Peeling device

Abstract

To provide a peeling device capable of efficiently peeling a protective sheet pasted on a panel for a display device.SOLUTION: A peeling device has: a support part 200 for supporting a panel S on which a protective sheet having a rectangular shape is pasted; and a crimping tool 410 for peeling the protective sheet from a peeling starting end, by crimping an adhesive face of an adhesive tape TP in which a longer direction is a direction crossing a longer direction of the protective sheet, onto the peeling starting end which is one end in the longer direction of the protective sheet, and by separating from the panel S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a peeling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diode displays (OLEDs) are manufactured through a process of forming circuits and signal lines on substrates, bonding the substrates together to form a panel that serves as the substrate that constitutes the display area, and attaching driver ICs and other components to terminals on the outside of the display area of ​​the panel.

[0003] Conventionally, driver ICs have been mounted using flexible film-like electronic components equipped with driver ICs, such as COF (chip on film). This method involves crimping and connecting the terminals of electronic components to terminals that are exposed from the periphery of the display area of ​​the panel in the horizontal direction parallel to the display surface. Furthermore, a printed circuit board is crimped horizontally to such electronic components to electrically connect wiring that ensures connection with the outside, thereby manufacturing a display device.

[0004] Anisotropic conductive films (ACFs) that ensure conductivity between the electrodes of each component by heat and pressure bonding are used to connect the terminals of such display panel and electronic components, or to connect electronic components and printed circuit boards (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-253590 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A protective sheet is attached to such a panel in order to prevent defects during the manufacturing process. For example, a protective sheet is attached to the display area of ​​the panel and the area where the electronic components are connected to prevent scratches. In addition, a protective sheet (reinforcing sheet) for reinforcing the panel may be attached between the display area and the area where the electronic components are connected. For example, the panel may be made of resin, and the final shape of the panel may be a shape folded between the display area and the edge of the panel. The part of the panel to be folded is thinned in advance by a laser on the side opposite to the side where the electronic components are pressure-bonded to make it easier to fold. In other words, a thinned part exists between the area where the electronic components are connected and the display area.

[0007] If the panel is thinned in this way, the rigidity of the panel will be weakened and unstable in that area, which may cause problems when bonding electronic components to it. For this reason, a protective sheet is attached to the thinned area to reinforce the panel, and after bonding the electronic components to it, the protective tape is removed and the panel is covered with resin before being folded.

[0008] On the other hand, the protective sheet for the display area is provided so as to be able to be separated and peeled off from the protective sheet for the area where the electronic components are connected and the protective sheet for reinforcing the thinned portion. This is because protection of the display area needs to be continued when connecting electronic components to the area where the electronic components are connected and when peeling off the protective sheet for the further thinned portion. In other words, three independent protective sheets may be attached to a panel for a display device.

[0009] As a result, the protective sheet is peeled off from the area where the electronic components are connected, and even after the electronic components are connected to the terminals, the protective sheet remains attached to other areas. Then, in a subsequent process, the protective sheet is peeled off from the thinned area and covered with resin to protect the conductive area. However, because the protective sheet for the area where the electronic components are connected and the protective sheet for reinforcing the thinned area are very narrow (about a few mm), it is difficult to reliably peel off only the desired protective sheet, whether peeled off manually or automatically, and so a device that can perform efficient peeling was demanded.

[0010] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a peeling device that can efficiently peel off a protective sheet attached to a panel for a display device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the peeling device of the present invention has a support section that supports a display panel having a rectangular protective sheet affixed thereto, and a pressure-bonding tool that presses an adhesive surface of an adhesive tape whose longitudinal direction intersects with the longitudinal direction of the protective sheet to a peeling start end, which is one end of the protective sheet in the longitudinal direction, and then moves away from the display panel to peel off the protective sheet from the peeling start end. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The present invention can provide a peeling device capable of efficiently peeling off a protective sheet attached to a panel for a display device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a display panel to which a protective sheet to be peeled off according to an embodiment is attached. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the peeling device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the pressure-bonding portion, the presser, and the receiving portion. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the positions of the pressure-bonding surface, the adhesive tape, and the protective sheet. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a drive mechanism for the pressing portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing a peeling procedure according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the peeling operation of the peel start end of the protective sheet by a pressure bonding tool. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire peeling operation of the protective sheet by pressing. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the peeling operation of the peel start end of the protective sheet by a pressure bonding tool. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the hanging member. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for an adhesive force recovery process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [Display panel] With reference to Fig. 1, a display panel (hereinafter simply referred to as a panel) S from which the protective sheet PS is to be peeled off will be described. The panel S is a member having terminals T for connecting a display unit D having a display function and an electronic component F having a drive circuit. The terminals T are conductive members and arranged on one surface of the panel S in a line along a side constituting the outer edge. The terminals T extend in a direction perpendicular to the line direction of the multiple terminals T and are parallel to each other. For example, a flexible film-like electronic component F equipped with a driver IC such as a COF is connected to the terminals T of such a panel S by thermocompression bonding via an anisotropic conductive film (ACF).

[0016] The planar area including the display unit D of the panel S is called the display area Ad. Of the planar areas including the terminals T of the panel S, the area to which the electronic components F are connected is called the connection area Ac. The planar area between the display area Ad and the connection area Ac of the panel S is called the narrow area Ai. The panel S is rectangular, and the outer edge of the display area Ad is close to the outer edge of the panel S, and is a rectangular area that occupies most of the area of ​​the panel S. The connection area Ac is a rectangular area along one side of the outer edge of the panel S. The narrow area Ai is a rectangular area along the area between the display area Ad and the connection area Ac. The panel S in the narrow area Ai has a back surface (the surface opposite to the surface on which the terminals T are formed) processed to be thin so that it is easy to bend. The connection area Ac and the narrow area Ai are areas narrower than the display area Ad.

