Coating device, coating method, light irradiation device, light irradiation method, and coating system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a coating device capable of accurately coating the side surfaces of workpieces having various shapes with film-forming liquid. Provided is a coating device 10 that coats a side surface of a workpiece 2 with film-forming liquid, the coating device 10 comprising a coating unit 20, a movement mechanism 30, a table 40, and a coating control unit 50. The coating unit 20 comprises a coating roller 21, a drive unit 22, and a liquid discharge unit 23. The coating control unit 50 has a function for controlling the rotation operation of the coating roller 21 by the drive unit 22, the discharge operation of film-forming liquid by the liquid discharge unit 23, and the operation of moving the coating unit 20 relative to the workpiece 2 while bringing the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller 21 into contact with or close to the side surface of the workpiece 2 by the movement mechanism 30.

Description

Coating device, coating method, light irradiation device, light irradiation method, and coating system

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating device, a coating method, a light irradiation device, a light irradiation method, and a coating system, and more specifically to a coating device and a coating method that can apply a film-forming liquid to the side surfaces of workpieces of various shapes, such as non-circular lenses, as well as a light irradiation device and a light irradiation method that can irradiate light onto the side surfaces of workpieces of various shapes to harden the film-forming liquid, and a coating system that includes these devices.

[0002] In optical instruments such as cameras and microscopes, anti-reflection paint, such as black paint, is applied to the outer peripheral side of the lens to prevent phenomena such as flare and ghosting that occur when incident light on the lens used in these instruments is reflected off the lens surface or outer peripheral surface. This application process is also known as the black coating process.

[0003] Because lenses used in optical equipment come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, automating the ink application process is not easy. Furthermore, because the ink application process requires high application precision, it is often applied manually by skilled workers using tools such as paintbrushes, making it difficult to improve work efficiency.

[0004] In view of these problems, coating devices for improving the efficiency of the coating process are disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below. The coating device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to apply a coating material such as ink to the outer peripheral surface of a circular roll, transfer the coating material applied to the roll to the outer peripheral surface of a circular transfer roll, and then apply the coating material transferred to the transfer roll to the outer peripheral surface of a lens. However, the roll-transfer type coating device described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is not possible to coat the coating material all around an optical element that is not circular, such as an oval lens, in one step.

[0005] To solve this problem, the coating device described in Patent Document 2 includes a holding mechanism for holding the spherical surface of an oval lens, a rotation mechanism for rotating the holding mechanism, a coating tip for coating the lens with a lens coating material, a coating material supply device for supplying the lens coating material to the coating tip, a pressing means for pressing the coating tip against the oval lens, and a position adjustment means for adjusting the position of the pressing means. The coating device described in Patent Document 2 is capable of applying the lens coating material while pressing the coating tip against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating oval lens, and is therefore capable of coating the outer peripheral surface of the oval lens that is not circular.

[0006] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In recent years, there has been a demand for the development of an apparatus that can accurately apply a light-blocking material or the like to the outer peripheral surface of a thin, non-circular or asymmetrical lens, such as a lens for so-called smart glasses (eyeglass-type wearable devices) that display various information on the lens portion, in addition to the optical lenses of the above-mentioned cameras and microscopes.

[0007] For example, when the applicator described in Patent Document 2 is used to apply the light-blocking material to the outer peripheral surface of the thin lens, the light-blocking material is applied while pressing the applicator tip against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating thin lens. Some thin lenses, such as smart glasses, have a curved portion with a convex or concave shape. The applicator described in Patent Document 2 has the problem that, when applying the light-blocking material to a thin lens having such a curved portion, it is difficult to press the applicator tip along the curved portion of the rotating thin lens. Furthermore, the applicator described in Patent Document 2 also has the problem that its use is limited to coating the outer peripheral surface of a lens.

[0008] Furthermore, when a light-shielding material containing an ultraviolet curing agent is used, a process is required in which the light-shielding material is applied to the outer peripheral side surface of the thin lens, and then ultraviolet light (also called UV light) is irradiated onto the thin lens to harden the light-shielding material. However, in the case of a workpiece that has a curved portion, such as the thin lens, it is difficult to uniformly irradiate the side surface of such a workpiece with ultraviolet light, which makes it easy for uneven irradiation to occur, and there is also the problem of defects such as lifting and wrinkles occurring in the hardened film.

[0009] JP-A-6-142577 JP-A-11-156260 Means to solve the problem and their effects

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a coating device and coating method that can accurately coat the side surfaces of workpieces of various shapes with a film-forming liquid. Another object of the present invention is to provide a light irradiation device that can uniformly irradiate the side surfaces of workpieces of various shapes with light and form a cured film without defects. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a coating system that can efficiently perform the process of coating the side surfaces of a workpiece with a film-forming liquid and curing it in a space-saving manner.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the coating device (1) of the present invention is a coating device that coats a film forming liquid on the side of a workpiece, and comprises: a coating unit; a coating unit moving means that enables the coating unit to move in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions; an installation table having an installation area for the coating unit moving means and a coating work area for the workpiece; and a coating control unit that controls the operation of applying the film forming liquid to the side of the workpiece while operating the coating unit and the coating unit moving means, wherein the coating unit comprises: a coating roller; a drive unit that rotates the coating roller in the θ direction; and a liquid discharge unit that discharges the film forming liquid onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the control unit has the function of controlling the rotational operation of the coating roller by the drive unit, the discharge operation of the film forming liquid by the liquid discharge unit, and the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the workpiece by the coating unit moving means while bringing the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller into contact with or close to the side of the workpiece.

[0012] According to the coating device (1), the coating unit is moved relative to the workpiece while the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller is brought into contact with or close to the side surface of the workpiece while rotating the coating roller and discharging the film-forming liquid onto the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller. The coating unit moving means is configured to move the coating unit in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions. The coating control unit controls each of the operations of the coating unit and the coating unit moving means.

[0013] Therefore, with the coating device (1), the film-forming liquid can be coated on the side surfaces of workpieces, regardless of their shape, including circular, non-circular, asymmetric, and other irregularly shaped workpieces. The side surfaces of the workpieces include not only the outer peripheral side surfaces, i.e., end faces, but also the inner surfaces of holes formed within the plane of the workpiece. This allows for a wider variety of workpieces to be coated, and the film-forming liquid can be coated accurately on the side surfaces of workpieces of various shapes.

[0014] Furthermore, the coating device (2) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating device (1), the liquid discharge unit includes a dispenser equipped with a discharge nozzle, and the coating control unit has a function of controlling the operation of the dispenser to discharge the film-forming liquid from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the operation of the coating unit moving means to move the coating unit relative to the workpiece while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle.

[0015] According to the coating device (2), the coating control unit controls the dispenser's operation of discharging the film-forming liquid from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the coating unit moving means controls the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the workpiece while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle. Therefore, the film-forming liquid can be discharged from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while maintaining the predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle. This configuration prevents the film-forming liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller from dripping from the coating roller, and allows the film-forming liquid to be applied to the side surface of the workpiece with a uniform thickness from the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller. Furthermore, using the dispenser also facilitates maintenance of the device.

[0016] Furthermore, the coating device (3) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating device (2), the predetermined positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the direction of the discharge nozzle is normal to the side surface of the workpiece, or a positional relationship in which the direction of the discharge nozzle is tilted from the normal direction in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the coating roller.

[0017] According to the coating device (3), the film forming liquid can be smoothly dispensed from the dispensing nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller in a fixed amount. Furthermore, by positioning the dispensing nozzle in a direction inclined in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the coating roller from the normal direction, the film forming liquid dispensed from the dispensing nozzle can be prevented from creeping up to the dispensing nozzle, thereby suppressing variations in the amount of dispensed liquid and improving dispense stability.

[0018] Furthermore, a coating device (4) according to the present invention is the coating device (2) or (3) described above, characterized in that the dispenser includes a dispenser valve equipped with a liquid injection section into which the film-forming liquid is injected and an air supply section into which air is supplied, and the discharge nozzle is a needle nozzle.

[0019] According to the coating device (4), the dispenser includes the dispenser valve, and the discharge nozzle is a needle nozzle. This configuration makes it possible to discharge a minute amount of the film-forming liquid from the needle nozzle onto the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller. Therefore, the coating roller can accurately apply the film-forming liquid to the side surface of the workpiece in a thin, uniform thickness.

[0020] Furthermore, the coating device (5) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the coating devices (1) to (4), the film-forming liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge section onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while the coating roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the coating unit.

[0021] According to the coating device (5), the film forming liquid discharged from the liquid discharge unit onto the coating roller is applied to the side of the workpiece behind the contact or proximity point between the coating roller and the workpiece in the direction of movement of the coating unit. With this configuration, the film forming liquid after being transferred and applied from the coating roller to the workpiece is applied without being pressed by the coating roller. Therefore, by adjusting conditions such as the amount of the film forming liquid discharged from the liquid discharge unit onto the coating roller, it is possible to adjust the film thickness of the film forming liquid applied to the side of the workpiece.

[0022] Furthermore, a coating device (6) according to the present invention is any one of the coating devices (1) to (5) above, characterized in that the coating unit moving means is configured by combining an orthogonal robot and a vertical rotation robot that can move in vertical and rotational directions, and the coating unit is attached to the vertical rotation robot.

[0023] According to the coating device (6), the Cartesian robot can move the coating unit in the XY plane with high precision, and the vertical rotation robot can move the coating unit in the Z axis direction and rotate it through θ with high precision. Furthermore, the moving means can be configured with a general-purpose robot, which reduces the cost of the device.

[0024] Furthermore, a coating device (7) according to the present invention is any of the coating devices (1) to (6) above, characterized in that the coating unit comprises a mounting member to which the coating roller, the drive unit, and the liquid discharge unit are attached, and a support part that supports the mounting member so that it can move in a horizontal direction, and the support part comprises an escape mechanism part that escapes and moves the mounting member in the horizontal direction when an external force acts on the coating roller from the horizontal direction.

[0025] According to the coating device (7), when the coating roller is brought into contact with the workpiece and an external force acts on the coating roller from the horizontal direction, the escape mechanism moves the mounting member in the horizontal direction to escape and absorb the external force. With this configuration, when the coating roller comes into contact with the workpiece, the force with which the coating roller presses the workpiece can be weakened, and the workpiece can be protected from damage.

[0026] Furthermore, a coating device (8) according to the present invention is any of the coating devices (1) to (7) above, characterized in that the installation table is provided with an attachment part to which a fixing part for suction-fixing the workpiece to the coating work area can be attached and detached, and a suction part for suction-fixing the workpiece is connected to the fixing part.

[0027] According to the coating device (8), the installation table is provided with the mounting portion in the coating work area, so that the fixing part can be attached and detached to the mounting part according to the type of workpiece. Furthermore, since the suction part is configured to be connected to the fixing part, various types of workpieces can be accurately suction-fixed to predetermined positions in the coating work area using the fixing part. Furthermore, because the workpieces are fixed by suction, the contact area between the fixing part and the workpiece can be reduced.

[0028] Furthermore, a coating device (9) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the coating devices (1) to (8), a cleaning member for removing the film-forming liquid adhering to the coating roller is provided within the coating work area, and the coating control unit has the function of controlling the operation of rotating the coating roller by the drive unit, and the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the cleaning member by the coating unit moving means, while bringing the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller into contact with the side surface of the cleaning member and maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the cleaning member and the liquid discharge unit.

[0029] According to the coating device (9), while the coating roller is rotating, the coating unit moving means moves the coating unit relative to the cleaning member while bringing the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller into contact with the side surface of the cleaning member and maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the cleaning member and the liquid discharge portion. This configuration makes it possible to remove the film-forming liquid remaining on the coating roller with the cleaning member. Therefore, after coating the side surface of the workpiece, the coating roller can be cleaned and the next coating operation can be performed in the cleaned state, thereby stabilizing the coating quality.

