliptical, etc. The first direction X can be the direction in which the suction cup 231 points towards the flexible film 3 when the suction cup 231 adsorbs the flexible film 3. This arrangement facilitates the placement of the suction cup 231 and increases the adsorption area and adsorption capacity of the suction cup 231.

[0076] The diameter of the disk 2311 and the spacing between two adjacent suction cups 231 can be adjusted according to the area of ​​the flexible membrane 3. When the area of ​​the flexible membrane 3 is larger, the diameter of the disk 2311 can be larger and the spacing between two adjacent suction cups 231 can be larger.

[0077] The flexible membrane 3 has a process area and an adsorption area located around the process area. To ensure that the suction cup 231 does not adsorb onto the process area of ​​the flexible membrane 3, the diameter of the cup 2311 needs to be smaller than the width of the adsorption area of ​​the flexible membrane 3. For example, when the area of ​​the flexible membrane 3 is 1250mm*1650mm and the width of the adsorption area of ​​the flexible membrane 3 is 20mm, the diameter of the cup 2311 can be 15mm-20mm, and the interval between two adjacent suction cups 231 can be 100mm-120mm.

[0078] In another embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the projection of the disk portion 2311 in the first direction X can be rectangular, and the projection of the through hole 2312 in the first direction X can also be rectangular. It can be understood that the through hole 2312 can be a rectangular groove on the disk portion 2311. This design increases the length of the disk portion 2311 and the through hole 2312 without making them too wide. Therefore, while ensuring that the suction cup 231 has a large adsorption area, it avoids the suction cup 231 from adsorbing onto the processing area of ​​the flexible film 3 due to the excessive width of the disk portion 2311, thus preventing the suction cup 231 from affecting subsequent processes of the flexible film 3.

[0079] The length and width of each disk 2311, as well as the interval between any two disks 2311, can be adjusted according to the area of ​​the flexible membrane 3. When the area of ​​the flexible membrane 3 is larger, the length and width of the disk 2311 can be larger, and the interval between two adjacent disks 2311 can be larger.

[0080] To ensure that the suction cup 231 does not adhere to the processing area of ​​the flexible film 3, the width of the disk portion 2311 needs to be smaller than the width of the adsorption area of ​​the flexible film 3. For example, when the area of ​​the flexible film 3 is 1250mm*1650mm and the width of the adsorption area of ​​the flexible film 3 is 20mm, the length of the disk portion 2311 can be 90mm, the width of the disk portion 2311 can be 15mm-20mm, and the interval between two adjacent disk portions 2311 can be 10mm.

[0081] In this embodiment, each disk portion 2311 can be connected end to end, and the through holes 2312 on each disk portion 2311 can be spaced apart. That is, it can be understood that after each disk portion 2311 is connected end to end, the adsorption part 23 can be a frame structure, and each through hole 2312 can be spaced apart on the frame structure.

[0082] Alternatively, the disks 2311 can be connected end to end, and the through holes 2312 on each disk 2311 can be interconnected. That is, it can be understood that after the disks 2311 are connected end to end, the adsorption part 23 can be a frame structure, and after the through holes 2312 are connected, they can be annular through holes 2312 provided on the frame structure.

[0083] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the support part 1 may include a transfer arm 11. The transfer arm 11 can be connected to the main body part 21 to mount the main body part 21 onto the support part 1. By providing the transfer arm 11, the adsorption component 2 can be moved using the transfer arm 11, thereby driving the movement of the flexible membrane 3, so that the flexible membrane 3 is transferred to a preset position.

[0084] The support portion 1 may further include a support member 12. The support member 12 can connect the mounting portion and the main body 21 of the adsorption assembly 2 to prevent positional interference between the main body 21 and the transfer arm 11 when the main body 21 is directly connected to the transfer arm 11. The support member 12 may include a support rod 121 and a connecting block 122. The connecting block 122 can be mounted on the mounting portion, and the support rod 121 can connect the connecting block 122 and the main body 21. By providing the support rod 121, the distance between the mounting portion and the main body 21 can be increased, further reducing the probability of positional interference between the transfer arm 11 and the main body 21.

[0085] In one embodiment, the plurality of mounting rods may include: a first mounting rod 2111, a second mounting rod 2112, a third mounting rod 2113, and a fourth mounting rod 2114. The first mounting rod 2111 and the second mounting rod 2112 may be arranged opposite each other in a second direction Y, and the third mounting rod 2113 and the fourth mounting rod 2114 may be arranged opposite each other in a third direction Z, which may intersect with the second direction Y.