[0017] A protective sheet PS is attached to the surface of the panel S. This protective sheet PS is made of resin and is divided into a plurality of regions so that it can be separated and peeled off. More specifically, the protective sheet PS attached to the entire surface of the panel S is provided so as to be separable into protective sheets PSx, PSy, and PSz by making linear cuts at the boundaries between the display region Ad, the gap region Ai, and the connection region Ac. The protective sheet PSx is a rectangular sheet attached to the display region Ad. The protective sheet PSy is a rectangular sheet attached to the connection region Ac. The protective sheet PSz is a rectangular sheet attached to the gap region Ai. The connection region Ac and the gap region Ai are narrower than the display region Ad, so that the protective sheets PSy and PSz that protect them are also narrower than the protective sheet PSx. In other words, the protective sheets PSy and PSz are rectangular strips or tape-like strips whose long sides are at least twice as long as their short sides.

[0018] In this embodiment, the protective sheet PS to be peeled off will be described as a protective sheet PSz that reinforces the gap area Ai. In Fig. 1, a protective sheet PSy is illustrated in the connection area Ac, but in a pre-peeling process according to this embodiment, the protective sheet PSy is peeled off and an electronic component F is connected to the terminal T. The protective sheet PSx that protects the display area Ad remains attached in order to protect the display unit D.

[0019] [Adhesive tape] The adhesive tape TP used in this embodiment is a member for peeling off the rectangular protective sheet PSz attached to the panel S. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the adhesive tape TP is a long, band-shaped resin member, one side of which is adhesive. The adhesive tape TP is fed and taken up by a supply / discharge mechanism 300, which will be described later (see Figure 2).

[0020] [overview] Next, an overview of the peeling device 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the peeling device 100 has a support section 200, a supply / discharge mechanism 300, a pressure bonding section 400, a pressing section 500, a hanging section 600, an imaging section 700, and a control device 800. The support section 200 supports a panel S of a display panel, which is a substrate. The supply / discharge mechanism 300 is a mechanism for supplying and discharging the adhesive tape TP to the pressure bonding section 400. The pressure bonding section 400 has a pressure bonding tool 410. The pressure bonding tool 410 presses the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP to one end of the protective sheet PSz, and then separates from the panel S together with the adhesive tape TP, thereby peeling off the protective sheet PSz pressed to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP from the one end (see FIG. 9). The one end from which the protective sheet PSz starts to be peeled off in this way is defined as a peeling start end B, and the other end on the opposite side is defined as a peeling end E.

[0021] The pressure-bonding tool 410 has a pressure-bonding surface 411 that presses and bonds the adhesive tape TP to the protective sheet PSz (see FIG. 1). The pressure-bonding tool 410 uses the pressure-bonding surface 411 to bond a position including the peeling start end B, that is, a position overlapping the peeling start end B.

[0022] The pressing section 500 has a presser 510 as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 9, the presser 510 presses the panel S against the support section 200 (see Fig. 2) against the peeling of the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz caused by the rise of the adhesive tape TP pressed to the protective sheet PSz by the pressure bonding tool 410. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, a space is generated between the protective sheet PSz and the panel S as the peeling start end B is peeled off. In this space, the presser 510 moves relative to the panel S in a direction toward the peeling end E of the protective sheet PSz, thereby peeling off the entire protective sheet PSz from the panel S.

[0023] 2, the hanging receiver 600 has a hanging receiver member 610. As shown in FIG. 3, the hanging receiver member 610 is attached to the adhesive tape TP and is disposed below the protective sheet PSz that moves from the pressure bonding tool 410 to the take-up reel 331.

[0024] The imaging unit 700 captures images of the application area of ​​the protective sheet PSz of the panel S supported by the support unit 200 before and after the peeling operation. The application area of ​​the protective sheet PSz is the above-mentioned gap area Ai, and it does not matter whether the protective sheet PSz is present at the time of imaging. The control device 800 controls each part of the peeling device 100.

[0025] The direction in which the pressure bonding tool 410 moves to press the adhesive tape TP against the protective sheet PSz is defined as the pressure bonding direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the initial peeling direction. The pressure bonding direction and the initial peeling direction correspond to the direction along the Z direction in the figure. In a plane parallel to the pressure bonding surface 411, the direction in which the panel S is carried into a position facing the pressure bonding surface 411 is defined as the carry-in direction, and the direction in which it is carried out is defined as the carry-out direction. The carry-in direction and the carry-out direction correspond to the direction along the X direction in the figure. Furthermore, in a plane parallel to the pressure bonding surface 411, the direction in which the presser 510 moves toward the peeling end E to peel the protective sheet PSz, which is perpendicular to the carry-in direction and the carry-out direction, is defined as the peeling operation direction, and the direction in which it moves to return to the peeling start end B is defined as the return direction. The peeling operation direction and the direction of relative movement for returning correspond to the pressure bonding direction, and the direction corresponds to the direction along the Y direction in the figure.

[0026] The peeling device 100 of this embodiment is installed so that the pressure-bonding surface 411 is horizontal. Therefore, the pressure-bonding direction, the initial peeling direction, and the Z direction are vertical. In the following description, in the vertical direction, the installation surface side of the peeling device 100 is the bottom, and the opposite side is the top. The position in the Z direction may be called the height. However, the installation direction of the peeling device 100 is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 5, the position of the pressure-bonding surface 411 on the XY plane is the pressure-bonding position AP. The pressure-bonding position AP is, for example, the position coordinates in the coordinate system of the XY plane where the pressure-bonding surface 411 should press the peeling start end B. However, this pressure-bonding position AP may be specified by one point, or may be specified by multiple points such as the four corners of a rectangle.