[0030] Furthermore, the coating device (10) according to the present invention is any of the coating devices (1) to (9) described above, characterized in that the workpiece is a thin plate-shaped workpiece having a curved portion on the side to be coated, and the radius of the coating roller is set to be equal to or less than the smallest radius of curvature of the curved portion of the workpiece.

[0031] According to the above-mentioned coating device (10), the radius of the coating roller is set to be equal to or less than the smallest radius of curvature of the curved portion of the workpiece, so that the film-forming liquid can be applied with high precision to the side of the workpiece having the curved portion without any missing portions.

[0032] Furthermore, a coating device (11) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the coating devices (1) to (10), the coating control unit controls the movement operation of the coating unit by the movement means based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller created based on shape data of the workpiece.

[0033] According to the coating device (11), the control unit controls (numerically controls) the movement of the coating unit by the moving means based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller created based on shape data of the workpiece. With this configuration, the film-forming liquid can be applied to the side surface of the workpiece with high precision even if the workpiece has a non-circular, asymmetrical, or various curved shapes.

[0034] Furthermore, the coating method (1) according to the present invention is a coating method for coating a film-forming liquid on the side surface of a workpiece, and is characterized by including a coating step in which, while the coating roller is in contact with or close to the side surface of the workpiece, the coating roller is rotated, the film-forming liquid is discharged from a liquid discharge portion onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the coating roller is moved relative to the workpiece, thereby coating the film-forming liquid on the side surface of the workpiece.

[0035] According to the above coating method (1), the film-forming liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge section onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and then transferred and coated from the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller onto the side surface of the workpiece. Therefore, the film-forming liquid can be applied to the side surface of the workpiece with greater precision than in a method in which the film-forming liquid is directly discharged from the liquid discharge section onto the side surface of the workpiece.

[0036] Furthermore, a coating method (2) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating method (1), the film-forming liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge portion onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while rotating the coating roller in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the coating roller relative to the workpiece.

[0037] According to the above coating method (2), the film forming liquid discharged from the liquid discharge unit onto the coating roller is applied to the side of the workpiece behind the contact point or proximity point between the coating roller and the workpiece in the direction of movement of the coating unit. With this configuration, the film forming liquid after being transferred and applied from the coating roller to the workpiece is applied without being pressed by the coating roller. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of the film forming liquid discharged from the liquid discharge unit onto the coating roller, it is possible to adjust the film thickness of the film forming liquid applied to the side of the workpiece.

[0038] Furthermore, a coating method (3) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating method (1) or (2), a dispenser equipped with a discharge nozzle is used as the liquid discharge unit, and the film-forming liquid is discharged in a fixed amount from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller by the dispenser while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle.

[0039] According to the coating method (3), the dispenser is used to discharge a fixed amount of the film forming liquid from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle. With this configuration, the film forming liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller does not drip from the coating roller, and the film forming liquid can be applied to the side surface of the workpiece from the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller in a uniform thickness.

[0040] Furthermore, a coating method (4) according to the present invention is any of the coating methods (1) to (3), characterized in that a coating unit moving means is used that enables a coating unit comprising the coating roller and the liquid discharge portion to move in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions, and the film-forming liquid is applied to the side surface of the workpiece by controlling the movement of the coating unit in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions by the coating unit moving means based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller created based on shape data of the workpiece.

[0041] According to the coating method (4), the movement of the coating unit in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions by the moving means is controlled based on the numerical control program to coat the side surface of the workpiece with the film-forming liquid. This configuration allows the film-forming liquid to be coated accurately on the side surface of the workpiece, regardless of the shape of the workpiece, whether it is circular, non-circular, asymmetric, or has another irregular shape, or even a complex shape. Furthermore, it is possible to coat the film-forming liquid not only on the outer peripheral side surface of the workpiece, but also on the side surfaces of holes formed within the surface of the workpiece, thereby expanding the range of applicable workpieces.

[0042] Furthermore, the light irradiation device (1) according to the present invention is a light irradiation device for hardening a film-forming liquid applied to the side surface of a workpiece, and is characterized in that it comprises a light irradiation unit having a light emission surface that emits light that hardens the film-forming liquid, a workpiece storage jig that is arranged so as to be opposite the light emission surface of the light irradiation unit, the workpiece storage jig having a storage section that can store the workpiece, the storage section having a shape similar to that of the workpiece, and the side surface of the storage section serving as a light reflecting surface that reflects a portion of the light emitted from the light emission surface and directs it towards the side surface of the workpiece.

[0043] According to the light irradiation device (1), the storage section of the workpiece storage jig has a shape similar to that of the workpiece, and its side surface serves as the light-reflecting surface. Therefore, even if the workpiece has various shapes, the light emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-irradiating unit toward the workpiece, i.e., the active energy rays, can be reflected by the light-reflecting surface of the side surface of the storage section and applied to the side surface of the workpiece. That is, regardless of the shape of the workpiece, light can be irradiated with uniform intensity on the side surface of the workpiece, eliminating uneven irradiation and forming a cured film without defects such as lifting or wrinkles on the side surface of the workpiece. Note that the side surface of the storage section may be the inner surface or the outer surface depending on the shape of the storage section. For example, if the storage section has a concave shape such as a hole, a hole, a dent, or a depression, the inner surface (inner peripheral side surface) of the storage section serves as the light-reflecting surface. On the other hand, if the storage section has a convex shape, the outer surface (outer peripheral side surface) of the storage section serves as the light-reflecting surface.

[0044] Furthermore, a light irradiation device (2) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the light irradiation device (1), the light reflecting surface is covered with a light reflecting material. According to the light irradiation device (2), since the light reflecting surface is covered with the light reflecting material, the light emitted from the light emitting surface of the light irradiation unit can be efficiently reflected.

[0045] Furthermore, a light irradiation device (3) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the light irradiation device (1) or (2), the light reflecting surface is mirror-finished. According to the light irradiation device (3), since the light reflecting surface is mirror-finished, the light emitted from the light emitting surface of the light irradiation unit can be mirror-reflected, i.e., specularly reflected. Therefore, the specular reflectance of the light on the light reflecting surface can be increased, and more uniform light can be irradiated onto the side surface of the workpiece.

[0046] Furthermore, a light irradiation device (4) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the light irradiation devices (1) to (3), it includes a light irradiation moving means for moving the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig relative to each other. According to the light irradiation device (4), the light irradiation moving means allows light irradiation to be performed on the side of the workpiece while moving the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig relative to each other. Furthermore, by providing the light irradiation moving means, a compact light irradiation unit can be used, thereby reducing costs and saving space. The light irradiation moving means may be a means for moving the light irradiation unit relative to the workpiece storage jig, or a means for moving the workpiece storage jig relative to the light irradiation unit.

[0047] Furthermore, the light irradiation method (1) according to the present invention is characterized in that, using any of the light irradiation devices (1) to (3), light is emitted from the light emission surface of the light irradiation unit, a portion of the emitted light is reflected by the light reflection surface of the storage section of the work storage jig, and is directed at the side surface of the work stored in the storage section, thereby hardening the film-forming liquid applied to the side surface of the work.

[0048] According to the light irradiation method (1), the storage section of the workpiece storage jig used in the method has a shape similar to that of the workpiece, and its side surface serves as the light reflecting surface, so that even if the workpiece has various shapes, the light emitted from the light emission surface of the light irradiation unit toward the workpiece can be reflected by the light reflecting surface of the side surface of the storage section and applied to the side surface of the workpiece. In other words, regardless of the shape of the workpiece, light can be uniformly irradiated onto the side surface of the workpiece, that is, irradiation unevenness can be suppressed, and a cured film without defects such as lifting or wrinkles can be formed on the side surface of the workpiece.

[0049] Furthermore, a light irradiation method (2) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the light irradiation method (1), light is emitted from the light exit surface while the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig are moved relative to each other.

[0050] According to the light irradiation method (2), the side surface of the workpiece can be irradiated with light while the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig are moved relative to each other. Furthermore, because of the relative movement, a small light irradiation unit can be used, making it possible to irradiate light in a small space.

[0051] Furthermore, a coating system (1) according to the present invention is a coating system including any one of the coating devices (1) to (11) and any one of the light irradiation devices (1) to (3), wherein the light irradiation device is arranged in the coating work area of ​​the installation table, and is provided with a light irradiation moving means for moving the light irradiation unit relative to the work storage jig, the storage section of the work storage jig has a hole shape, and a side surface of the storage section is the light reflecting surface, and an elevating work holding means capable of holding the work is arranged at the position of the storage section, and the work holding means is provided with a holding table for holding the work and an elevating means for raising and lowering the holding table.

[0052] According to the coating system (1), the light irradiation device is disposed in the coating work area of ​​the installation table. Therefore, the coating unit applies the film-forming liquid to the side surface of the workpiece, and the light irradiation unit cures the applied film-forming liquid. Therefore, the process of coating and curing the film-forming liquid on the side surface of the workpiece can be performed efficiently and in a space-saving manner. Specifically, the workpiece is held on the holding table, and the lifting means positions the holding table above the workpiece storage jig. The coating unit then performs the coating operation. After coating, the holding table is lowered so that the workpiece is placed in the storage section. Then, the light irradiation moving means moves the light irradiation unit relative to the workpiece storage jig, while the light irradiation unit irradiates light to cure the film-forming liquid applied to the side surface of the workpiece. Therefore, the coating and curing processes can be performed efficiently without moving the workpiece on a plane (in the X and Y directions).

[0053] Furthermore, the coating system (2) according to the present invention is the coating system (1) described above, further comprising a work storage means for storing the work before the film-forming liquid is applied and the work after the film-forming liquid has hardened, and a work transfer means for transferring the work between the work storage means and the holding table, wherein the work storage means and the work transfer means are arranged on the installation table.

[0054] According to the coating system (2), the workpiece transfer means can transfer the workpiece before the film-forming liquid is applied from the workpiece storage means to the holding table, and transfer the workpiece after the film-forming liquid has hardened from the holding table to the workpiece storage means. Therefore, the workpiece can be efficiently transferred between the workpiece storage means and the holding table.

[0055] Furthermore, a coating system (3) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating system (2), the work storage means comprises a magazine capable of stacking trays capable of storing a plurality of the workpieces, and an insertion / removal means for inserting and removing the trays from the magazine, and the work transfer means transfers the workpiece between the tray removed from the magazine by the insertion / removal means and the holding table.

[0056] According to the coating system (3), the work storage means includes the magazine and the loading / unloading means, so that many of the workpieces can be stored in the magazine in a space-saving manner, and the tray can be appropriately loaded and unloaded from the magazine. In addition, the workpiece transfer means allows the workpieces to be efficiently transferred between the tray pulled out of the magazine and the holding table.

[0057] Furthermore, a coating system (4) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating system (3), the work transfer means includes a hand unit for holding the work and a transfer robot that can move the hand unit in the X, Y, and Z directions, and the hand unit has at least two holding units for holding the work.

[0058] According to the above application system (4), the hand portion of the work transfer means has two holding portions, so that one of the holding portions can hold the work before the film forming liquid is applied and transfer it from the work storage means to the holding table, and the other holding portion can hold the work after the film forming liquid has hardened and transfer it from the holding table to the work storage means, and the work before the film forming liquid is applied and the work after the film forming liquid has hardened can be transferred efficiently with one reciprocating operation.

[0059] Furthermore, the coating system (5) according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the coating system (4), the tray has a placement section on which the workpiece is placed, and has a push-up means for pushing up the workpiece from the placement section of the tray removed from the magazine by the insertion / removal means, and the workpiece pushed up from the placement section by the push-up means is held by the holding section of the hand section.

[0060] According to the coating system (5), the workpiece can be pushed up from the placement portion of the tray by the lifting means, so that the workpiece stored in the tray can be easily held by the holding portion of the hand unit.

