Dispenser

Abstract

To provide a dispenser configured so that seizure hardly occurs in a fulcrum member and a lever member, even when rotating the lever member with respect to the fulcrum member at high speed.SOLUTION: A dispenser comprises: a nozzle; a supply passage through which liquid materials are supplied to the nozzle; a tappet 34 whose tip part reciprocates in a vertical direction in the supply passage; a displacement enlarging mechanism 14 that imparts displacement to the tappet 34; and an actuator 15. The displacement enlarging mechanism 14 includes a fulcrum member 141, and a lever member 142 which includes a fulcrum part 142a, an action point part 142b and a force point part 142c, which further comprises a first energizing member 342 that elastically energizes the tappet 34 upward, and a second energizing member 143 that elastically energizes an end part at the opposite side of the action point part 142b of the lever member 142 downward, which sets absolute values of energizing force by the first energizing member 342 and the second energizing member 143 so that the fulcrum member 141 roll-contacts the fulcrum part (a concave curve) 142a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser that dispenses a liquid material. [Background technology]

[0002] Dispensers that dispense liquid materials such as water, oil, and resin are used in various fields, including semiconductor processing and the medical field. In semiconductor processing in particular, dispensers are often used in the underfill process, and also for filling the inside of semiconductor element packages with resin. In the manufacturing process of LED elements, dispensers are used in the process of applying fluorescent liquid, which is a mixture of fluorescent material and resin, to LED chips.

[0003] Known dispensers for discharging liquid material in this manner include those that discharge the liquid material from a nozzle by the reciprocating motion of a tappet, and Patent Document 1 discloses a dispenser (liquid application device) that includes a nozzle for discharging the liquid material, a supply flow path that supplies the liquid material to the nozzle, a tappet (plunger) whose tip reciprocates up and down within the supply flow path, a displacement magnification mechanism that imparts displacement to the tappet (plunger), and an actuator that imparts displacement to the displacement magnification mechanism. Patent Document 1 also discloses a so-called lever mechanism that has a cylindrical fulcrum member and a lever member as the displacement magnification mechanism, and also discloses that in this lever mechanism, the portion of the lever member that contacts the fulcrum member is preferably a concave curved surface with a radius of curvature equal to or greater than the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member.

[0004] However, in the displacement magnification mechanism of Patent Document 1, the contact between the fulcrum member and the concave curved surface of the lever member is sliding contact, which poses a problem of seizing between the fulcrum member and the concave curved surface of the lever member, particularly when the actuator is driven at high speed to rotate the lever member at high speed in order to reciprocate the tappet (plunger) at high speed.If the fulcrum member and the concave curved surface of the lever member seize, the followability (responsiveness) of the rotational movement of the lever member in response to the high-speed driving of the actuator will decrease, and ultimately it will be impossible to reciprocate the tappet (plunger) at high speed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-30865 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser in which the fulcrum member and the lever member are unlikely to seize together even when the lever member is rotated at high speed relative to the fulcrum member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispenser comprising: A dispenser comprising: a nozzle that ejects a liquid material; a supply flow path that supplies the liquid material to the nozzle; a tappet whose tip reciprocates vertically within the supply flow path; a displacement magnifying mechanism that applies a displacement to the tappet; and an actuator that applies a displacement to the displacement magnifying mechanism, the displacement magnifying mechanism includes a cylindrical fulcrum member, and a lever member having a fulcrum portion in contact with the fulcrum member, an application point portion in contact with an upper end portion of the tappet, and a force point portion in contact with a lower end portion of the actuator, the fulcrum portion is a concave curved surface having a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member, the force point portion is located between the fulcrum portion and the action point portion, The lever member further includes a first biasing member that elastically biases the tappet upward, and a second biasing member that elastically biases an end portion of the lever member opposite to the application point portion downward, The dispenser, wherein the absolute value of the biasing force by the first biasing member and the absolute value of the biasing force by the second biasing member are set so that the fulcrum member is in rolling contact with the fulcrum portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the fulcrum member is in rolling contact with the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) of the lever member, so even if the lever member is rotated at high speed relative to the fulcrum member, the fulcrum member and the lever member are less likely to seize. As a result, it is possible to reciprocate the tappet at higher speeds than before. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from one side; [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the dispenser of FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of the dispenser of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between a tappet, a displacement magnifying mechanism, and an actuator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a dispenser according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from one side, and Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B show a side view and a vertical cross-sectional view, respectively, of the main part of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1. The dispenser X of this embodiment includes a dispenser body 1 and a nozzle block 3 that is detachably attached to the dispenser body 1.