[0027] [Support part] As shown in Fig. 2, the support unit 200 has a support 211, a moving table 220, a driving mechanism 230, a stage 240, and a driving mechanism 250. The support 211 is a member erected on a stand (not shown). The stand is installed on an installation surface. The moving table 220 is a plate-like body parallel to the pressure-bonding surface 411, and is supported by the support 221 so as to be movable in the pressure-bonding direction and the initial peeling direction. The driving mechanism 230 is a mechanism that moves the moving table 220 in the pressure-bonding direction and the initial peeling direction. As the driving mechanism 230, for example, a ball screw mechanism that is provided on the support 221 and moves up and down by a ball screw rotated by a driving source is used.

[0028] The stage 240 is a plate-like body having a mounting surface 241 that supports the back surface of the panel S. The mounting surface 241 is a surface parallel to the pressure-bonding surface 411. The mounting surface 241 is provided with a suction hole connected to a pneumatic circuit (not shown), and the panel S is attracted and held by negative pressure. That is, the stage 240 has a vacuum chuck as a holding unit that holds the panel S. Note that an electrostatic chuck or a mechanical chuck can also be used as the holding unit. The drive mechanism 250 is a mechanism that moves the stage 240 in two axial directions along the X direction and the Y direction. The drive mechanism 250 is, for example, a two-axis mechanism that includes linear guides that move a slider by rotating a ball screw using a drive source such as a motor, stacked in two stages in mutually perpendicular directions. The stage 240 is supported on the moving table 220 via the drive mechanism 250, so that the panel S can be moved in the carry-in direction and the carry-out direction, and the protective sheet PSz can be positioned at the pressure-bonding position AP.

[0029] After the adhesive tape TP has been pressed by the pressing tool 410, when the stage 240 removes the panel S from the pressing member 510, it moves diagonally downward by combining the operation of the drive mechanism 230 in the initial peeling direction (downward in the Z direction) and the operation of the drive mechanism 250 in the return direction (towards the peeling starting point B in the Y direction).

[0030] [Supply / discharge mechanism] 2, the supply / discharge mechanism 300 has a main body 310, a supply unit 320, and a discharge unit 330, and is a mechanism for supplying the adhesive tape TP to a pressure bonding unit 400 (described later) in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of a rectangular protective sheet PSz attached to the panel S. That is, the adhesive tape TP sent out from the supply unit 320 is supplied in a direction perpendicular to the long side of the rectangular protective sheet PSz attached to the panel S so as to contact a pressure bonding surface 411 of the pressure bonding tool 410, and is taken up by the discharge unit 330. The main body 310 is a plate having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is erected on a stand (not shown) at a position adjacent to the support unit 200 via a drive mechanism 430 (described later).

[0031] The supply unit 320 has a rotation axis parallel to the Y direction, and includes a supply reel 321 and a path roller 322 provided on the upper side of the main body unit 310. The supply reel 321 is a reel on which the adhesive tape TP is wound and from which the adhesive tape TP is fed by rotation. The supply reel 321 is supported with a desired rotational resistance via a torque control device (not shown), and is provided so as to be able to feed the adhesive tape TP by a predetermined length at a time without slack in accordance with the driving of a take-up reel 331 (described later). Here, the desired rotational resistance via the torque control device is a rotational resistance that maintains the adhesive tape TP without slack against the adhesive force of the protective sheet PSz to the panel S in the initial peeling (described later).

[0032] The path rollers 322 guide the movement of the adhesive tape TP fed from the supply reel 321, and change the moving direction of the adhesive tape TP, thereby feeding the adhesive tape TP in a direction toward the pressure bonding unit 400. The axis of the path rollers 322 is fixed in position relative to the main body unit 310. An encoder is provided to the path rollers 322, and the amount of the adhesive tape TP fed can be detected by counting the number of rotations.

[0033] The discharge section 330 has a rotation axis parallel to the Y direction, and includes a take-up reel 331 and a path roller 332 provided below the supply section 320. The take-up reel 331 is a reel that takes up the adhesive tape TP that has passed through the pressure-bonding section 400 and has the protective sheet PSz bonded thereto. The take-up reel 331 is provided so as to be able to take up the adhesive tape TP by a predetermined length by rotating by a motor (not shown). As described above, this rotation causes the adhesive tape TP to be fed from the supply reel 321 by a predetermined length. The path roller 332 guides the movement of the adhesive tape TP from the pressure-bonding section 400, and also changes the direction of movement to feed the adhesive tape TP to the take-up reel 331.

[0034] [Crimping part] The pressure-bonding unit 400 includes a pressure-bonding tool 410, a guide unit 420, and a drive mechanism 430, as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4. The pressure-bonding tool 410 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member disposed in the main body 310. The pressure-bonding tool 410 includes a pressure-bonding surface 411. The pressure-bonding surface 411 is a rectangular flat surface that faces the stage 240 of the support unit 200 in parallel. The long side of the pressure-bonding surface 411 is longer than the width of the adhesive tape TP, and is disposed so that the long side is aligned along the Y direction. In addition, the length ws of the short side of the pressure-bonding surface 411 is preferably equal to or shorter than the short side of the protective sheet PSz, that is, the width wt, as shown in FIG. 5. This prevents the adhesive tape TP from contacting the adjacent protective sheet PSx.