[0061] 1 is a plan view showing the main configuration of a coating device according to embodiment (1) of the present invention. It is a front view of FIG. 1. It is a right side view of FIG. 1. It is a diagram showing an example of a workpiece to be coated, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a). It is a diagram showing an example of a fixed part that can be attached to a mounting portion of a table, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a). It is a front view showing the main configuration of a coating unit that constitutes the coating device according to embodiment (1). It is a right side view of FIG. 6. It is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each part that constitutes the coating device according to embodiment (1). It is a diagram for explaining the coating operation by the coating device according to embodiment (1), and is a diagram for explaining the movement of the coating roller and the liquid discharge unit relative to the workpiece. (a) and (b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the outer peripheral side of the workpiece after coating. It is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation performed by the coating control unit of the coating device according to embodiment (1). It is a plan view showing the main configuration of a coating system according to embodiment (2). It is a front view of the main part of FIG. 12. It is a right side view of the main part of FIG. 12. It is a left side view of the main part of FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a main part of a light irradiation device constituting a coating system according to embodiment (2), where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view when a workpiece is coated, (c) is a front view when light is irradiated, and (c) is a right side view when light is irradiated.

[0024] FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining the operation of a light irradiation unit with respect to a workpiece storage jig in a light irradiation device, where (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line b-b in (a).

[0025] FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a hand unit of a transfer robot constituting a coating system according to embodiment (2), where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a right side view.

[0026] FIG. 1C is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a main part of a coating system according to embodiment (2).

[0027] FIG. 1D is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation performed by a control unit of a coating system according to embodiment (2).

[0028] FIG. 1E is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a light irradiation device according to another embodiment, where (a) is a partial plan view showing a state in which a workpiece is stored in a work storage jig, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line b-b in (a).

[0062] Hereinafter, embodiments of the coating device, coating method, light irradiation device, light irradiation method, and coating system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below show preferred specific examples of the present invention, and various technically preferable limitations are attached, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise stated in the following description to the effect that the present invention is limited.

[0063] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the main configuration of a coating device according to embodiment (1) of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a right side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a workpiece to be coated, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a).

[0064] The coating device 10 is a device that coats the side surface of the workpiece 2 with a film-forming liquid. The workpiece 2 shown in Figure 4 is an example of a lens for smart glasses that has a non-circular shape with a curved portion with an uneven shape on part of the periphery, and the coated portion is the outer peripheral side surface 2a. The workpiece 2 may be configured by stacking multiple lens layers, etc., depending on the lens function.

[0065] In this embodiment, the workpiece 2 is assumed to be a thin lens for smart glasses, but the workpiece 2 is not limited to a lens for smart glasses. The applicable workpiece 2 includes various thin plate-shaped components, such as lenses, glass, mirrors, films, resin panels, pressed metal plates, and resin and glass substrates for electronic circuits, regardless of whether they are circular, non-circular, symmetrical, or asymmetrical. The size of the workpiece 2 is also not particularly limited, and various sizes of workpieces can be coated. The thickness t of the workpiece 2 is also not particularly limited. For example, in the case of a lens for smart glasses, the thickness t of the workpiece 2 is approximately 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0066] The workpiece 2 is not limited to a workpiece having an outer peripheral side surface 2a, i.e., an end surface, as the coating target. Alternatively, the workpiece may have one or more holes formed in a plane, with the inner surfaces of these holes serving as the coating target, such as a jig used in semiconductor manufacturing, such as a wrapping carrier. The film-forming liquid 3 (see Figures 9 and 10) applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 is, for example, an optical coating to prevent flare and ghosting caused by reflection on the periphery of the workpiece 2, which is a thin lens. The composition and other properties of the film-forming liquid 3 can be appropriately modified depending on the specifications of the workpiece 2 and the purpose of the coating.

[0067] The coating apparatus 10 includes a coating unit 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), a moving mechanism 30 that enables the coating unit 20 to move in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions, and a table 40 that has an installation area 41 where the moving mechanism 30 and other components are installed and a coating work area 42 where the workpiece 2 and other components are installed. The moving mechanism 30 is an example of a coating unit moving means. The coating apparatus 10 also includes a coating control unit 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that controls the operation of applying the film-forming liquid 3 to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 while operating the coating unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30.

[0068] 2 and 3, the coating unit 20 includes a coating roller 21, a drive unit 22 that drives the coating roller 21 to rotate, and a liquid discharge unit 23 that discharges the film forming liquid 3 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21. The specific configuration of the coating unit 20 will be described later.

[0069] 1 to 3, the movement mechanism 30 is mounted on a mounting base 35 disposed in a mounting area 41 of a table 40. The movement mechanism 30 is configured with a four-axis combination robot including an XY two-axis Cartesian robot 31 disposed on the mounting base 35 and a vertical rotation (ZR) robot 34 operable in the vertical (Z) direction and the rotation (θ) direction.

[0070] The Cartesian robot 31 includes a Y-axis robot 32 and an X-axis robot 33. The Y-axis robot 32 includes a Y-axis linear guide 32a disposed on an installation base 35 and a Y-axis bracket 32b that moves on the Y-axis linear guide 32a. The Y-axis linear guide 32a is equipped with a ball screw mechanism, a motor, an encoder, and the like. The X-axis robot 33 includes an X-axis linear guide 33a attached to the Y-axis bracket 32b in a direction perpendicular to the Y-axis linear guide 32a, and an X-axis slider 33b that moves on the X-axis linear guide 33a. The X-axis linear guide 33a is equipped with a ball screw mechanism, a motor, an encoder, and the like. A vertical rotation robot 34 is attached to the X-axis slider 33b.

[0071] The vertical rotation robot 34 is equipped with a ball-screw spline shaft mechanism, a motor, a Z-axis encoder, a θ rotation encoder, etc., and is configured to simultaneously perform vertical (Z) direction movement and θ direction rotation of the shaft 34a. The coating unit 20 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 34a of the vertical rotation robot 34. Therefore, the entire coating unit 20 is configured to rotate around the shaft 34a and move up and down by the vertical rotation robot 34. The Cartesian robot 31 and the vertical rotation robot 34 can be configured using known robots. Note that the configuration of the movement mechanism 30 is not limited to the combination of the Cartesian robot 31 and the vertical rotation robot 34, and a mechanism capable of moving in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions may be configured using one or more robots other than these.

[0072] The table 40 has an installation area 41 and a coating work area 42 on its upper surface, and the installation area 41 is provided with the installation stand 35, the valve controller 26 that controls the operation of the liquid discharge unit 23, etc., and the coating work area 42 is provided with an attachment part 43 to which a fixing part 44 for fixing the workpiece 2 and a cleaning member 46 for cleaning the coating roller 21 can be detachably attached. The attachment part 43 is made of, for example, a substantially rectangular metal plate, and has a plurality of screw holes 43a formed at predetermined intervals on its upper surface for attaching the fixing part 44.

[0073] The cleaning member 46 is a member for removing the film-forming liquid 3 adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21 after the film-forming liquid 3 has been applied to the side surface of the workpiece 2, and is made of a material that can absorb, adsorb, wipe off, and scrape off the film-forming liquid 3. The cleaning member 46 illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 has a substantially disk shape, and by moving the application roller 21 along its outer peripheral surface while rotating it, the cleaning member 46 wipes off the film-forming liquid 3 adhering to the application roller 21.

[0074] The application control unit 50 is composed of one or more computer devices that control the operation of each part of the application unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30, and is equipped with a calculation unit 50a, a memory unit 50b, an input unit 50c, an output unit 50d, and a power supply unit 50e, and is connected to the application unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30 via a communication line not shown.

[0075] The calculation unit 50a is configured to include one or more central processing units (CPUs) and performs calculation processing based on signals input from the input unit 50c, data and programs read from the memory unit 50b, etc., and has the function of outputting signals that control the operation of each part of the coating unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30 from the output unit 50d to each part.

[0076] The memory unit 50b is composed of a program memory (ROM) and a data memory (RAM), and is configured to store data and programs for controlling the operation of each part of the coating device 10, such as a moving mechanism operation program, a coating roller operation program, a liquid discharge unit operation program, work shape (coordinate) data, and setting, input, and calculation data.

[0077] The input unit 50c is configured as an input interface for taking in signals and the like from each part of the coating device 10 and transferring them to the calculation unit 50a. The output unit 50d is configured as an output interface for receiving the results of calculation processing by the calculation unit 50a and outputting signals for operating each part of the coating device 10. The functional configuration of the coating control unit 50 will be described later.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows an example of a fixing part 44 that can be attached to and detached from the mounting part 43 of the table 40, with (a) being a plan view and (b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a). A fixing part 44 is produced for each type of workpiece 2. The fixing part 44 includes a base 44a fixed to the mounting part 43, a surrounding wall part 44b erected on the base 44a, and a recess 44c formed in the surrounding wall part 44b. The surrounding wall part 44b has a suction passage 44d formed therein that communicates with the recess 44c. The upper part of the surrounding wall part 44b, on which the workpiece 2 is placed, is shaped slightly smaller than the outer shape of the workpiece 2. A tube (neither of which is shown) extending from a suction pump (suction part) is attached to an opening 44da of the suction passage 44d in the surrounding wall part 44b.

[0079] The base 44a has a plurality of screw holes 44aa formed therein, and the positions of these screw holes 44aa are designed to overlap with the screw holes 43a of the mounting portion 43 when the base 44a is placed in a predetermined position on the mounting portion 43. This configuration makes it possible to fix the fixing part 44 to the predetermined position on the mounting portion 43 with screws.

[0080] After the workpiece 2 is placed and positioned on the surrounding wall portion 44b of the fixing part 44 attached to the mounting part 43, air is sucked out of the recess 44c through the suction path 44d, thereby suctioning and fixing the workpiece 2 to the surrounding wall portion 44b. The positioning of the workpiece 2 described above can be performed using a positioning jig for placing the workpiece 2 at a predetermined position on the surrounding wall portion 44b, for example, a jig shaped to fit into the outer peripheral surface of the surrounding wall portion 44b and the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. The positioning and placement of the workpiece 2 on the fixing part 44 may be performed manually by an operator, or may be performed automatically using a handling robot (not shown) or the like.

[0081] Fig. 6 is a front view showing the main configuration of a coating unit 20 constituting the coating device 10 according to embodiment (1), and Fig. 7 is a right side view showing the main configuration of the coating unit 20 shown in Fig. 6. The coating unit 20 is configured to include a coating roller 21, a drive unit 22 that drives the coating roller 21 to rotate in the θ direction, and a liquid discharge unit 23 that discharges the film forming liquid 3 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21.

[0082] The application roller 21 is a substantially disk-shaped resin roller that is inserted onto a roller mounting shaft 21a. The radius of the application roller 21 is set to be equal to or less than the smallest radius of curvature of the curved portion of the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. When the workpiece 2 is a lens for smart glasses, the radius is typically set to approximately 2 to 5 mm. The application roller 21 preferably has a small diameter so that the film-forming liquid 3 discharged from the liquid discharge unit 23 onto the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21 can be quickly transferred and applied to the side surface of the workpiece 2. Furthermore, the thickness (height) of the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21 is preferably designed to be slightly thicker than the thickness of the workpiece 2. The material of the application roller 21 is not limited to resin, and may be rubber, metal, or the like.

[0083] The drive unit 22 is composed of a rotary motor such as a small servo motor, and the rotational force of the rotary motor is transmitted to the application roller 21 via the roller mounting shaft 21a. Therefore, the application roller 21 is configured to rotate around the roller mounting shaft 21a (Z-axis) by the drive unit 22, and the entire application unit 20 is configured to rotate in the θ direction around the shaft 34a (Z-axis) by the vertical rotation robot 34.

[0084] The liquid discharge unit 23 is composed of a dispenser having the function of discharging a fixed amount of the film forming liquid 3. The liquid discharge unit 23 is composed of a pneumatic dispenser valve 24 having a liquid injection unit 24a into which the film forming liquid 3 is injected and an air supply unit 24b into which air is supplied, a discharge nozzle 25 attached to the tip of the dispenser valve 24, and a valve controller 26 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) that controls the operation of the dispenser valve 24.