[0086] The support rod 121 can be connected to both the first mounting rod 2111 and the second mounting rod 2112, so that the support rod 121 is connected to the main body 21. This arrangement increases the number of connection points between the support rod 121 and the main body 21, thereby improving the connection strength between the support rod 121 and the main body 21.

[0087] The main body 21 may further include a first reinforcing rod 212, which can connect to a third mounting rod 2113 and a fourth mounting rod 2114 to improve the structural strength of the mounting frame 211. The support rod 121 may also be connected to the first reinforcing rod 212 to further increase the number of connection points between the support rod 121 and the main body 21, thereby further improving the connection strength between the support rod 121 and the main body 21. Multiple first reinforcing rods 212 may be present, and these multiple first reinforcing rods 212 may be spaced apart to further improve the structural strength of the mounting frame 211. Furthermore, the support rod 121 may be connected to multiple first reinforcing rods 212.

[0088] The main body 21 may further include a second reinforcing rod 213, which can connect the first mounting rod 2111 and the second mounting rod 2112 to improve the structural strength of the mounting frame 211. Multiple second reinforcing rods 213 may be provided, and these multiple rods 213 may be spaced apart to further improve the structural strength of the mounting frame 211.

[0089] Multiple support rods 121 can be provided, and these support rods 121 can be spaced apart to improve the connection strength between the support part 1 and the main body 21, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the main body 21. The support rods 121 can be made of aluminum alloy or carbon fiber to ensure high load-bearing strength while reducing their weight, thus reducing the load on the transfer arm 11. However, this is not a limitation; the support rods 121 can also be made of other materials, such as steel or copper alloy, and the selection and setting can be made according to the actual situation, all of which are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0090] In one embodiment, the vacuum forming component 22 may include a vacuum pump and a vacuum line 221. The vacuum line 221 can be used to connect each suction cup 231 and communicate with the through-hole 2312 of each suction cup 231. The vacuum pump can be connected to the vacuum line 221 to extract air between each suction cup 231 and the flexible membrane 3, thereby creating a vacuum environment between each suction cup 231 and the flexible membrane 3. The vacuum pump can be disposed within the transfer arm 11 to improve the integration of the flexible membrane transfer device, but is not limited thereto; the vacuum pump can also be disposed in other locations, which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0091] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 1 As shown, the flexible film transfer device may include two adsorption components 2. The two adsorption components 2 may be spaced apart in a first direction X. The transfer arm 11 may include multiple mounting portions, and the multiple mounting portions may have at least a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The support portion 1 may include multiple support members 12, and the multiple support members 12 may have at least a first support member and a second support member. The first support member may connect the first mounting portion and the main body portion 21 of one of the adsorption components 2. The second support member may connect the second mounting portion and the main body portion 21 of the other adsorption component 2. This arrangement can improve the transfer capacity of the flexible film transfer device, enabling the flexible film transfer device to transfer multiple flexible films 3 simultaneously.

[0092] In one embodiment, the transfer arm 11 can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components 2 are misaligned in the first direction X. With this configuration, when the upper adsorption component 2 adsorbs the flexible film 3, the transfer arm 11 can move the lower adsorption component 2 away, so as to avoid the lower adsorption component 2 interfering with the upper adsorption component 2, and thus ensure that the upper adsorption component 2 can perform adsorption work normally.

[0093] In one embodiment, the support 1 may further include a robotic arm 13. The transfer arm 11 may be mounted on the robotic arm 13 so that the robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move.

[0094] The support unit 1 may include multiple transfer arms 11, each mounted on a robotic arm 13, and the robotic arm 13 can individually drive each transfer arm 11. The flexible membrane transfer device may include multiple adsorption components 2, with two adsorption components 2 mounted on each transfer arm 11. This configuration further improves the transfer capacity of the flexible membrane transfer device and enhances its operational flexibility and applicability.