[0035] 1 and 5, the pressure-bonding surface 411 faces the protective sheet PSz so as to include the peeling start end B in plan view. In other words, the pressure-bonding surface 411 is not pressed so that the entire surface of the pressure-bonding surface 411 overlaps the protective sheet PSz, but is pressed so that a part of the surface of the pressure-bonding surface 411 protrudes from the protective sheet PSz in the long side direction (Y direction). At this time, the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz is positioned with respect to the pressure-bonding position AP, and the adhesive tape TP is pressed. For this reason, the pressure-bonding position AP where the peeling start end B is positioned is set inside the pressure-bonding surface 411 in plan view. Here, the center of the bonding surface 411 of the bonding tool 410 is set as the bonding position AP, and the adhesive tape TP is pressed with the center of the width of the adhesive tape TP overlapping the bonding position AP, so that, for example, when the width h of the adhesive tape TP is 15 mm, the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz is positioned relative to the bonding position AP so that the width ht that adheres to the protective sheet PSz is approximately 10 mm and the non-adhesive width hs is approximately 5 mm.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the guide portion 420 is provided between the supply reel and the pressure bonding tool 410, continuously with the pressure bonding tool 410, and regulates the displacement of the adhesive tape TP in the width direction. The guide portion 420 has a sliding surface 421 and a guide surface 422. The sliding surface 421 is a surface along the non-adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP. The guide surface 422 is a pair of inner walls that are raised in the thickness direction of the adhesive tape TP from the sliding surface 421 and face each other with the adhesive tape TP in between. The displacement of the adhesive tape TP in the width direction is regulated by both edges of the adhesive tape TP contacting the guide surface 422. This allows the adhesive tape TP fed by the supply / discharge mechanism 300 to run stably on the pressure bonding surface 411. In addition, since the guide portion 420 is a member common to the pressure bonding tool 410, the number of members can be reduced, the configuration can be simplified, and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. The corners that are the boundary between guide surface 422 and pressure bonding surface 411 and the corners that are the boundary between the side surface of pressure bonding tool 410 opposite guide surface 422 and pressure bonding surface 411 are rounded. This prevents the adhesive tape TP from being damaged and allows it to move smoothly.

[0037] 2, the driving mechanism 430 is a mechanism for moving the crimping tool 410 disposed in the main body 310 in the crimping direction and the initial peeling direction. The driving mechanism 430 is composed of, for example, a linear guide or the like that rotates a ball screw by a driving source such as a motor and moves the main body 310 along a guide rail.

[0038] [Holding part] As shown in FIG. 2, the pressing unit 500 has a pressing unit 510 and a driving mechanism 520. The pressing unit 510 is a flat plate-like member parallel to the stage 240 of the support unit 200. In this embodiment, the pressing unit 510 moves only in the Y direction and does not move in the X direction or the Z direction, and is fixed. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing unit 510 has pressing units 511, 512, and a peeling unit 513. The pressing unit 511 is a unit that presses the display area Ad of the panel S, and is hereinafter referred to as the first pressing unit. The pressing unit 512 is a unit that presses the connection area Ac of the panel S, and is hereinafter referred to as the second pressing unit. The peeling unit 513 is a unit that peels off the entire adhesive tape TP while contacting the adhesive tape TP by the pressing unit 510 moving in the peeling operation direction, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0039] 6, when the pressing part 500 presses the panel S, the first pressing part 511 and the second pressing part 512 overlap the panel S, but the peeling part 513 does not overlap the panel S. The gap between the first pressing part 511 and the second pressing part 512 is such that the pressing tool 410 including the pressing surface 411 and the adhesive tape TP can enter and exit (see FIG. 11).

[0040] The first pressing portion 511, the peeling portion 513, and the second pressing portion 512 of the presser 510 of this embodiment are continuous, so that the inner edge thereof is substantially U-shaped, that is, a rectangular shape with one side broken. This continuous inner edge is called a concave cutout portion 514. The side of the cutout portion 514 is formed by a tapered surface 515 that widens toward the support portion 200. As a result, when the adhesive tape TP enters the cutout portion 514 together with the pressure bonding tool 410, the area of ​​the cutout portion 514 that contacts the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP is reduced, so that the adhesive tape TP is less likely to be caught due to adhesion to the side of the cutout portion 514. In addition, by forming the first pressing portion 511, the peeling portion 513, and the second pressing portion 512 as one continuous member in this way, the configuration can be simplified compared to the case where a pressing member and a peeling member are separately prepared. In order to prevent the panel S from floating up, it is preferable to press the display area Ad and the connection area Ac of the panel S with the first pressing portion 511 and the second pressing portion 512, but it is also acceptable to use only one of them. In this case, since the panel S will float up from the outer edge side, it is acceptable to use only the pressing portion 512 and press only the outer edge side (the connection area Ac side) of the panel S.

[0041] Also, a non-adhesive treatment is applied to the surface of the presser 510 that does not come into contact with the panel S, thereby preventing the adhesive tape TP from sticking to it. For example, the surface of the presser 510 is provided with a non-adhesive coating made of resin. Of course, the entire surface of the presser 510 may be non-adhesive treated. Furthermore, a protective tape is applied to the surface of the presser 510 that comes into contact with the panel S, thereby preventing the panel S and protective sheet PSx from being scratched. For example, a tape mainly made of polyimide is applied to the surface of the presser 510.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 6, the drive mechanism 520 moves the presser 510 in the peeling operation direction, thereby inserting the peeling part 513 between the protective sheet PSz, one end of which has been peeled off, and the panel S, and peels off the entire length of the protective sheet PSz, that is, the entirety, from the panel S (see Fig. 10). The drive mechanism 520 also moves the presser 510 in the return direction. The drive mechanism 520 uses a linear guide 522 that moves an arm 521 supporting the presser 510 along a guide rail by rotating a ball screw using a drive source such as a motor.