[0085] One end of an air-pressure-fed syringe 24c filled with the film-forming liquid 3 is attached to the liquid injecting section 24a, and the other end of the syringe 24c is connected via an air tube 24d to a valve controller 26. The valve controller 26 has a function of controlling the amount of film-forming liquid 3 supplied from the syringe 24c to the dispenser valve 24 by air pressure.

[0086] One end of an air tube 24e is attached to the air supply unit 24b, and the other end of the air tube 24e is connected to a valve controller 26. The valve controller 26 has a function of controlling the amount of the film forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 of the dispenser valve 24 by air pressure.

[0087] The discharge nozzle 25 is configured as a thin, needle-shaped needle nozzle. The discharge nozzle 25 is disposed obliquely upward relative to the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21. Therefore, the dispenser valve 24 is disposed above the application roller 21. Therefore, the discharge nozzle 25 and the dispenser valve 24 (i.e., the liquid discharge unit 23) do not get in the way when the application roller 21 is brought into contact with or close to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. The nozzle opening 25a at the tip of the discharge nozzle 25 is disposed so as to be in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21, and the film-forming liquid 3 is discharged from the nozzle opening 25a onto the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21. Note that the discharge method of the liquid discharge unit 23 is not limited to a pneumatic method like the dispenser valve 24, and other discharge methods may be used.

[0088] The application unit 20 also includes a mounting member 27 to which the above-mentioned application roller 21, drive unit 22, and liquid discharge unit 23 are attached, and a support unit 28 that supports the mounting member 27 so that it can move (slide) in a predetermined horizontal direction (direction of arrow A).

[0089] The mounting member 27 is configured to include a shaft support portion 27a that rotatably supports the roller mounting shaft 21a, a mounting piece portion 27b for mounting the drive unit 22 coaxially with the roller mounting shaft 21a, a support piece portion 27c that supports the liquid discharge unit 23 in a predetermined inclined position, and a mounting portion 27d that is inverted L-shaped in side view and to which these are attached. With this structure, the application roller 21, drive unit 22, and liquid discharge unit 23 are attached to the mounting member 27 and integrated.

[0090] The support unit 28 includes a linear motion rail 28a disposed in the horizontal direction, a linear motion block 28b slidably attached to the linear motion rail 28a, support pieces 28c and 28d supporting both sides of the linear motion rail 28a, and a base 28e supporting the support pieces 28c and 28d. The base 28e of the support unit 28 is attached to the shaft 34a of the vertical rotation robot 34, and the linear motion block 28b is attached to the upper part of the attachment unit 27d. Therefore, the attachment member 27 is configured to be movable together with the linear motion block 28b in the arrangement direction of the linear motion rail 28a.

[0091] Furthermore, the support part 28 is equipped with an escape mechanism part 29. The escape mechanism part 29 is a mechanism for moving the mounting member 27 in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrow A) to escape when an external force acts on the application roller 21, for example, when the application roller 21 is pressed against the side surface of the workpiece 2.

[0092] The escape mechanism 29 includes elastic members 29a provided on both the left and right sides of the mounting portion 27d, with one end of the elastic members 29a attached to the support piece 28c and the other end attached to the mounting portion 27d. The elastic members 29a are formed, for example, by tension springs.

[0093] The escape mechanism 29 including the elastic member 29a makes it possible, for example, when the application roller 21 is pressed against the side of the workpiece 2 and an external force acts on the application roller 21, to absorb the external force (pressing force) with the elastic member 29a while keeping the application roller 21 appropriately pressed against the side of the workpiece 2.

[0094] 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each unit constituting the coating device 10 according to embodiment (1). The coating control unit 50 includes a coating roller control unit 51, a liquid discharge control unit 52, and a movement mechanism control unit 53. The coating roller control unit 51 has a function of controlling the rotation operation of the coating roller 21 by the drive unit 22 provided in the coating unit 20. The coating roller control unit 51 is configured to output a rotation command to the drive unit 22 at a predetermined timing when the coating operation starts, and to perform feedback control while receiving an encoder signal from the drive unit 22, which is driven based on the rotation command.

[0095] The liquid discharge control unit 52 has a function of controlling the discharge operation of the film forming liquid 3 by the dispenser valve 24 of the liquid discharge unit 23 via the valve controller 26. The liquid discharge control unit 52 performs control to output a liquid discharge command to the valve controller 26 at a predetermined timing for starting a coating operation, for example. Then, the valve controller 26 adjusts the air pressure based on the liquid discharge command to control the supply amount of the film forming liquid 3 supplied from the syringe 24c to the dispenser valve 24 and the discharge amount of the film forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25.

[0096] The movement mechanism control unit 53 has the function of controlling the movement of the application unit 20 in the X and Y directions by the Cartesian robot 31 that constitutes the movement mechanism 30, and the movement of the application unit 20 in the Z direction and the θ rotation operation by the vertical rotation robot 34, based on a numerical control program that uses movement trajectory data (coordinate data) of the application roller 21 created based on the shape data of the workpiece 2.

[0097] The movement mechanism control unit 53 is configured to, for example, output a Z-axis direction movement command and a θ rotation command for the shaft 34a to the vertical rotation robot 34 at a predetermined timing for executing the coating operation, and perform feedback control while taking in the Z-axis encoder signal and the θ rotation encoder signal of the vertical rotation robot 34 which operates based on these commands.

[0098] Furthermore, the movement mechanism control unit 53 performs control such that, at a predetermined timing for executing the coating operation, an operation command for the Y-axis bracket 32b is output to the Y-axis robot 32, and an operation command for the X-axis slider 33b is output to the X-axis robot 33. The movement mechanism control unit 53 is configured to perform feedback control while taking in encoder signals from the Y-axis robot 32 and the X-axis robot 33, which operate based on these commands.

[0099] The movement mechanism control unit 53 has the function of controlling the operation of moving the application unit 20 relative to the workpiece 2 by using the movement mechanism 30 to bring the outer surface of the application roller 21 into contact with or close to the outer side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, while maintaining the relative position between the outer side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 and the liquid discharge unit 23 in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0100] Maintaining the specified positional relationship means, for example, maintaining the orientation of the liquid discharge section 23 (i.e., the dispenser valve 24 or the discharge nozzle 25) relative to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 during the application operation at a certain angle (e.g., normal direction or a specified angle) relative to the tangent passing through the contact point (or proximity point) between the workpiece 2 and the application roller 21.

[0101] The movement of the coating unit 20 during this coating operation will be described using Figure 9. Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the coating unit 20 during the coating operation on the workpiece 2, and shows the movement of the coating roller 21 and the liquid discharge unit 23 relative to the workpiece 2. Figure 9(A) illustrates a state in which the coating operation of the film forming liquid 3 on the workpiece 2 is started from position a), and the coating roller 21 is moved counterclockwise along the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, passing through positions b), c), d), e), and f), and returning to position a).

[0102] In other words, the movement of the entire coating unit 20 is controlled so as to rotate counterclockwise by the movement mechanism 30. At this time, as shown in Fig. 9(B) , the orientation of the liquid discharge part 23 (i.e., the dispenser valve 24 and the discharge nozzle 25) is maintained in the direction of a normal line Ln perpendicular to a tangent line Lt passing through the contact point T between the workpiece 2 and the coating roller 21.

[0103] In parallel with the movement control of the entire coating unit 20, a fixed amount of film forming liquid 3 is discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 of the dispenser valve 24, and the coating roller 21 is controlled to rotate at a constant speed in a clockwise direction (i.e., the opposite direction to the movement direction of the coating unit 20). Therefore, as shown in the enlarged view of b) in Figure 9 (B), the film forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 to the coating roller 21 is transferred and coated onto the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 behind the contact point T between the coating roller 21 and the workpiece 2 (behind the movement direction of the coating unit 20).

[0104] Therefore, after being transferred and applied from the application roller 21 to the workpiece 2, the film forming liquid 3 is applied without being pressed by the application roller 21. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of film forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 of the liquid discharge unit 23 onto the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 21, it is possible to easily control the film thickness of the film forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, and it is possible to improve the accuracy of adjusting the film thickness of the film forming liquid 3.

[0105] In the example shown in FIG. 9B , the orientation of the discharge nozzle 25 of the liquid discharge unit 23 is maintained along a normal line Ln perpendicular to the tangent line Lt passing through the contact point T between the workpiece 2 and the application roller 21. However, the orientation of the discharge nozzle 25 is not limited to this. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9C , the orientation of the discharge nozzle 25 may be maintained in a positional relationship in which the direction of the discharge nozzle 25 is tilted in a direction opposite (counterclockwise) to the normal line Ln relative to the rotation direction (clockwise) of the application roller 21. The arrangement of the discharge nozzle 25 shown in FIG. 9C can prevent the film-forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 from creeping up the discharge nozzle 25, thereby reducing variations in the discharge amount and improving discharge stability. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the application roller 21 is not limited to the direction opposite to the movement direction of the application unit 20. Depending on the type of workpiece 2 and the application conditions, the application roller 21 may be rotated in the same forward direction as the movement direction of the application unit 20.

[0106] In this way, during the coating operation, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of rotating the coating roller 21 and the operation of discharging a fixed amount of the film forming liquid 3 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21. In parallel with these controls, the coating control unit 50 is configured to control the operation of moving the coating roller 21 along the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 while rotating (pivoting) the entire coating unit 20 so as to maintain the orientation of the liquid discharge unit 23 relative to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 in the same state.

[0107] 10(a) and 10(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 after the film-forming liquid 3 has been applied. FIG. 10(a) shows the state in which the film-forming liquid 3 has been applied only to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. FIG. 10(b) shows the state in which the film-forming liquid 3 has been applied with a slight overlap between the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 and its peripheral edge. With the application device 10, the film-forming liquid 3 can be applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a with a coating width equal to or less than the thickness of the workpiece 2, as shown in FIG. 10(a). Alternatively, the film-forming liquid 3 can be applied to the peripheral edge of the workpiece 2, including the outer peripheral side surface 2a, as shown in FIG. 10(b). Furthermore, the film-forming liquid 3 can be applied to a thickness of, for example, several μm to 100 μm or less after application. However, the film thickness is not limited to this range and can be adjusted depending on the type and purpose of the workpiece 2.

[0108] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation performed by the coating control unit 50 of the coating device 10 according to the embodiment (1). Note that this processing operation shows an example of a coating operation for one workpiece 2.

[0109] First, in step S1, the coating control unit 50 loads the numerical control program for the coating unit 20 corresponding to the workpiece 2 to be coated, and then proceeds to step S2. The numerical control program includes data and programs necessary for controlling the coating of the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 with the coating roller 21. These data include, for example, shape data of the workpiece 2, the movement coordinates, movement distance, and movement speed of the coating roller 21, as well as data on the coordinates for turning the rotation of the coating roller 21 ON and OFF, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the coating roller 21, etc. Furthermore, these data include data necessary for controlling the coordinates of the coating roller 21 when turning ON and OFF the discharge operation of the film-forming liquid 3 by the liquid discharge unit 23, the discharge amount of the film-forming liquid 3, etc. The movement coordinate data for the coating roller 21 is created based on, for example, shape data of the workpiece 2 created using CAD or the like, coordinate data of the coating work area 42 of the movement mechanism 30, and other coating conditions. The numerical control program is created for each type of workpiece 2.

[0110] In step S2, the application control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 (the Cartesian robot 31 and the vertical rotation robot 34) to move the application unit 20 to the origin position of the moving operation by the moving mechanism 30.

[0111] In step S3, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to move the coating unit 20 to the coating operation start position. This movement of the coating unit 20 positions the coating roller 21 at a position facing the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2, which is the coating start position.

[0112] In step S4, the coating control unit 50 controls the start of rotation of the coating roller 21. That is, the coating control unit 50 sends a rotation command to the drive unit 22 of the coating unit 20 and starts controlling the operation of rotating the coating roller 21 in a predetermined rotation direction at a predetermined rotation speed. The predetermined rotation direction is, for example, the opposite direction to the movement direction of the coating unit 20 relative to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2.