[0011] The dispenser body 1 has a shape in which both sides of the main frame 11 are covered with covers 111, and various components described below are installed inside the covers 111. The top surface of the main frame 11 is provided with a power supply terminal 12 for supplying power to the various components installed inside the main frame 11, as well as an air inlet 13A and an air outlet 13B for introducing and discharging cooling air into and from the main frame 11.

[0012] The nozzle block 3 is detachably attached to the underside of the main frame 11. The nozzle block 3 includes a block body 31, a nozzle 32 that ejects the liquid material, a supply flow path 33 that supplies the liquid material to the nozzle 32, and a tappet 34 whose tip reciprocates up and down within the supply flow path 33. The nozzle 32 is attached to the nozzle attachment portion 311 on the lower surface side of the block body 31 by a nozzle nut 321 . The supply flow path 33 is formed in the block body 31 so as to communicate between the nozzle 32 and a liquid material inlet 312 provided on the upper surface of the block body 31. The liquid material is introduced into the liquid material inlet 312 from a tank (not shown) that stores the liquid material. The tappet 34 is held by a tappet holder 341, and the tappet holder 341 holding this tappet 34 is attached to a tappet attachment hole 112 provided on the underside of the main frame 11 of the dispenser body 1, with the upper end of the tappet 34 held by the tappet holder 341 protruding into the main frame 11. Also, a first biasing member 342 is incorporated into the tappet holder 341 to elastically bias the tappet 34 upward. A compression coil spring can typically be used as the first biasing member 342.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2B, the dispenser body 1 further includes, in the main frame 11, a displacement magnifying mechanism 14 that applies a displacement to the tappet 34, and an actuator 15 that applies a displacement to the displacement magnifying mechanism 14. Here, Fig. 3 schematically shows the relationship between the above-mentioned tappet 34, displacement magnifying mechanism 14, and actuator 15. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, the displacement magnification mechanism 14 includes a fulcrum member 141 and a lever member 142. The fulcrum member 141 is cylindrical and fixed to the main frame 11. The lever member 142 has a fulcrum portion 142a that contacts the fulcrum member 141, an application point portion 142b that contacts the upper end of the tappet 34, and a force point portion 142c that contacts the lower end of the actuator 15. The fulcrum portion 142a is a concave curved surface with a radius of curvature larger than that of the fulcrum member, and the force point portion 142c is located between the fulcrum portion 142a and the application point portion 142b. A second biasing member 143 is disposed at the end of the lever member opposite the application point portion 142b, elastically biasing this end downward. A compression coil spring can typically be used as the second biasing member 143. In this way, the displacement magnifying mechanism 14 is a “lever mechanism” and has the function of magnifying the amount of vertical displacement of the tappet 34 more than the amount of vertical displacement of the actuator 15 .

[0014] On the other hand, the actuator 15 is used as a drive source for applying a vertical displacement to the displacement magnification mechanism 14, thereby causing the tappet 34 to reciprocate vertically, and can be configured to include a motor, air, a piezoelectric element, etc. In this embodiment, the actuator 15 is configured to include a piezoelectric element. A piezoelectric element is particularly preferable because it can be driven (expanded and contracted) at high speed.

[0015] In this configuration, in this embodiment, the absolute value of the biasing force by the first biasing member 342 and the absolute value of the biasing force by the second biasing member 143 are set so that the contact between the fulcrum member 141 and the concave curved surface 142a, which is the fulcrum portion of the lever member 142, is rolling contact, in other words, so that the fulcrum member 141 is in rolling contact with the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a. The absolute values ​​of the biasing forces by the first biasing member 342 and the second biasing member 143 are generally set to be larger than those of the prior art, but the specific absolute values ​​are set appropriately taking into consideration the size of the lever member 142, the surface properties of the fulcrum member 141 and the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of the lever member 142, etc.