[0043] [Suspended part] As shown in FIG. 2, the hanging receiver 600 has a hanging receiver member 610 and a drive mechanism 620. The hanging receiver member 610 is a plate-like member arranged along the feeding direction of the adhesive tape TP. As shown in FIG. 3, the hanging receiver member 610 has a horizontal surface adjacent to the pressing unit 500, a plurality of inclined surfaces inclined upward, and a horizontal surface further continuing therefrom. The hanging receiver member 610 has a width longer than the entire length of the protective sheet PSz, and is provided at a position from the edge of the pressing unit 500 to a position related to the outer shape of the take-up reel 331 along the path of the adhesive tape TP. In other words, the hanging receiver member 610 has a shape capable of receiving the peeled-off protective sheet PSz until the adhesive tape TP is wound around the take-up reel 331. Since the main purpose of the hanging receiver 600 is to prevent the peeled protective sheet PSz from adhering to the electronic component F, it is sufficient that the hanging receiver 600 has a length (length in the feeding direction of the adhesive tape TP) that can at least cover the range in which the protective sheet PSz, which is peeled off and sent to the take-up reel 331, may adhere to the electronic component F. The driving mechanism 620 is a mechanism that moves the hanging receiver member 610 in the vertical direction. For example, a cylinder is used as the driving mechanism 620. Therefore, when the panel S to which the electronic component F is connected is carried in, the hanging receiver 610 can be retracted so that the hanging receiver 610 does not come into contact with the electronic component F.

[0044] [Imaging unit] As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit 700 images the panel S supported by the support unit 200. The imaging unit 700 is supported by a support base (not shown) so that its position relative to the main body unit 310 is fixed. The imaging unit 700 images the gap area Ai before the protective sheet PSz is peeled off and the gap area Ai after the protective sheet PSz is peeled off. This makes it possible to determine whether the peeling has been performed normally. The imaging position of the imaging unit 700 is a common position determined by the stage 240 before and after peeling.

[0045] The imaging unit 700 has a camera. The camera is a CCD camera having optical members including a lens, a CCD as an imaging element, and an image processing circuit that generates image data according to the amount of light received by the CCD. The camera captures an image by receiving reflected light from a light source. In this embodiment, for example, a red light source that highlights the boundaries between the protective sheets PSx, PSy, and PSz is used as the light source.

[0046] [Control device] 2, the control device 800 is a device that controls each part of the peeling device 100. The control device 800 can be configured, for example, by a dedicated electronic circuit or a computer that operates with a predetermined program. That is, the control contents regarding the control of the support part 200, the supply and discharge mechanism 300, the pressure bonding part 400, the pressing part 500, the hanging part 600, and the imaging part 700 are programmed and executed by a processing device such as a PLC or a CPU.

[0047] The configuration of such a control device 800 will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 7. That is, the control device 800 has a mechanism control unit 81, an image processing unit 82, a movement amount calculation unit 83, a movement instruction unit 84, a time determination unit 85, a winding instruction unit 86, a state determination unit 87, a storage unit 88, and an input / output control unit 89. The mechanism control unit 81 controls the drive mechanism 230 of the support unit 200, the drive mechanism 250, the supply / discharge mechanism 300, the drive mechanism 430 of the pressure bonding unit 400, the drive mechanism 520 of the pressing unit 500, the drive mechanism 620 of the hanging unit 600, and the imaging unit 700.

[0048] The image processing unit 82 converts the image captured by the imaging unit 700 into an image suitable for display and position determination. The movement amount calculation unit 83 determines the position of the peel start end B of the protective sheet PSz from the image processed by the image processing unit 82, and calculates the movement amount for moving to the pressure bonding position AP. For example, the position coordinates of the line of the peel start end B are determined based on the black and white binary image generated by the image processing unit 82.

[0049] These position coordinates are position coordinates in a coordinate system of the XY plane in which the position coordinates of the above-mentioned pressure bonding position AP are set. In this coordinate system, the position coordinates of the pressure bonding position AP and the position coordinates of the imaging position of the imaging unit 700 are fixed, and the position coordinates in the image captured by the imaging unit 700 can be converted into the position coordinates of the coordinate system. Therefore, the movement amount calculation unit 83 can obtain the XY movement amount from the position coordinates of the peel start end B determined from the image to the position coordinates of the pressure bonding position AP. Note that the amount of deviation from the position coordinates of the previous pressure bonding position AP may be obtained, and a corrected movement amount may be obtained based on this deviation amount.

[0050] The movement instruction unit 84 instructs the mechanism control unit 81 to drive the drive mechanism 250 of the support unit 200 in accordance with the movement amount calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 83. This makes it possible to accurately position the peel start end B at the pressure bonding position AP even if there is variation in the position of the panel S on the stage 240.

[0051] The time determination unit 85 obtains the elapsed time from the time when the peeling device 100 stopped the peeling operation based on the time acquired from the internal clock of the control device 800, and determines whether the elapsed time is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The determination of whether the elapsed time exceeds the threshold value may be performed, for example, based on whether the date has changed. When the elapsed time exceeds the threshold value, the winding instruction unit 86 instructs the mechanism control unit 81 to cause the supply / discharge mechanism 300 to perform an operation of winding and recovering the part of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP that has been exposed. As the amount of the adhesive tape TP to be fed by this winding, a feed amount is set in advance such that the part of the adhesive tape TP that has been exposed and whose elapsed time is equal to or greater than the threshold value is removed from the pressure-bonding surface 411 in the path of the adhesive tape TP from the supply reel 321 to the pressure-bonding surface 411. The feed amount is detected by an encoder of the path roller 322. The feed amount can be, for example, the length of the path of the adhesive tape TP from the part where the adhesive tape TP has left the supply reel 321 to the pressure-bonding surface 411 of the pressure-bonding tool 410.

[0052] The state determination unit 87 determines the state of the protective sheet PSz based on the image captured by the imaging unit 700. That is, the state determination unit 87 determines the presence or absence of the protective sheet PSz, whether it is in a normal shape, etc., based on the image processed by the image processing unit 82, and determines whether it is normal or not.

[0053] The storage unit 88 stores information necessary for control of this embodiment. For example, together with the above-mentioned program, the captured image, the coordinate system and position coordinates for positioning the protective sheet PSz, the movement amount, the correction amount, the time threshold value for judgment by the time judgment unit 85, the feed amount of the adhesive tape TP, and the like are stored in the storage unit 88. The input / output control unit 89 is an interface that controls conversion of signals between each unit to be controlled and input / output.