[0113] In step S5, the coating control unit 50 controls the liquid discharge unit 23 to start discharging the film formation liquid 3. That is, the coating control unit 50 sends a liquid discharge command to the valve controller 26, and the valve controller 26 starts controlling the operation of discharging a fixed amount of the film formation liquid 3 from the discharge nozzle 25 of the dispenser valve 24 onto the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller 21.

[0114] In step S6, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to start the coating operation of the coating unit 20 on the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2. That is, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to bring the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21 into contact with or close to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2, while maintaining the relative position between the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 and the discharge nozzle 25 of the dispenser valve 24 in a predetermined positional relationship (for example, a normal direction or a predetermined angle), and starts control to revolve (revolve) the coating unit 20 along the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the coating roller 21. Step S6 is a coating process in which the film-forming liquid 3 is applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2.

[0115] Thereafter, in step S7, the coating control unit 50 determines whether the coating operation on the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 is complete. For example, the coating control unit 50 determines the completion of the coating operation by determining whether the position of the coating roller 21 has reached the coating end position or returned to the coating start position. If the coating operation is not complete, the coating operation continues, and if it is determined in step S7 that the coating operation is complete, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0116] In step S8, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to retract the coating unit 20 to a predetermined position, for example, the start position of the coating operation. In step S9, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to stop the rotation of the coating roller 21 and the operation of the liquid discharge unit 23 to stop the discharge of the film forming liquid 3. In step S10, the coating control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to start control to move the coating unit 20 to the position of the cleaning member 46. In other words, the coating unit 20 is moved to a position where the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller 21 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning member 46.

[0117] In step S11, the application control unit 50 controls the application roller 21 to start rotating while the application unit 20 is being moved to the position of the cleaning member 46. In step S12, when the application roller 21 reaches a position where it contacts the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning member 46, the application control unit 50 further controls the operation of the movement mechanism 30 to start a wiping operation in which the outer circumferential surface of the application roller 21 moves back and forth along the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning member 46.

[0118] Thereafter, in step S13, the application control unit 50 determines whether the wiping operation is completed, and if it determines in step S13 that the wiping operation is completed, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the application control unit 50 controls the operation of the moving mechanism 30 to move the application unit 20 to the origin position of the moving mechanism 30, and then ends the process.

[0119] The cleaning process of the application roller 21 in steps S9 to S13 may be performed after each application operation on the workpiece 2, or may be performed after multiple application operations have been completed.

[0120] According to the coating device 10 of the above embodiment (1), while rotating the coating roller 21 and discharging the film forming liquid 3 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21, the moving mechanism 30 brings the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21 into contact with or close to the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2, while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the outer peripheral side surface 2 a of the workpiece 2 and the liquid discharge unit 23, and the coating unit 20 moves in a revolving manner along the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece 2. The coating control unit 50 controls each operation of the coating unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30.

[0121] Therefore, the coating device 10 does not require a complex mechanical structure, and can coat the film forming liquid 3 on the outer peripheral side surface of a workpiece 2, regardless of the shape of the workpiece 2, whether it is circular, non-circular, or otherwise irregular. Furthermore, the film forming liquid 3 can be coated not only on the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, but also, for example, on the side surface of a hole formed within the plane of the workpiece. In other words, the types of workpieces 2 to which the coating device 10 can be applied can be expanded, and the film forming liquid 3 can be coated with precision on the side surface of workpieces 2 of various shapes. Furthermore, compared to a method in which the film forming liquid 3 is directly discharged from the liquid discharge portion 23 onto the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, the film forming liquid 3 can be coated with precision on the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the coating control unit 50 controls the discharge operation of the film forming liquid 3 from the discharge nozzle 25 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21 by the dispenser valve 24, making it possible to discharge a fixed amount of the film forming liquid 3 from the discharge nozzle 25 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21. With this configuration, the film forming liquid 3 discharged from the discharge nozzle 25 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21 does not drip from the coating roller 21, and it becomes possible to apply the film forming liquid 3 in a uniform thickness from the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21 to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. This also makes maintenance of the device easier.

[0123] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the liquid discharge unit 23 is configured to include a dispenser valve 24, in other words, a dispenser of a metered-dose valve type, and the discharge nozzle 25 is configured as a needle nozzle. With this configuration, it is possible to discharge a minute amount of the film-forming liquid 3 from the needle nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21. Therefore, it is possible to apply the film-forming liquid 3 from the coating roller 21 to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 in a thin and uniform thickness.

[0124] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the film forming liquid 3 discharged from the liquid discharge unit 23 onto the coating roller 21 is applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 behind the contact point (or proximity point) between the coating roller 21 and the workpiece 2 in the direction of movement of the coating unit 20. With this configuration, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the film forming liquid 3 after being transferred and applied from the coating roller 21 to the workpiece 2 can be applied without being pressed by the coating roller 21. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of film forming liquid 3 discharged from the liquid discharge unit 23 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller 21, it is possible to adjust the film thickness of the film forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2.

[0125] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the Cartesian robot 31 can move the coating unit 20 in the XY plane with high precision, and the vertical rotation robot 34 can move the coating unit 20 in the Z axis direction and rotate it through θ with high precision. Furthermore, the movement mechanism 30 including these can be configured using a general-purpose robot, which can reduce the cost of the device.

[0126] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the coating unit 20 is provided with an escape mechanism 29, so that when the coating roller 21 comes into contact with the workpiece 2 and an external force acts on the coating roller 21 from the horizontal direction, the escape mechanism 29 moves the mounting member 27 in the horizontal direction to escape, and the external force is absorbed by the elastic member 29a. With this configuration, the pressing force when the coating roller 21 comes into contact with the workpiece 2 can be weakened, and the workpiece 2 can be protected from damage.

[0127] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the table 40 is provided with an attachment portion 43 in the coating work area 42, so that a fixing part 44 according to the type of workpiece 2 can be attached and detached to the attachment portion 43. Furthermore, since a suction tube is configured to be connected to the fixing part 44, various types of workpieces 2 can be sucked and fixed with high positional accuracy in the coating work area 42 using the fixing part 44. Furthermore, because the workpieces 2 are fixed by suction, the contact area between the fixing part 44 and the workpiece 2 can be reduced.

[0128] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, a cleaning member 46 is provided in the coating work area 42, and after the coating operation of the workpiece 2 is performed, the film forming liquid 3 remaining on the coating roller 21 can be wiped off with the cleaning member 46. Therefore, the next coating operation can be performed in a cleaned state, and coating quality can be stabilized.

[0129] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the radius of the coating roller 21 is set to be equal to or less than the smallest radius of curvature among the curved portions of the workpiece 2, so that the film-forming liquid 3 can be applied with high precision to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, which has multiple curved portions with different radii of curvature, without any missing portions.

[0130] Furthermore, according to the coating device 10, the coating control unit 50 is configured to control (numerically control) the movement operation of the coating unit 20 by the movement mechanism 30 based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller 21 created based on shape data of the workpiece 2. With this configuration, even if the workpiece 2 is non-circular and has various curved shapes, the film-forming liquid 3 can be applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 with high precision.

[0131] Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the above description is merely an example of the present invention. Various improvements and modifications can be made to the configurations of the coating unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30, and to the control operations of the coating unit 20 and the moving mechanism 30 by the coating control unit 50, without departing from the scope of the present invention, and needless to say, these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0132] Fig. 12 is a plan view showing the configuration of a main part of a coating system according to embodiment (2). Fig. 13 is a front view of the main part in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a right side view of the main part in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a left side view of the main part in Fig. 12.

[0133] 12 to 15, the coating system 60 is configured to include a coating device 10A, a light irradiation device 70, a workpiece storage device 80, a workpiece transfer device 90, and a workpiece holding device 65, and these devices are arranged on an installation table 62 of a stand 61. The installation table 62 has an installation area 63 where the coating device 10A, the workpiece storage device 80, and the workpiece transfer device 90 are installed, and a coating work area 64 where the workpiece holding device 65 and the light irradiation device 70 are installed. The workpiece storage device 80 is an example of workpiece storage means, the workpiece transfer device 90 is an example of workpiece transfer means, and the workpiece holding device 65 is an example of workpiece holding means.

[0134] The coating apparatus 10A has substantially the same configuration and function as the coating apparatus 10 described above. Therefore, components having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted here. The coating apparatus 10A includes a coating unit 20A and a movement mechanism 30A that enables the coating unit 20A to move in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions. The configuration and function of the coating unit 20A and the movement mechanism 30A are substantially the same as those of the coating unit 20 and the movement mechanism 30 described above. Therefore, components having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted here. The coating apparatus 10A is configured to correct various control data, such as the movement coordinates (X and Y coordinates) of the coating roller 21, based on image information (coordinate information such as position and orientation) of the workpiece 2 captured by a camera 11 located above the holding table 65a.

[0135] The light irradiation device 70 includes a light irradiation unit 71, a workpiece storage jig 72, and a light irradiation moving device 73. The configuration of the light irradiation device 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. The light irradiation moving device 73 is an example of a light irradiation moving means. FIG. 16 shows the main configuration of the light irradiation device 70 constituting the coating system 60, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view during workpiece coating, (c) is a front view during light irradiation, and (d) is a right side view during light irradiation. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the light irradiation unit 71 with respect to the workpiece storage jig 72 in the light irradiation device 70, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line b-b in (a).

[0136] The light irradiation unit 71 is configured as a unit capable of irradiating light as active energy rays, for example, a unit that irradiates ultraviolet light (e.g., UV light in the UV-A wavelength range) capable of curing the film-forming liquid 3, which is composed of an ultraviolet-curable resin or the like. The light irradiation unit 71 has a light emission surface 71b that emits light on the bottom surface of a housing 71a. Inside the housing 71a, as shown in FIG. 17(b), a light source unit 71e that emits light toward the light emission surface 71b and a heat dissipation unit 71f, such as a heat dissipation fin, that dissipates heat from the light source unit 71e are provided. In addition, a fan 71c for generating airflow within the housing 71a is provided on the top surface of the housing 71a, and a light diffusion prevention member 71d is disposed around the periphery of the bottom surface of the housing 71a. The light diffusion prevention member 71d is a member that prevents light emitted from the light emission surface 71b from diffusing to the outside.

[0137] The light exit surface 71b has a rectangular shape (in this case, a rectangular shape elongated in the X-axis direction shown in FIGS. 12 and 18 ) with a predetermined width and length, and the light source section 71e has a configuration in which a plurality of LEDs (in this case, ultraviolet (UV) LEDs) are arranged toward the light exit surface 71b. Therefore, the light irradiation unit 71 can irradiate a line of light (UV) with a predetermined width and length. The light irradiation unit 71 may be configured as a single unit or may be configured by connecting a plurality of units. Furthermore, the light source section 71e may be an ultraviolet (UV) lamp light source in addition to an ultraviolet LED light source, or may be a light source other than ultraviolet light.

[0138] The workpiece storage jig 72 is disposed in a position that allows it to face the light exit surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71. The workpiece storage jig 72 is attached to, for example, a mounting base that is disposed on the installation table 62. As shown in FIG. 17 , the workpiece storage jig 72 is formed of a plate-like member that is thicker than the workpiece 2, and has a storage section 72a that can store the workpiece 2. The storage section 72a has a hole shape in a plan view, and is configured as a hole with a shape similar to that of the workpiece 2. An inner peripheral side surface 72b of the hole that forms the storage section 72a serves as a light reflecting surface that reflects a portion of the light emitted from the light exit surface 71b and directs the light toward the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 stored in the storage section 72a.