[0095] When using this flexible membrane transfer device, the robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move, allowing the adsorption component 2 to enter the upstream equipment and descend to the base surface of the upstream equipment, so that the suction cup 231 contacts the flexible membrane 3. The vacuum adsorption of the upstream equipment base can be released, and the vacuum pump can be turned on to allow the suction cup 231 to begin vacuum adsorption, using the adsorption component 2 to adsorb the flexible membrane 3. The robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move, causing the adsorption component 2 to rise and move the flexible membrane 3 away from the base. The adsorption component 2 can then enter the downstream equipment, allowing the flexible membrane 3 to contact the base surface of the downstream equipment. The vacuum adsorption of the downstream equipment base can be turned on, and the vacuum pump can be turned off, causing the flexible membrane 3 to separate from the suction cup 231 and be adsorbed by the base, thus completing the transfer of the flexible membrane 3.

[0096] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a flexible membrane transfer device, such as... Figures 6 to 9 As shown, this flexible membrane transfer device can prevent the flexible membrane 3 from deforming and warping during the transfer process. This flexible membrane transfer device can be used to transfer the upper membrane of flexible devices, but is not limited to this.

[0097] The flexible membrane transfer device may include a support portion 1 and an adsorption assembly 2. The adsorption assembly 2 may include a main body portion 21, a vacuum forming member 22, and an adsorption portion 23. The main body portion 21 may be mounted on the support portion 1 and may be used to support the flexible membrane 3. The adsorption portion 23 may include multiple adsorption holes 232, which may be formed on the side of the main body portion 21 facing the flexible membrane 3. The vacuum forming member 22 may communicate with the multiple adsorption holes 232 to create a vacuum environment between the adsorption holes 232 and the flexible membrane 3 when the adsorption portion 23 adsorbs the flexible membrane 3. When the adsorption portion 23 adsorbs the flexible membrane 3, the flexible membrane 3 is located above the main body portion 21.

[0098] Therefore, this disclosure utilizes vacuum adsorption to transfer the flexible film 3, which, compared to existing technologies, avoids deformation and warping. Consequently, in subsequent manufacturing processes of flexible devices, this prevents manufacturing failures due to deformation or warping of the flexible film 3. Alternatively, it avoids problems such as adhesive breakage, abnormal liquid crystal diffusion, and abnormal flexible device thickness caused by deformation or warping of the flexible film 3 in subsequent processes. Thus, the flexible film transfer device of this disclosure can significantly improve the product yield of flexible devices.

[0099] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the adsorption part 23 adsorbs the flexible film 3, the process surface of the flexible film 3 can be located on the side of the flexible film 3 facing away from the adsorption part 23, and the non-process surface of the flexible film 3 can be located on the side of the flexible film 3 close to the adsorption part 23. That is, the adsorption part 23 can transfer the flexible film 3 by adsorbing the non-process surface of the flexible film 3. Therefore, this embodiment utilizes the adsorption part 23 to adsorb the non-process surface of the flexible film 3 for transfer, which can effectively avoid the adsorption part 23 contacting the process surface of the flexible film 3, avoid the adsorption part 23 contaminating the process surface of the flexible film 3, and improve the product yield of flexible devices.

[0100] In one embodiment, the main body 21 is a support plate, and the adsorption hole 232 can penetrate the support plate. The vacuum forming member 22 can communicate with the opening on the side of the adsorption hole 232 opposite to the flexible membrane 3. This arrangement ensures that the flexible membrane 3 can be flatly adsorbed on the surface of the support plate, thereby further reducing the probability of deformation or warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transportation.

[0101] The surface of the support plate near the flexible membrane 3 can be coated with an antistatic coating. This arrangement prevents static electricity from being generated between the flexible membrane 3 and the support plate, thus ensuring that the flexible membrane 3 is separated from the support plate when it is below the flexible membrane transfer device.

[0102] The bearing plate can be made of aluminum alloy or plastic to ensure sufficient strength while minimizing its weight, thereby reducing the load on the support 1 and extending its service life. However, it is not limited to this; the bearing plate can also be made of other materials, such as steel or copper alloy, which can be selected and configured according to actual needs, all of which are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0103] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the support plate may have a central region 214 and an edge adsorption region 215 surrounding the central region 214. The central region 214 may have a first central adsorption region 216 extending along a second direction Y, and a second central adsorption region 217 extending along a third direction Z. Multiple first central adsorption regions 216 and multiple second central adsorption regions 217 may be present, and the multiple first central adsorption regions 216 and the multiple second central adsorption regions 217 may be spaced apart.