[0054] Furthermore, an input device 91 and an output device 92 are connected to the control device 800. The input device 91 is an input means such as a switch, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., for an operator to operate the peeling device 100 via the control device 800. The above threshold values, etc. can be set by inputting desired values ​​from the input device 91.

[0055] The output device 92 is an output means such as a display, a lamp, a meter, a speaker, a buzzer, etc. that makes information for checking the state of the device recognizable by the operator. For example, an image captured by the imaging unit 700 is displayed on a display, so that the operator can check the peeling of the protective sheet PSz. When the time determination unit 85 determines that the elapsed time exceeds a threshold value, the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape TP is reduced, and the display, the lamp, the speaker, and the buzzer are used to notify the operator. In other words, the output device 92 functions as a means for notifying the operator of the reduced adhesive strength.

[0056] [Operation] The operation of the peeling device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 8, the explanatory diagrams in Fig. 9 to Fig. 12, and the flowchart in Fig. 13 in addition to Fig. 1 to Fig. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are views taken along the arrow M shown in Fig. 6, and Figs. 11 and 12 are views taken along the arrow N shown in Fig. 6. In the following description, the position in the Z direction of the surface of the presser 510 facing the panel S is defined as the reference position RP (see Figs. 9 to 12).

[0057] (Adhesive tape set) First, as shown in Fig. 2, the adhesive tape TP is set in the supply / discharge mechanism 300. That is, the wound adhesive tape TP is fitted onto the supply reel 321. Then, the pulled-out adhesive tape TP passes through the guide portion 420 of the pressure bonding tool 410 via the path roller 322, and is stretched so as to reach the take-up reel 331 via the path roller 332 from a position covering the pressure bonding surface 411. Then, after the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP to be pressure bonded to the protective sheet PSz is sent out by the supply / discharge mechanism 300 onto the pressure bonding surface 411 of the pressure bonding tool 410, the rotation of the supply reel 321 and the take-up reel 331 are stopped, and the movement of the adhesive tape TP is fixed.

[0058] (Image taken before peeling) On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 1, in the previous process, the protective sheet PSx is peeled off from the connection area Ac of the panel S, and an electronic component F is connected. As shown in Fig. 2, this panel S is placed on the stage 240 and is adsorbed and held by negative pressure. Then, before the protective sheet PSz is peeled off, the imaging unit 700 images the gap area Ai of the panel S (step S101). Note that when the panel S to which the electronic component F is connected is carried in, the hanging receiver member 610 is in an initial position at a height where it does not come into contact with the electronic component F (see Fig. 11).

[0059] The movement amount calculation unit 83 determines the position coordinates of the peeling start end B from the captured image, and calculates the movement amount until the peeling start end B is moved to a position facing the pressure-bonding surface 411 (step S102). The movement instruction unit 84 outputs a movement instruction according to the calculated movement amount to the mechanism control unit 81, and the mechanism control unit 81 causes the drive mechanism 250 of the support unit 200 to move the stage 240. As a result, the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz is positioned at a position facing the pressure-bonding position AP of the pressure-bonding surface 411, as shown in Figures 9(A) and 11(A) (step S103).

[0060] The status determination unit 87 determines the status of the protective sheet PSz based on the image captured by the imaging unit 700 and processed by the image processing unit 82. If it is determined that the protective sheet PSz is absent or that the status of the protective sheet PSz is abnormal, the protective sheet PSz is deemed to be abnormal, and a notification to that effect is given to the operator via a display or the like of the output device 92, and the panel S is ejected by the mechanism control unit 81. The notification to the operator may be a notification to encourage the operator to determine the status of the protective sheet PSz by re-imaging the image.

[0061] (Initial peeling action) 9(B) and 11(B), the driving mechanism 430 drives the main body 310 to move down, and the pressure bonding tool 410 provided on the main body 310 also moves down and enters the cutout 514 of the presser 510, and stops at a position where the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP covering the pressure bonding surface 411 reaches the reference position RP (step S104). As a result, the surface of the presser 510 facing the panel S and the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP are at the same height.

[0062] 9(C) and 11(C), the driving mechanism 230 raises the stage 240 of the support unit 200 toward the pressure-bonding unit 400, so that the panel S is pressed against the presser 510 and the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP covering the pressure-bonding surface 411 (step S105). As a result, the adhesive tape TP is pressure-bonded to the peel-off start end B of the protective sheet PSz.

[0063] 9(D) and 11(D), the pressure bonding tool 410 is raised by the driving of the driving mechanism 430, and the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz pressed against the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP is also raised, and the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz is peeled off from the panel S (initial peeling) (step S106). At this time, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the first pressing part 511 and the second pressing part 512 of the presser 510 press the connection area Ac and the display area Ad, so that the panel S is prevented from floating up. In this embodiment, since the protective sheet PSy is peeled off, a step is generated with the protective sheet PSx as shown in FIG. 9(D) and FIG. 10. If a problem occurs due to this step, a thick polyimide sheet or the like can be attached to the back surface of the second pressing part 512 to eliminate the step.

[0064] (Full peeling operation) Next, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the stage 240 of the support unit 200 moves obliquely downward to separate the panel S from the presser 510 (step S107). This operation is to avoid the possibility that the protective sheet PSz, which is pressed against the adhesive tape TP, may peel off from the adhesive tape TP due to the tension applied to the protective sheet PSz in the middle of peeling if the panel S is separated from the presser 510 by movement only in the Z direction. That is, in order to separate the panel S from the presser 510 without generating tension in the protective sheet PSz in the middle of peeling, an operation is performed in a combination of the Y direction and the Z direction. Then, the presser 510 is moved in the peeling operation direction by the driving mechanism 520 to peel off the entire protective sheet PSz (step S108). Since the panel S is separated from the presser 510 by the movement of the stage 240, the presser 510 can move without contacting the panel S.