[0139] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17( b), the shape of the hole that becomes the accommodation portion 72a is a mortar shape with the inner peripheral side surface 72b of the hole inclined at a predetermined angle so that the hole diameter decreases from the top surface to the bottom surface of the workpiece accommodation jig 72. The inner peripheral side surface 72b of the hole that becomes the light-reflecting surface is covered with a light-reflecting material 72c. The distance (gap) between the inner peripheral side surface 72b of the hole that becomes the accommodation portion 72a, i.e., the light-reflecting surface, and the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 accommodated in the accommodation portion 72a is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be as short (narrow) as possible to suppress attenuation of reflected light. Therefore, it is preferable that the shape of the hole that becomes the accommodation portion 72a be a similar shape to the workpiece 2 but slightly larger than it.

[0140] Furthermore, the light-reflecting material 72c covering the inner peripheral side surface 72b is preferably made of a material with excellent reflectivity against UV and other light, such as a metal material such as a metal foil or metal plate of aluminum or silver, or a resin material such as a fluororesin, which has a high light reflectivity of 80% or more, preferably 85% or more, and more preferably 90% or more. The inner peripheral side surface 72b of the hole, i.e., the light-reflecting surface, may be mirror-finished. For example, the light-reflecting material 72c covering the light-reflecting surface may be made of a mirror-finished metal material such as aluminum or silver, or a resin material. The mirror-finishing can be achieved by, for example, cutting, polishing, or vapor deposition plating, but other methods are also possible.

[0141] The light irradiation moving device 73 is a mechanism for moving the light irradiation unit 71 relative to the workpiece storage jig 72, and includes a Y-axis robot 74 capable of reciprocating the light irradiation unit 71 in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis robot 74 is a single-axis robot, and as shown in FIG. 16 , includes a Y-axis linear guide 74a disposed on the installation table 62 and a Y-axis bracket 74b that moves on the Y-axis linear guide 74a. The Y-axis bracket 74b extends in the X-axis direction, with one end attached to the Y-axis linear guide 74a and the other end slidably attached to a parallel guide 74c disposed parallel to the Y-axis linear guide 74a. The light irradiation unit 71 is attached to the Y-axis bracket 74b.

[0142] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the workpiece holding device 65 is disposed at the position of the hole constituting the accommodation portion 72a of the workpiece accommodation jig 72. The workpiece holding device 65 is configured as an elevator-type device capable of holding the workpiece 2, and includes a holding table 65a that holds the workpiece 2 and an elevator device 65b that raises and lowers the holding table 65a. The elevator device 65b is an example of an elevator means. The holding table 65a is a table that is smaller in shape than the hole of the accommodation portion 72a and has a suction hole 65e for suction-holding the workpiece 2. The elevator device 65b is disposed in the Z-axis direction while being inserted through the installation table 62 and includes a support shaft 65c that supports the holding table 65a at its upper end, and a Z-axis robot 65d that is disposed below the installation table 62 and moves (raises and lowers) the support shaft 65c in the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis robot 65d may be, for example, a single-axis robot or a ROBO Cylinder.

[0143] 16(b), during the coating operation, the workpiece 2 is held on the holding table 65a, and the lifting device 65b positions the holding table 65a at a predetermined height above the workpiece storage jig 72. The coating unit 20A then coats the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 with the film-forming liquid 3. After coating, the lifting device 65b lowers the holding table 65a so that the workpiece 2 is accommodated in the storage section 72a of the workpiece storage jig 72. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 16(b) and 17, the light irradiation moving device 73 moves the light irradiation unit 71 relative to the workpiece storage jig 72, i.e., scans the workpiece 2 accommodated in the storage section 72a, while the light irradiation unit 71 irradiates light. During this scanning, as shown enlarged in Figure 17 (b), a portion of the light emitted from the light emission surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 is reflected by the light reflecting material 72c on the inner side surface 72b of the storage section 72a, and is irradiated uniformly and without unevenness onto the outer side surface 2a of the entire circumference of the workpiece 2.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 15 , the workpiece storage device 80 includes a magazine 82 capable of stacking trays 81, each capable of storing a plurality of workpieces 2, and an insertion / removal mechanism 83 for inserting and removing the trays 81 from the magazine 82. The insertion / removal mechanism 83 is an example of an insertion / removal means. The magazine 82 includes a magazine body 82a having a plurality of shelves for stacking the trays 81, and an elevator 82b for raising and lowering the magazine body 82a. The elevator 82b includes a Z-axis robot 82c disposed in the Z-axis direction and a linear shaft 82d. The Z-axis robot 82c is, for example, a single-axis robot. The elevator 82b enables the magazine body 82a to be raised and lowered to the height of the shelves where the insertion / removal mechanism 83 inserts and removes the trays 81.

[0145] 12, the tray 81 is configured to be able to place a total of eight workpieces 2 in two rows and four columns in the X-axis direction. That is, the tray 81 has eight placement sections 81a, and a hole having a shape smaller than the workpiece 2 is formed in the center of each placement section 81a.

[0146] 15, the loading / unloading mechanism 83 includes a tray transport unit 83a for loading and transporting the tray 81, and an X-axis robot 83b for moving the tray transport unit 83a in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the loading / unloading mechanism 83 includes a push-up device 83c for pushing up the workpiece 2 placed on the loading unit 81a of the tray 81 pulled out of the magazine 82 by the tray transport unit 83a from the loading unit 81a. The push-up device 83c is an example of a push-up means.

[0147] The tray transport unit 83a has a shape that allows it to be inserted into and removed from the magazine body 82a, for example, a bifurcated fork shape, and is attached to the X-axis slider of the X-axis robot 83b. The X-axis robot 83b is a single-axis robot and is attached to the top of an installation stand 83d disposed on the installation table 62.

[0148] The push-up device 83c includes one or more ROBO cylinders 83e arranged in the X-axis direction in an installation table 83d. The workpiece 2 placed on the placement section 81a of the tray 81 can be pushed up by the cylinder lifting action of the ROBO cylinders 83e.

[0149] As shown in Fig. 12, the workpiece transfer device 90 includes a hand unit 91 for holding the workpiece 2 and a transfer robot 92 that can move the hand unit 91 in the X, Y, and Z directions. As shown in Figs. 13 to 15, the transfer robot 92 is mounted on an installation base 93 that is disposed on the installation table 62. The transfer robot 92 is configured as a three-axis combination robot including an XY two-axis Cartesian robot 94 disposed on the installation base 93 and a vertical robot 95 that can move in the vertical (Z-axis) direction. The Cartesian robot 94 has substantially the same configuration and function as the Cartesian robot 31 that constitutes the movement mechanism 30 of the coating device 10 described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0150] The vertical robot 95 is equipped with a ball screw spline shaft mechanism, a motor, a Z-axis encoder, etc., and is configured to be able to move in the vertical (Z-axis) direction, with a hand unit 91 attached to its lower end. The vertical robot 95 can move the hand unit 91 up and down (in the Z-axis) direction, and the Cartesian robot 94 can move the hand unit 91 in the X and Y-axis directions. Note that the configuration of the transfer robot 92 is not limited to a combination of the Cartesian robot 94 and the vertical robot 95, and may be configured with one or more other robots, such as a horizontal articulated robot, a vertical articulated robot, or a parallel link robot.

[0151] 18A, 18B, and 18C are diagrams showing a hand unit 91 of a transfer robot 92 constituting a coating system according to an embodiment, with (a) being a plan view, (b) being a front view, and (c) being a right side view. The hand unit 91 has two holding units 91a, one on the left and one on the right, for holding the workpiece 2. The holding units 91a are formed of fork-shaped claw members, and are configured to be able to support both sides of the workpiece 2. The hand unit 91 also has an elevating device 91b that can raise and lower at least one of the holding units 91a. The elevating device 91b is formed, for example, by a small ROBO cylinder or the like.

[0152] 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control unit 100 that controls each component of a coating system 60 according to embodiment (2). The coating device 10A, workpiece holding device 65, light irradiation device 70, workpiece storage device 80, and workpiece transfer device 90 that constitute the coating system 60 are configured such that their respective operations are controlled by the control unit 100. The control unit 100 is configured as a computer device including hardware such as at least one processor, a main memory, storage in which operating programs for each device are stored, an input interface, an output interface, and a power supply unit. For example, the control unit 100 may be configured to include one or more programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

[0153] The control unit 100 includes a coating control unit 50A that controls the operation of each part of the coating device 10A, a light irradiation control unit 75 that controls the operation of each part of the light irradiation device 70, a storage control unit 85 that controls the operation of each part of the work storage device 80, and a transfer control unit 96 that controls the operation of each part of the work transfer device 90. The control units of the control unit 100 are connected to each other via a communication bus 101 so as to be able to send and receive various data, control signals, and the like. In addition, the coating control unit 50A and the light irradiation control unit 75 control the operation of each part of the work holding device 65.

[0154] The coating control unit 50A performs the same control as that performed by the coating control unit 50 of the coating device 10 described above, i.e., operation control of the coating roller 21, discharge control of the film forming liquid by the dispenser valve 24, and operation control of the moving mechanism 30A. The coating control unit 50A also performs operation control such as moving the holding table 65a of the workpiece holding device 65 to a predetermined height position (coating position) (see FIG. 16(b)).

[0155] The light irradiation control unit 75 controls the operation of the Y-axis robot 74 of the light irradiation moving device 73 to move the light irradiation unit 71 relative to the workpiece storage jig 72 and to emit UV light from the light emission surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71. For example, the light irradiation control unit 75 controls (scans) the light irradiation unit 71 to move back and forth at a predetermined speed above the storage section 72a of the workpiece storage jig 72 while emitting UV light from the light emission surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71. The light irradiation control unit 75 also controls the operation of moving the holding table 65a of the workpiece holding device 65 to a height position (light irradiation position) of the storage section 72a of the workpiece storage jig 72 (see FIGS. 16(c) and 16(d)).

[0156] The storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the lifting device 82b of the magazine 82 to adjust the height position of the magazine body 82a, for example, to adjust the shelf position of the tray 81 to be inserted or removed so that it is at the height position of the tray transport unit 83a. The storage control unit 85 also controls the operation of the X-axis robot 83b of the insertion / removal mechanism 83 to insert or remove the tray transport unit 83a into or from the magazine body 82a, and to remove or return the tray 81. Furthermore, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the ROBO cylinder 83e of the push-up device 83c to control the operation of pushing up the workpiece 2 from the placement unit 81a of the tray 81 removed from the magazine 82 by the tray transport unit 83a of the insertion / removal mechanism 83.

[0157] The transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the Cartesian robot 94 and vertical robot 95 that make up the transfer robot 92, moves the hand unit 91 to the position (workpiece receiving position) of the tray 81 removed from the magazine 82, and controls the operation of holding the workpiece 2 with the hand unit 91.

[0158] The transfer control unit 96 also controls the operations of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 to hold the workpiece 2 on the hand unit 91 at the workpiece receiving position of the workpiece storage device 80, and controls the operations of moving the workpiece 2 held by the hand unit 91 to the position of the holding table 65a of the workpiece holding device 65 and placing it on the holding table 65a. The transfer control unit 96 also controls the operations of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 to hold the workpiece 2 placed on the holding table 65a with the hand unit 91, and then controls the operations of moving the hand unit 91 to the workpiece receiving position of the workpiece storage device 80 and returning the workpiece 2 held by the hand unit 91 to the tray 81.

[0159] The hand unit 91 has two holding units 91a, and one holding unit 91a is used to transfer the workpiece 2 from the tray 81 to the holding table 65a, and the other holding unit 91a is used to transfer the workpiece 2 from the holding table 65a to the tray 81. After the light-irradiated workpiece 2 is placed on the other holding unit 91a from the holding table 65a, the workpiece 2 held by one holding unit 91a can be placed on the holding table 65a. This shortens the time required to transfer the workpiece 2 and allows the process to proceed to the coating step for the next workpiece 2, thereby improving operational efficiency.

[0160] 20 and 21 are flowcharts showing an example of a processing operation performed by the control unit 100 of the coating system 60 according to embodiment (2). Note that the coating device 10A, the workpiece holding device 65, the light irradiation device 70, the workpiece storage device 80, and the workpiece transfer device 90 are each configured to be placed in an initial position after power is turned on.