[0104] The multiple adsorption pores 232 may include multiple first adsorption pores 2321, which may be spaced apart at the edge adsorption region 215. This arrangement can increase the adsorption range of the adsorption part 23 and improve the adsorption stability of the adsorption part 23, further reducing the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transport.

[0105] The plurality of adsorption pores 232 may also include a plurality of second adsorption pores 2322. The plurality of second adsorption pores 2322 may be disposed in the first central adsorption region 216 to further increase the adsorption range of the adsorption section 23 and further improve the adsorption stability of the adsorption section 23, and further reduce the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transport.

[0106] The multiple adsorption pores 232 may also include multiple third adsorption pores 2323. The multiple third adsorption pores 2323 may be disposed in the second central adsorption region 217 to further increase the adsorption range of the adsorption section 23, and further improve the adsorption stability of the adsorption section 23, and further reduce the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during the transfer process.

[0107] In one embodiment, the spacing between any two adjacent first adsorption pores 2321 can be the same, the spacing between any two adjacent second adsorption pores 2322 can be the same, and the spacing between any two adjacent second adsorption pores 2322 can be the same. This configuration can improve the uniformity of the adsorption force applied by the adsorption section 23 to the flexible membrane 3, further improve the stability of the adsorption by the adsorption section 23 on the flexible membrane 3, and further reduce the probability of deformation and warping of the flexible membrane 3 during transport.

[0108] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the support portion 1 may include a transfer arm 11. The transfer arm 11 may be connected to the main body portion 21 to mount the main body portion 21 onto the support portion 1. By providing the transfer arm 11, the adsorption assembly 2 can be moved using the transfer arm 11, thereby driving the movement of the flexible membrane 3, so that the flexible membrane 3 is transferred to a preset position.

[0109] The support portion 1 may further include a support member 12. The support member 12 can connect the mounting portion and the main body 21 of the adsorption assembly 2 to prevent positional interference between the main body 21 and the transfer arm 11 when the main body 21 is directly connected to the transfer arm 11. The support member 12 may include a support rod 121 and a connecting block 122. The connecting block 122 can be mounted on the mounting portion, and the support rod 121 can connect the connecting block 122 and the main body 21. By providing the support rod 121, the distance between the mounting portion and the main body 21 can be increased, further reducing the probability of positional interference between the transfer arm 11 and the main body 21.

[0110] Multiple support rods 121 can be provided, and these rods can be spaced apart to improve the connection strength between the support part 1 and the main body 21, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of the main body 21. The support rods 121 can be made of aluminum alloy or carbon fiber to ensure high load-bearing strength while reducing their weight, thus lowering the load on the transfer arm 11. However, this is not a limitation; the support rods 121 can also be made of other materials, such as steel or copper alloy, and the selection and arrangement can be based on actual conditions, all of which are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0111] In one embodiment, the vacuum forming element 22 may include a vacuum pump and a vacuum line 221. The vacuum line 221 can be used to connect each adsorption hole 232. The vacuum pump can be connected to the vacuum line 221 to extract air between each adsorption hole 232 and the flexible membrane 3, thereby creating a vacuum environment between each adsorption hole 232 and the flexible membrane 3.

[0112] Vacuum line 221 can be located on the side of adsorption hole 232 away from the flexible membrane 3 and connected to the opening on the side of adsorption hole 232 away from the flexible membrane 3 to avoid the vacuum line 221 affecting the flatness of the adsorption of the flexible membrane 3. Vacuum pump can be located inside transfer arm 11 to improve the integration of flexible membrane transfer device, but is not limited thereto. Vacuum pump can also be located in other positions, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0113] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the flexible film transfer device may include two adsorption components 2. The two adsorption components 2 may be spaced apart in the fourth direction W. The transfer arm 11 may include multiple mounting portions, and the multiple mounting portions may have at least a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The support portion 1 may include multiple support members 12, and the multiple support members 12 may have at least a first support member and a second support member. The first support member may connect the first mounting portion and the main body portion 21 of one of the adsorption components 2. The second support member may connect the second mounting portion and the main body portion 21 of the other adsorption component 2. This arrangement can improve the transfer capacity of the flexible film transfer device, enabling the flexible film transfer device to transfer multiple flexible films 3 simultaneously.