[0065] In detail, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the presser 510 moves, so that the edge of the peeling portion 513 comes into contact with the protective sheet PSz. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the presser 510 continues to move, so that the peeling progresses. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(D), the movement of the presser 510 is stopped when the peeling portion 513 of the presser 510 reaches the peeling end E. When the peeling portion 513 of the presser 510 reaches the peeling end E, the protective sheet PSz is peeled off from the panel S over its entire length. At this time, the protective sheet PSz, whose peeling start end B is adhered to the adhesive tape TP, is in a state in which the peeling end E is placed on the upper surface of the peeling portion 513. This operation of the presser 510 reduces the Z component of the tension of the protective sheet PSz applied to the portion where the protective sheet PSz and the adhesive tape TP are pressed against each other, so that the protective sheet PSz can be peeled off. Therefore, the protective sheet PSz can be reliably peeled off from the panel S.

[0066] (Sending operation) Next, as shown in FIG. 12(A), the hanging member 610 descends from an initial position (see FIG. 11) above the reference position RP to a position below the reference position RP (step S109). Then, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the adhesive tape TP is fed by the supply / discharge mechanism 300, whereby the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz adhered to the adhesive tape TP moves, and at the same time, the peeling end E slides from the upper surface of the peeling section 513 to the upper surface of the second pressing section 512 (see FIG. 10(D)), and the protective sheet PSz moves above the hanging member 610 (step S110). Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, with the peeling start end B, which is one end of the protective sheet PSz, attached to the adhesive tape TP, the adhesive tape TP is taken up and collected by the take-up reel 331, and at the same time, a new adhesive surface of the adhesive tape TP comes to the area of ​​the pressure-bonding surface 411. Then, the presser 510 moves in the return direction by the drive mechanism 520 and returns to the initial position. In this embodiment, the protective sheet PSz is adhered to the adhesive tape TP in a direction perpendicular to the adhesive tape TP and then collected, but this does not have to be strictly perpendicular to the adhesive tape TP.

[0067] (Image taken after peeling) The driving mechanism 230 and the driving mechanism 250 of the support unit 200 move the stage 240 to the imaging position, and the imaging unit 700 images the gap area Ai of the panel S. If the state determination unit 87 determines based on the captured image that the protective sheet PSz remains, etc., it determines that the state is abnormal and notifies the operator of this fact via the display of the output device 92, etc.

[0068] The above operation is the procedure for peeling off the protective sheet PSz from one panel S, but the panel S placed on the stage 240 can be replaced and the protective sheets PSz from the panels S can be peeled off sequentially by following the above procedure. In this manner, the peeled off protective sheets PSz are attached one after another with their ends attached to the adhesive tape TP, and are taken up together with the adhesive tape TP on the take-up reel 331 and collected.

[0069] (Checking adhesive strength) Next, the operation of checking the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape TP and removing the adhesive tape TP with reduced adhesive strength will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 13. It is known that the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape TP may gradually decrease over time if it is continuously exposed to air. Therefore, the time determination unit 85 measures the elapsed time from the stop of the operation to the start of the peeling operation to check the adhesive strength. That is, after the peeling operation is stopped, when the peeling operation is next started, the time determination unit 85 determines the elapsed time from the point at which the peeling operation was stopped (step S201). If this determined time exceeds a predetermined threshold value (step S202), the supply / discharge mechanism 300 starts winding the adhesive tape TP in response to an instruction from the winding instruction unit 86 (step S203).

[0070] When the encoder detects that a predetermined amount has been fed out (YES in step S204), feeding and winding are stopped (step S205). Here, the predetermined amount is, for example, the length of the path of the adhesive tape TP from the part where the adhesive tape TP has left the supply reel 321 to the crimping surface of the crimping tool. This makes it possible to prevent the use of parts of the adhesive tape TP whose adhesive strength has decreased over time. For example, it is possible to prevent the use of parts of the adhesive tape TP where 24 hours have passed since the adhesive surface was exposed.

[0071] [Effects] (1) The peeling device 100 of this embodiment includes a support portion 210 that supports a panel S to which a rectangular protective sheet PSz is attached, and a pressure-bonding tool 410 that moves toward the panel S and presses an adhesive surface of an adhesive tape TP whose longitudinal direction intersects with the longitudinal direction of the protective sheet PSz onto a peeling start end B, which is one end of the protective sheet PSz in the longitudinal direction, and then moves away from the panel S to peel off the protective sheet PSz from the peeling start end B.

[0072] With this configuration, the protective sheet PSz can be peeled off efficiently by peeling it off from one end of the protective sheet PSz using the adhesive tape TP. For example, when peeling off from a portion other than the end of the protective sheet PSz, the adhesion of both ends continues, so a stronger force is required and peeling errors are likely to occur, but in this embodiment, peeling is performed from one end, so subsequent peeling can be performed smoothly. Since only one end of the protective sheet PSz is attached to the adhesive tape TP and collected, it is possible to save adhesive tape TP compared to collecting the protective sheet PSz by adhering it to the adhesive tape TP over the entire length.

[0073] (2) After the pressure bonding tool 410 is pressed, the presser 510 presses the panel S against the support part 200 against the peeling of the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz caused by the rise of the adhesive tape TP. Therefore, even if the panel S is supported by the support part 200, the panel S is prevented from floating up or shifting in response to the peeling of the peeling start end B, and peeling errors are unlikely to occur. For example, even if a vacuum chuck is used as the holding part, when peeling the peeling start end B, there is a possibility that the panel S will float up or shift due to the holding force of the holding part. In this embodiment, such a defect can be prevented by the presser 510 pressing the panel S.