[0161] In step S21, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the magazine 82 of the work storage device 80 and each unit of the loading / unloading mechanism 83 to pull out the tray 81 from the magazine 82 to a predetermined work receiving position. Note that the work 2 before coating is placed on the placement portion 81a of the tray 81. In the next step S22, the storage control unit 85 operates the Robo cylinder 83e of the push-up device 83c to push up the work 2 to be transferred from the placement portion 81a of the tray 81 with the tip of the Robo cylinder 83e.

[0162] Next, in step S23, the coating control unit 50A controls the operation of the lifting device 65b of the workpiece holding device 65 to move (raise) the holding table 65a to a height position for the coating process. Note that the processes of steps S22 and S23 may be performed in parallel.

[0163] Next, in step S24, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 of the workpiece transfer device 90 to transfer the workpiece 2 to be transferred from the tray 81 to the holding table 65a. Specifically, the transfer control unit 96 first controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 to move the hand unit 91 to the position of the tray 81 drawn out to the workpiece receiving position, and then inserts one of the holding units 91a of the hand unit 91 under the workpiece 2 that has been pushed up from the placement unit 81a of the tray 81 in step S22, and then places the workpiece 2 on one of the holding units 91a. At this time, the hand unit 91 may be moved up to place the workpiece 2 on one of the holding units 91a, or the tip of the ROBO cylinder 83e may be moved down to place the workpiece 2 on one of the holding units 91a.

[0164] Next, the transfer control unit 96 operates each unit of the transfer robot 92 to move the hand unit 91 with the workpiece 2 placed thereon to the position of the holding table 65a. Then, with one holding unit 91a of the hand unit 91 positioned above the holding table 65a, the hand unit 91 is moved downward to transfer the workpiece 2 placed on the one holding unit 91a onto the holding table 65a. Thereafter, the hand unit 91 is retracted from under the holding table 65a, and the hand unit 91 is moved to the position of the tray 81 (workpiece receiving position).

[0165] After step S24, in step S25, the storage control unit 85 operates the Robo cylinder 83e of the push-up device 83c to push up the next workpiece 2 to be transferred from the placement section 81a of the tray 81.

[0166] In the next step S26, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 of the work transfer device 90, and waits with the next work 2 to be transferred, which was pushed up from the loading unit 81a of the tray 81 in step S25, placed on one of the holding units 91a of the hand unit 91.

[0167] Meanwhile, after step S24, in step S27, the coating control unit 50A controls the operation of each unit of the coating device 10A to start the operation of coating the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 held on the holding table 65a with the film-forming liquid 3, thereby controlling the coating operation. Note that the processing steps of the coating operation on the workpiece 2 performed by the coating control unit 50A are basically the same as the processing operations of steps S1 to S9 in Figure 11 described above, so a description thereof will be omitted here. Note that the coating control unit 50A is configured to be able to correct various control data, such as the movement coordinates of the coating roller 21, based on image information (coordinate information such as position and orientation) of the workpiece 2 captured by the camera 11 arranged above the holding table 65a.

[0168] After completing the application process in step S27, the light irradiation control unit 75 then controls the operation of the lifting device 65b of the work holding device 65 in step S28 to move (lower) the holding table 65a to the height position for the light irradiation process, i.e., the height position at which the work 2 is accommodated in the accommodation section 72a of the work accommodation jig 72.

[0169] In the next step S29, the light irradiation control unit 75 controls the operation of the light irradiation unit 71 and the light irradiation moving device 73 of the light irradiation device 70 to irradiate the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 contained in the storage section 72a with ultraviolet light to cure the film-forming liquid 3. That is, the light irradiation control unit 75 starts the operation of emitting UV light as active energy rays from the light emission surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 toward the workpiece storage jig 72. The light irradiation control unit 75 also controls the operation of the Y-axis robot 74 of the light irradiation moving device 73 to move the light irradiation unit 71, which is in its initial position, back and forth in the Y-axis direction ( FIG. 12 ), at a predetermined speed. This operation causes the light emission surface 71b to reciprocate (scan) over the workpiece 2 contained in the storage section 72a at a predetermined speed. A portion of the light emitted from the light emission surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 toward the workpiece storage jig 72 is reflected by the inner peripheral side surface 72b of the storage section 72a and is irradiated onto the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, thereby progressing the curing reaction of the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a. The predetermined speed is set based on the emission conditions such as the intensity of the UV light to a speed that can ensure the irradiation time required for the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 to harden.

[0170] After completing the light irradiation process in step S29, the coating control unit 50A then controls the operation of the lifting device 65b of the work holding device 65 in step S30 to move (raise) the holding table 65a to the height position for the coating process.

[0171] Next, in step S31, the transfer control unit 96 determines whether or not the workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a can be replaced, and if it determines that the workpiece 2 can be replaced, that is, that the processing of steps S36 and S30 has been completed, the process proceeds to step S32. On the other hand, if it determines that at least one of the processing of steps S36 and S30 has not been completed, the process waits until the processing of steps S36 and S30 is completed.

[0172] In step S32, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 of the workpiece transfer device 90 to transfer the workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a. First, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of each unit of the transfer robot 92 to move the hand unit 91, which has been waiting at the workpiece receiving position in step S36, with the workpiece 2 placed on one of the holding units 91a, to the position of the holding table 65a. Next, the other holding unit 91a of the hand unit 91 is inserted under the holding table 65a, and the hand unit 91 is moved up to transfer the coated workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a to the other holding unit 91a. Next, the hand unit 91 is moved so that one of the holding units 91a of the hand unit 91 is positioned above the holding table 65a, and then the hand unit 91 is moved down to transfer the uncoated workpiece 2 placed on one of the holding units 91a onto the holding table 65a. Thereafter, the hand unit 91 is retracted from under the holding table 65a, and the hand unit 91 with the coated workpiece 2 placed on the other holding unit 91a is moved onto the tray 81 at the workpiece receiving position. In other words, the hand unit 91 is moved so that the other holding unit 91a is positioned above the placement unit 81a of the tray 81.

[0173] In the above-described step S32, after the workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a has been replaced, as shown in Fig. 21, the workpiece 2 newly held on the holding table 65a is subjected to the same coating control and light irradiation control as in steps S27 to S30 by the coating control unit 50A and the light irradiation control unit 75. Then, in parallel with the coating process and light irradiation process of steps S27 to S30, the storage control unit 85 and the transfer control unit 96 control the operation of replacing the workpiece 2 onto the hand unit 91, as shown in Fig. 21.

[0174] That is, in step S33, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the push-up device 83c to protrude the upper end of the robot cylinder 83e from the loading portion 81a of the tray 81 located below the other holding portion 91a of the hand unit 91, so that the coated workpiece 2 placed on the other holding portion 91a of the hand unit 91 is held by the upper end of the robot cylinder 83e.

[0175] Next, in step S34, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and hand unit 91 of the work transfer device 90 to temporarily retract the hand unit 91 from above the tray 81 (moving it in the Y-axis direction in Figure 12).

[0176] In the next step S35, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the push-up device 83c to lower the upper end of the robot cylinder 83e holding the coated workpiece 2, and place the coated workpiece 2 on the placement section 81a of the tray 81.

[0177] In the next step S36, the storage control unit 85 determines whether or not there is the next work 2 to be transferred, i.e., an uncoated work 2, on the tray 81 located at the work receiving position, and if it determines that there is the next work 2 to be transferred, proceeds to step S37.

[0178] In step S37, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of the push-up device 83c to push up the workpiece 2 to be next transferred from the placement portion 81a of the tray 81.

[0179] In the next step S38, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operation of the transfer robot 92 and the hand unit 91 of the work transfer device 90, and waits while the next work 2 to be transferred, which was pushed up from the loading unit 81a of the tray 81 in step S37, is placed on one of the holding units 91a of the hand unit 91.

[0180] On the other hand, if the storage control unit 85 determines in step S36 that there is no workpiece 2 to be next transferred on the tray 81, in other words, that all of the workpieces 2 on the tray 81 have been coated, the process proceeds to step S39. In step S39, the storage control unit 85 controls the operation of each unit of the magazine 82 and the loading / unloading mechanism 83 of the workpiece storage device 80 to perform an operation of replacing the tray 81. That is, the storage control unit 85 performs an operation of storing the tray 81 on which the coated workpiece 2 is placed into the magazine 82 and an operation of withdrawing the tray 81 on which the uncoated workpiece 2 is placed from the magazine 82, and then proceeds to the processing of steps S37 and S38 described above.

[0181] Next, in step S40, the transfer control unit 96 determines whether or not the workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a can be replaced, and if it determines that the workpiece 2 can be replaced, that is, that the processing of steps S38 and S30 has been completed, the process returns to step S32. That is, the transfer control unit 96 controls the operations of the transfer robot 92 and hand unit 91 of the workpiece transfer device 90 to perform the operation of replacing the workpiece 2 on the holding table 65a. Thereafter, the process is repeated until the coating process and the light irradiation process are completed for the workpieces 2 in all trays 81 stored in the magazine 82.

[0182] According to the light irradiation device 70 of the coating system 60 of the above-described embodiment (2), the accommodation portion 72a of the workpiece accommodation jig 72 has a shape similar to that of the workpiece 2, and its inner peripheral side surface 72b is a light-reflecting surface. Therefore, even if the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 has a curved shape, light emitted from the light-emitting surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 toward the workpiece 2 can be reflected by the light-reflecting surface of the inner peripheral side surface 72b of the accommodation portion 72a and applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. In other words, regardless of the shape of the workpiece 2, highly uniform light irradiation can be performed on the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, and uneven irradiation can be suppressed. Therefore, the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 can be cured without causing defects such as lifting or wrinkles, and a cured film without defects can be formed.

[0183] Furthermore, according to the light irradiation device 70, the light reflecting surface of the inner peripheral side surface 72b of the storage section 72a is covered with a light reflecting material 72c, so that the light emitted from the light exit surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 can be efficiently reflected.

[0184] Furthermore, according to the light irradiation device 70, the light reflecting material 72c covering the light reflecting surface is mirror-finished, so that the light emitted from the light exit surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 can be mirror-reflected, i.e., regularly reflected. Therefore, the reflectance of light at the light reflecting surface can be increased, and light can be irradiated onto the side surface of the workpiece 2 with more uniformity.

[0185] Furthermore, according to the coating system 60, the light irradiation device 70 is disposed in the coating work area 64 of the installation table 62. Therefore, the coating unit 20A applies the film-forming liquid 3 to the side surface of the workpiece 2 and the light irradiation unit 71 cures the applied film-forming liquid 3 in the coating work area 64. Therefore, the process of applying the film-forming liquid 3 to the side surface of the workpiece 2 and curing it can be performed efficiently and in a space-saving manner. Specifically, the workpiece 2 is held on the holding table 65a, and the lifting device 65b positions the holding table 65a above the workpiece storage jig 72, and the coating operation is performed by the coating unit 20A. After coating, the holding table 65a is lowered so that the workpiece 2 is accommodated in the storage section 72a. Then, the light irradiation moving device 73 moves the light irradiation unit 71 relative to the workpiece storage jig 72, while the light irradiation unit 71 irradiates light, thereby curing the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the side surface of the workpiece 2. Therefore, the coating and curing steps can be carried out efficiently without moving the workpiece 2 on a horizontal plane (i.e., in the X and Y directions).

[0186] Furthermore, the application system 60 includes a work storage device 80 and a work transfer device 90, which are disposed on the installation table 62. Therefore, the work transfer device 90 can transfer the work 2 before the film forming liquid 3 is applied from the work storage device 80 to the holding table 65a, and can transfer the work 2 after the film forming liquid 3 has hardened from the holding table 65a to the work storage device 80. Therefore, the work 2 can be efficiently transferred between the work storage device 80 and the holding table 65a.