[0114] In one embodiment, the transfer arm 11 can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components 2 are misaligned in the first direction X. With this configuration, when the lower adsorption component 2 adsorbs the flexible membrane 3, the transfer arm 11 can move the upper adsorption component 2 away, so as to avoid the upper adsorption component 2 interfering with the lower adsorption component 2 in position, and thus ensure that the lower adsorption component 2 can perform adsorption work normally.

[0115] In one embodiment, the support 1 may further include a robotic arm 13. The transfer arm 11 may be mounted on the robotic arm 13 so that the robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move.

[0116] The support unit 1 may include multiple transfer arms 11, each mounted on a robotic arm 13, and the robotic arm 13 can individually drive each transfer arm 11. The flexible membrane transfer device may include multiple adsorption components 2, with two adsorption components 2 mounted on each transfer arm 11. This configuration further improves the transfer capacity of the flexible membrane transfer device and enhances its operational flexibility and applicability.

[0117] When using this flexible membrane transfer device, the robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move, allowing the adsorption component 2 to enter the upstream equipment. The adsorption structure of the upstream equipment can place the flexible membrane 3 on the surface of the main body 21. The vacuum pump can be turned on, and the adsorption holes 232 can begin vacuum adsorption, so that the adsorption component 2 can adsorb the flexible membrane 3. The robotic arm 13 can drive the transfer arm 11 to move, causing the adsorption component 2 to exit the upstream equipment, so that the flexible membrane 3 can be moved away from the upstream equipment. The adsorption component 2 can be allowed to enter the downstream equipment, and the flexible membrane 3 can be brought into contact with the base surface of the downstream equipment. The vacuum adsorption of the downstream equipment base can be turned on, and the vacuum pump can be turned off, so that the flexible membrane 3 separates from the adsorption part 23 and is adsorbed by the base, thereby completing the transfer of the flexible membrane 3.

[0118] In one embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 7 As shown, the two adsorption components 2 can be a first adsorption component 24 and a second adsorption component 25, respectively. The first adsorption component 24 can be the adsorption component 2 in the flexible film transfer device provided in the first aspect of this disclosure. The second adsorption component 25 can be the adsorption component 2 in the flexible film transfer device provided in the second aspect of this disclosure. Furthermore, the first adsorption component 24 can be located above the second adsorption component 25. With this configuration, the transfer of the upper and lower films can be completed using only one flexible film transfer device, thereby saving on the transfer cost of the flexible film 3. Moreover, this configuration allows for the simultaneous transfer of the upper and lower films of the flexible device using a single flexible film transfer device, facilitating subsequent flexible device assembly processes.

[0119] It should be noted that the specific structure and beneficial effects of the adsorption component 2 in the flexible membrane transport device provided by the first aspect of this disclosure have been described in detail in the previous topic. Therefore, the specific structure and beneficial effects of the adsorption component 2 in the flexible membrane transport device provided by the first aspect of this disclosure will not be repeated in this topic. Please refer to the specific description in the previous topic. All of these are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0120] This disclosure provides a flexible device manufacturing apparatus in a third aspect. This flexible device manufacturing apparatus may include the flexible film transfer device provided in the first aspect of this disclosure. Alternatively, the flexible device manufacturing apparatus may include the flexible film transfer device provided in the second aspect of this disclosure. Alternatively, the flexible device manufacturing apparatus may include both the flexible film transfer device provided in the first aspect of this disclosure and the flexible film transfer device provided in the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0121] It should be noted that the specific structure and beneficial effects of the flexible membrane transfer device provided in the first aspect and the second aspect of this disclosure have been described in detail in the above-mentioned subject matter. Therefore, the specific structure and beneficial effects of the flexible membrane transfer device provided in the first aspect and the second aspect of this disclosure will not be repeated in this subject matter. You can refer to the specific description in the above-mentioned subject matter, which are all within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0122] Since the flexible device manufacturing apparatus provided in this disclosure includes the aforementioned flexible film transfer device, such as... Figures 1 to 9As shown, the aforementioned flexible film transfer device can transfer the flexible film 3 via vacuum adsorption, which avoids deformation and warping compared to existing technologies. Therefore, in subsequent flexible device manufacturing processes, the deformation and warping of the flexible film 3 can prevent these processes from becoming impossible. Alternatively, it can prevent problems such as adhesive breakage, abnormal liquid crystal diffusion, and abnormal flexible device thickness caused by deformation and warping of the flexible film 3 in subsequent processes. Thus, flexible devices manufactured using the flexible device manufacturing apparatus of this disclosure have a high product yield.