[0074] (3) The presser 510 moves relative to the panel S in a direction toward the peeling end E of the protective sheet PSz on the opposite side to the peeling start end B, filling the space between the protective sheet PSz and the panel S that is generated by peeling off the peeling start end B, thereby peeling off the entire protective sheet PSz from the panel S. This allows the member that presses the panel S and the member that peels it off to be the same, simplifying the configuration and enabling efficient peeling of the protective sheet PSz.

[0075] (4) The receiving member 610 is disposed below the peeled protective sheet PSz which moves to a position away from the pressure bonding tool 410 as the adhesive tape TP moves in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to prevent the peeled protective sheet PSz from adhering to the panel S or other locations.

[0076] (5) Guide portion 420 for restricting displacement of the position of adhesive tape TP in the short direction is provided near pressure bonding tool 410. This prevents the adhesive tape TP from meandering and reduces positional deviation from the pressure bonding position AP.

[0077] (6) The imaging unit 700 is provided for imaging the attachment position of the protective sheet PSz of the panel S supported by the support unit 200 before and after the peeling operation of the protective sheet PSz. This makes it possible to prevent the peeling operation from being performed on a panel S from which the protective sheet PSz has already been peeled off, and to prevent a panel S from which the protective sheet PSz has not been peeled off from being sent to the next process.

[0078] (7) The supply / discharge mechanism 300 supplies the succeeding adhesive tape TP to the pressure bonding tool 410 by discharging the adhesive tape TP whose adhesive surface has been exposed for a time exceeding a predetermined threshold value from the pressure bonding position AP by the pressure bonding tool 410. This makes it possible to prevent the use of an adhesive tape TP whose adhesive strength has weakened, thereby reducing the occurrence of peeling errors.

[0079] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and also includes the following aspects. (1) The panel S may be any substrate having a display area for a display device and conductive parts such as leads, to which a protective sheet PS is attached. For example, it may be a substrate having a display area that can be used now or in the future, such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

[0080] (2) The movements of the stage 240, the pressure bonding tool 410, the presser 510, and the hanging member 610 may be relative movements. In other words, the pressure bonding of the peeling start end B of the protective sheet PSz to the adhesive tape TP by the pressure bonding tool 410 may be performed by moving the pressure bonding tool 410 side, by moving the stage 240 side, or by moving both. The pressing of the panel S by the presser 510 may also be performed by moving the presser 510 side, by moving the stage 240 side, or by moving both. The movement of the hanging member 610 relative to the stage 240 may also be performed by moving the stage 240 side, by moving the hanging member 610 side, or by moving both.

[0081] (3) Also, a suction device for suctioning the adhesive tape TP may be provided on the bonding surface 411 of the bonding tool 410. That is, after the adhesive tape TP is fed by the supply unit 320, the suction device is operated to suction the adhesive tape TP to the bonding surface 411 and press it. Thereafter, the bonding tool 410 is raised, the protective sheet PSz is peeled off, and the suction of the suction device is released. With this configuration, when the protective sheet PSz is peeled off, the adhesive tape TP is raised with the suction force of the suction device, so that the protective sheet PSz can be peeled off more strongly and more reliably.

[0082] (4) In this embodiment, the peeling of protective sheet PSz has been described, but in the case of peeling protective sheet PSy, peeling of protective sheet PSy can be similarly performed by positioning panel S so that the peeling starting end of protective sheet PSy faces pressure position AP on pressure surface 411.

[0083] Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modified examples of each part have been described above, these embodiments and the modified examples of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 70 Imaging unit 81 Mechanical control unit 82 Image Processing Section 83 Travel amount calculation section 84 Movement instruction section 85 Time Judgment Section 86 Winding instruction section 87 Status Judgment Unit 88 Memory section 89 Input / Output Control Unit 91 Input Devices 92 Output Device 100 Peeling device 200 Support part 210 Post 220 Mobile Table 230 Driving Mechanism 240 Stages 241 Placement surface 250 Drive Mechanism 300 Supply / discharge mechanism 310 Main body 320 Supply section 321 Supply Reel 322 Path Roller 330 Discharge section 331 Take-up reel 332 Path Roller 400 Crimping section 410 Crimping Tool 411 Crimping surface 420 Guide part 421 Sliding surface 422 Guide surface 430 Drive Mechanism 500 Presser 510 Holder 511 First pressing part 512 Second pressing part 513 Peeling part 514 Notch 515 Tapered surface 520 Drive Mechanism 521 Arm 522 Linear Guide 600 Hanging part 610 Hanging member 620 Drive Mechanism 700 Imaging unit 800 Control device

Claims

1. A support portion that supports a display panel having a rectangular protective sheet attached thereto; a pressure-bonding tool that moves toward the display panel, presses an adhesive surface of the adhesive tape, the longitudinal direction of which intersects with the longitudinal direction of the protective sheet, against a peeling start end, which is one end of the protective sheet in the longitudinal direction, and then moves away from the display panel to peel off the protective sheet from the peeling start end; A peeling device having the following structure.

2. 2. The peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a presser for pressing the display panel against the support member against peeling of the peel start end by the pressure bonding tool.

3. The peeling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressing member peels off the entire protective sheet from the display panel by moving relative to the display panel in a direction toward the peeling end opposite the peeling start end of the protective sheet, filling the space between the protective sheet and the display panel created by the peeling start end being peeled off.

4. 4. The peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving member disposed below the protective sheet, the receiving member being moved to a position away from the pressing tool in accordance with the longitudinal movement of the adhesive tape.

5. 5. The peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide portion disposed near the pressure bonding tool for restricting displacement of the position of the adhesive tape in the lateral direction.

6. 6. The peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging section that images an application position of the protective sheet on the display panel supported by the support section before and after a peeling operation by the pressure bonding tool.

7. The peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a supply / discharge mechanism that discharges, from the pressing position by the pressing tool, any adhesive tape whose adhesive surface has been exposed for a time exceeding a predetermined threshold value, thereby supplying the subsequent adhesive tape to the pressing tool.

Images