[0016] Here, whether the contact between fulcrum member 141 and fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of lever member 142 is "rolling contact" or "sliding contact" can be determined by observing the surface properties of fulcrum member 141 and fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of lever member 142 after use. That is, if the contact between fulcrum member 141 and fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of lever member 142 is "rolling contact," substantially no damage due to seizure or friction is observed on both sides, but if the contact is "sliding contact," damage due to seizure or friction is observed on both sides. For example, if fulcrum member 141 and fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of lever member 142 are coated with DLC (diamond-like carbon), substantially no DLC peeling is observed in the "rolling contact," but DLC peeling is observed in the "sliding contact."

[0017] Furthermore, in order for the contact between the fulcrum member 141 and the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a of the lever member 142 to be "rolling contact," it is a prerequisite that the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a has a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member 141. From the viewpoint of ensuring that the contact between the fulcrum member 141 and the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a is "rolling contact," it is preferable that the radius of curvature of the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a (the difference from the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member 141) is large. However, if the radius of curvature of the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a (the difference from the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member 141) is large, it may become difficult to position the fulcrum member 141 on the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a. Therefore, in reality, the radius of curvature of the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a (the difference from the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member 141) should be set taking into consideration ease of positioning, etc., assuming that "rolling contact" will occur.

[0018] Next, the operation of the dispenser X will be described. When the tip of the tappet 34 moves upward in the supply flow path 33, which is filled with the liquid material introduced through the liquid material introduction portion 312, the liquid material is supplied to the vicinity of the nozzle 32. At this time, an appropriate back pressure is applied to the liquid material introduced into the liquid material introduction portion 312 in accordance with the properties of the liquid material, such as its viscosity. When the tip of the tappet 34 moves in the supply flow path 33 in a direction approaching the nozzle 32, that is, in a downward direction, the pressure of the liquid material in the vicinity of the nozzle 32 increases, causing the liquid material to be discharged. Thereafter, when the tip of the tappet 34 moves upward within the supply flow path 33, the liquid material is again supplied near the nozzle 32, and when the tip of the tappet 34 moves further downward within the supply flow path 33, the liquid material is ejected from the nozzle 32. In this way, the tip of the tappet 34 moves back and forth up and down within the supply flow path 33, causing the liquid material to be ejected intermittently from the nozzle 32.

[0019] As described above, in this embodiment, the absolute value of the biasing force by the first biasing member 342 and the absolute value of the biasing force by the second biasing member 143 are set so that the fulcrum member 141 comes into rolling contact with the fulcrum portion (concave curved surface) 142a. Therefore, even if the lever member 142 is rotated at high speed relative to the fulcrum member 141, the fulcrum member 141 and the lever member 142 are unlikely to seize and are unlikely to be damaged by friction. Therefore, it is possible to reciprocate the tappet 34 at a higher speed than before.

[0020] In this embodiment, the nozzle block 3 is detachably attached to the dispenser body 1, but the configuration of the nozzle block 3 may be incorporated into the dispenser body 1 and integrated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] X Dispenser 1 Dispenser body 11 Mainframe 111 Cover 112 Tappet mounting hole 12 Power terminal 13A Air intake 13B Air exhaust section 14 Displacement magnification mechanism 141 Support member 142 Lever member 142a Fulcrum part (concave curved surface) 142b Point of action 142c Force point 143 second biasing member 15 Actuators 3 Nozzle Block 31 Block body 311 Nozzle mounting part 312 Liquid material introduction section 32 nozzles 321 Nozzle nut 33 Supply channel 34 Tappet 341 Tappet holder 342 first biasing member

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising: a nozzle that ejects a liquid material; a supply flow path that supplies the liquid material to the nozzle; a tappet whose tip reciprocates vertically within the supply flow path; a displacement magnifying mechanism that applies a displacement to the tappet; and an actuator that applies a displacement to the displacement magnifying mechanism, the displacement magnifying mechanism includes a cylindrical fulcrum member, and a lever member having a fulcrum portion in contact with the fulcrum member, an application point portion in contact with an upper end of the tappet, and a force point portion in contact with a lower end of the actuator, the fulcrum portion is a concave curved surface having a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the fulcrum member, the force point portion is located between the fulcrum portion and the action point portion, The lever member further includes a first biasing member that elastically biases the tappet upward, and a second biasing member that elastically biases an end portion of the lever member opposite to the application point portion downward, The dispenser, wherein the absolute value of the biasing force by the first biasing member and the absolute value of the biasing force by the second biasing member are set so that the fulcrum member is in rolling contact with the fulcrum portion.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric element.

3. 3. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the first biasing member and the second biasing member are both formed of a compression coil spring.

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