[0123] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flexible membrane transfer device, characterized in that, include: Support section; An adsorption assembly includes a main body, a vacuum forming member, and an adsorption part; wherein, the main body is mounted on the support part; the adsorption part is mounted on the main body, and the adsorption part includes a suction cup for adsorbing a flexible membrane; the vacuum forming member is connected to the adsorption part and is used to create a vacuum environment between the suction cup and the flexible membrane when the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane; When the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane is located below the main body.

2. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body includes: The mounting frame is formed by connecting multiple mounting rods, and the adsorption part is mounted on the mounting rods.

3. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adsorption part is installed on the side of the mounting rod opposite to the center of the mounting frame.

4. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adsorption unit includes multiple suction cups, and at least one suction cup is mounted on each of the mounting rods.

5. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The suction cup includes: The disc portion is mounted on the mounting rod; A through hole is provided on the side of the disk facing the flexible membrane and communicates with the vacuum forming member, for creating a vacuum environment between the disk and the flexible membrane when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible membrane.

6. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the disk in the first direction is circular or elliptical; Alternatively, the orthographic projection of the disk portion in the first direction is a rectangle, and the orthographic projection of the through hole in the first direction is a rectangle; Wherein, the first direction is the direction in which the suction cup points towards the flexible film when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible film.

7. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the disk portion in the first direction is a rectangle, and the orthographic projection of the through hole in the first direction is a rectangle; Each of the disk portions is connected end to end, and the through holes on each of the disk portions are spaced apart; or, each of the disk portions is connected end to end, and the through holes on each of the disk portions are interconnected.

8. The flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The flexible membrane transfer device includes two adsorption components, which are spaced apart in a first direction; the support portion includes: The transfer arm includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section; A first support member connects the first mounting portion and the main body portion of one of the adsorption components; The second support member connects the second mounting portion and the main body portion of another of the adsorption components; The transfer arm can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components are misaligned in the first direction; the first direction is the direction in which the suction cup points to the flexible film when the suction cup adsorbs the flexible film.

9. A flexible membrane transfer device, characterized in that, include: Support section; An adsorption assembly includes a main body, a vacuum forming member, and an adsorption section; wherein, the main body is mounted on the support portion and is used to support a flexible membrane; the adsorption section includes a plurality of adsorption holes, which are formed on the side of the main body facing the flexible membrane; the vacuum forming member communicates with the plurality of adsorption holes and is used to create a vacuum environment between each adsorption hole and the flexible membrane when the adsorption section adsorbs the flexible membrane; When the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane, the flexible membrane is located above the main body.

10. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The main body is a support plate, and the adsorption hole penetrates through the support plate; the vacuum forming member is connected to the opening on the side of the adsorption hole opposite to the flexible membrane.

11. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The support plate has a central region and an edge adsorption region surrounding the central region. The plurality of adsorption holes include a plurality of first adsorption holes, which are spaced apart in the edge adsorption region.

12. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The plurality of adsorption pores further include a plurality of second adsorption pores and a plurality of third adsorption pores; The central region is provided with a first central adsorption region extending along a second direction and a second central adsorption region extending along a third direction, a plurality of second adsorption holes are provided in the first central adsorption region, and a plurality of third adsorption holes are provided in the second central adsorption region. Wherein, the second direction and the third direction intersect.

13. The flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The flexible membrane transfer device includes two adsorption components, which are spaced apart in a fourth direction; the support portion includes: The transfer arm includes a first mounting section and a second mounting section; A first support member connects the first mounting portion and the main body portion of one of the adsorption components; The second support member connects the second mounting portion and the main body portion of another of the adsorption components; The transfer arm can drive the first support and the second support to move respectively, so that the two adsorption components are misaligned in the fourth direction; the fourth direction is the direction in which the main body points to the flexible membrane when the adsorption part adsorbs the flexible membrane.

14. The flexible membrane transfer device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The two adsorption components are a first adsorption component and a second adsorption component, wherein the first adsorption component is the adsorption component in the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and the second adsorption component is the adsorption component in the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, and the first adsorption component is located above the second adsorption component.

15. A flexible device manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and / or the flexible membrane transfer device according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

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