[0187] Furthermore, according to the coating system 60, the workpiece storage device 80 is equipped with the magazine 82 and the loading / unloading mechanism 83, so that many workpieces 2 can be stored in the magazine 82 in a space-saving manner, and the trays 81 can be appropriately loaded and unloaded from the magazine 82. Furthermore, the workpiece transfer device 90 allows the workpieces 2 to be efficiently transferred between the trays 81 pulled out from the magazine 82 and the holding table 65a.

[0188] Furthermore, according to the application system 60, the hand portion 91 of the work transfer device 90 has two holding portions 91a, so that one holding portion 91a can hold the work 2 before the film forming liquid 3 is applied and transfer it from the work storage device 80 to the holding table 65a, and the other holding portion 91a can hold the work 2 after the film forming liquid 3 has been hardened and transfer it from the holding table 65a to the work storage device 80, and the work 2 before the film forming liquid 3 is applied and the work 2 after the film forming liquid 3 has been hardened can be transferred efficiently with one reciprocating operation.

[0189] Furthermore, according to the coating system 60, the work storage device 80 is provided with a push-up device 83c that pushes up the work 2 from the loading section 81a of the tray 81 that has been removed from the magazine 82 by the loading / unloading mechanism 83, and is configured to hold the work 2 pushed up from the loading section 81a by the push-up device 83c with the holding section 91a of the hand section 91.

[0190] Therefore, the workpiece 2 can be pushed up from the placement portion 81a of the tray 81 by the push-up device 83c, and the workpiece 2 stored in the tray 81 can be easily held by the holding portion 91a of the hand portion 91.

[0191] Although the embodiment (2) of the present invention has been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present invention. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made to the configuration of each device constituting the coating system 60 and the control operation of each device by the control unit 100 without departing from the scope of the present invention, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0192] Although the coating system 60 according to the above embodiment (2) has been described as having one coating unit 20A and one storage section 72a in the workpiece storage jig 72, the number of coating units 20A installed and the number of storage sections 72a provided in the workpiece storage jig 72 may be two or more. For example, in another embodiment, the coating system may be provided with two or more coating units 20A, configured to simultaneously apply the film-forming liquid 3 to the outer peripheral side surfaces 2a of two or more workpieces 2 in parallel, and configured to provide two or more storage sections 72a in the workpiece storage jig 72, store two or more workpieces 2 in the storage sections 72a, and have the light irradiation unit 71 irradiate the two or more workpieces with light simultaneously.

[0193] Furthermore, in the coating system 60 according to the above embodiment, the light irradiation device 70 is disposed in the coating work area 64 of the installation table 62. After the coating device 10A applies the film-forming liquid 3 to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, the light irradiation device 70 quickly irradiates the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2 with light to cure the film-forming liquid 3. However, the arrangement of the light irradiation device 70 is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the light irradiation device 70 may be disposed on a table separate from the installation table 62 and configured as a standalone device. In such a configuration, the workpiece storage jig 72 may be provided with two or more storage sections 72a, and two or more workpieces 2 may be stored in each storage section 72a. The light irradiation unit 71 having a light exit surface 71b capable of covering the multiple storage sections 72a may irradiate multiple workpieces 2 with light at the same time. Furthermore, the storage section 72a may have a hole formed in a portion of the bottom surface of the storage section 72a, or may be a hole with a bottom. In the case where a hole is formed in a portion or a hole with a bottom, it is preferable to form a support portion in a convex shape or the like on a portion of the bottom to support the workpiece 2. Also, a suction mechanism for suctioning the workpiece 2 may be provided on the support portion. Also, a shutter mechanism for closing the hole in the accommodation portion 72a when light is irradiated may be provided.

[0194] Furthermore, the light irradiation device 70 described above has been described as being used to harden the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2, but the light irradiation device according to the present invention is not limited to being used to harden the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the outer peripheral side surface 2a of the workpiece 2. A light irradiation device according to another embodiment can also be used to harden the film-forming liquid applied to the inner surface of a hole formed in the plane of the workpiece.

[0195] 22 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a light irradiation device according to another embodiment. (a) is a partial plan view showing a state in which a workpiece is accommodated in a workpiece accommodation jig, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a), showing the state during light irradiation. The workpiece 2A shown in FIG. 22 has a hole 2b in its plane, and the film-forming liquid 3 is applied to the inner surface 2c of the hole 2b. The workpiece accommodation jig 72A has a storage section 72d capable of accommodating the workpiece 2A. The storage section 72d has a shape similar to that of the workpiece 2A, in this case, the shape of the hole 2b in the workpiece 2A. The side surface of the storage section 72d serves as a light-reflecting surface that reflects a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting surface 71b of the light irradiation unit 71 and directs it toward the inner surface 2c of the hole 2b in the workpiece 2A.

[0196] More specifically, the accommodation portion 72d has a convex portion having a substantially truncated cone shape, and the hole 2b of the workpiece 2A can be fitted into the convex portion with a gap therebetween. An outer peripheral side surface 72e of the convex portion that forms the accommodation portion 72d serves as a light reflecting surface that reflects a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting surface 71b and directs it toward the inner surface 2c of the hole 2b of the workpiece 2A. The outer peripheral side surface 72e of the convex portion that serves as the light reflecting surface is covered with a light reflecting material 72c.

[0197] 22(b), the light irradiation unit 71 is moved relative to the workpiece storage jig 72A, i.e., scanned over the workpiece 2A stored in the storage section 72d, while irradiating light by the light irradiation unit 71. As a result of this light irradiation, part of the light emitted from the light exit surface 71b is reflected by the light reflecting material 72c on the outer peripheral side surface 72e of the storage section 72d, and is irradiated uniformly and without unevenness over the entire inner surface 2c of the hole 2b in the workpiece 2A, thereby achieving the same effect as in the above embodiment.

[0198] Furthermore, although the light irradiation unit 71 is configured to emit UV light from the light emission surface 71b, the light emitted from the light emission surface 71b is not limited to UV light, and in another form, the light emitted from the light emission surface 71b may be active energy rays in a wavelength range other than ultraviolet light that can harden the film-forming liquid 3.

[0199] In addition, in the above embodiment, the film-forming liquid 3 applied to the workpiece 2 is described as an optical paint, but the film-forming liquid 3 is not limited to optical paint, and may be various types of paint, such as a water-based paint containing resin for protecting the sides of the workpiece 2 or reinforcing the workpiece 2.

[0200] The present invention can be widely used in a wide range of industrial fields, such as the manufacturing and assembly processes of lenses used in smart glasses, AR glasses, VR glasses / goggles, etc., the manufacturing processes of thin plate-shaped jigs such as wrapping carriers used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, and the manufacturing and processing processes of electronic circuit boards that handle various thin plate-shaped substrates.

[0201] 2, 2A Workpiece 2a Outer peripheral side surface 2b Hole 2c Inner surface 3 Film-forming liquid 10, 10A Coating device 11 Camera 20, 20A Coating unit 21 Coating roller 21a Roller mounting shaft 22 Drive section 23 Liquid discharge section 24 Dispenser valve 24a Liquid injection section 24b Air supply section 24c Syringe 24d, 24e Air tube 25 Discharge nozzle 25a Nozzle opening 26 Valve controller 27 Mounting member 27a Shaft support section 27b Mounting piece section 27c Support piece section 27d Mounting section 28 Support section 28a Linear motion rail 28b Linear motion block 28c, 28d Support piece section 28e Base section 29 Escape mechanism section 29a Elastic member 30, 30A Movement mechanism (coating unit moving means) 31 Cartesian robot 32 Y-axis robot 32a Y-axis linear guide 32b Y-axis bracket 33 X-axis robot 33a X-axis linear guide 33b X-axis slider 34 Vertical rotation robot 34a Shaft 35 Installation base 40 Table 41 Installation area 42 Coating work area 43 Mounting portion 43a Screw hole 44 Fixed part 44a Base 44aa Screw hole 44b Enclosing frame portion 44c Recess 44d Suction path 44da Opening portion 46 Cleaning member 50, 50A Coating control unit 50a Calculation unit 50b Memory unit 50c Input unit 50d Output unit 50e Power supply unit 51 Coating roller control unit 52 Liquid discharge control unit 53 Movement mechanism control unit 60 Coating system 61 Frame 62 Installation table 63 Installation area 64 Coating work area 65 Workpiece holding device (workpiece holding means) 65a Holding table 65b Lifting device (lifting means) 65c Support shaft 65d Z-axis robot 65e Suction hole 70 Light irradiation device 71 Light irradiation unit 71a Housing 71b Light emission surface 71c Fan 71d Light diffusion prevention member 71e Light source section 71f Heat dissipation section 72, 72A Workpiece storage jig 72a, 72d Storage section 72b Inner peripheral side surface 72c Light reflecting material 72e Outer peripheral side surface 73 Light irradiation moving device (light irradiation moving means) 74 Y-axis robot 74a Y-axis linear guide 74b Y-axis bracket74c Parallel guide 75 Light irradiation control unit 80 Work storage device (work storage means) 81 Tray 81a Placement unit 82 Magazine 82a Magazine body 82b Elevating device 82c Z-axis robot 82d Linear shaft 83 Insertion / removal mechanism (insertion / removal means) 83a Tray transport unit 83b X-axis robot 83c Push-up device 83d Installation table 83e Robo cylinder 85 Storage control unit 90 Work transfer device (work transfer means) 91 Hand unit 91a Holding unit 91b Elevating device 92 Transfer robot 93 Installation table 94 Cartesian robot 95 Vertical robot 96 Transfer control unit 100 Control unit 101 Communication bus

Claims

1. A coating device for applying film forming liquid to a side surface of a workpiece, comprising: a coating unit; a coating unit moving means for enabling the coating unit to move in X, Y, Z and θ directions; an installation table having at least an installation area for the coating unit moving means and a coating work area for the workpiece; and a coating control unit for controlling the operation of applying the film forming liquid to the side surface of the workpiece while operating the coating unit and the coating unit moving means, wherein the coating unit comprises a coating roller, a drive unit for rotating the coating roller in the θ direction, and a liquid discharge unit for discharging the film forming liquid onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the coating control unit has the function of controlling the rotational operation of the coating roller by the drive unit, the discharge operation of the film forming liquid by the liquid discharge unit, and the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the workpiece by the coating unit moving means while bringing the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller into contact with or close to the side surface of the workpiece.

2. The coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid discharge unit includes a dispenser equipped with a discharge nozzle, and the coating control unit has the function of controlling the discharge operation of the dispenser from the discharge nozzle to the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller, and the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the workpiece by the coating unit moving means while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle.

3. The coating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the specified positional relationship is a positional relationship in which the direction of the discharge nozzle is normal to the side surface of the workpiece, or a positional relationship in which the direction of the discharge nozzle is inclined from the normal direction in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the coating roller.

4. The coating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the dispenser includes a dispenser valve equipped with a liquid injection section into which the film forming liquid is injected and an air supply section into which air is supplied, and the discharge nozzle is a needle nozzle.

5. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coating roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the coating unit while the film forming liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge section onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller.

6. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coating unit moving means is composed of a combination of an orthogonal robot and a vertical rotation robot capable of moving in vertical and rotational directions, and the coating unit is attached to the vertical rotation robot.

7. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coating unit comprises a mounting member to which the coating roller, the drive unit and the liquid discharge unit are attached, and a support portion that supports the mounting member so that it can move in the horizontal direction, and the support portion comprises an escape mechanism portion for escaping the mounting member in the horizontal direction when an external force acts on the coating roller from the horizontal direction.

8. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the installation table is provided with an attachment portion to which a fixing part for adsorbing and fixing the workpiece to the coating work area can be attached and detached.

9. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a cleaning member for removing the film-forming liquid adhering to the coating roller is provided within the coating work area, and the coating control unit has the function of controlling the operation of rotating the coating roller by the drive unit, and the operation of moving the coating unit relative to the cleaning member by the coating unit moving means, while bringing the outer circumferential surface of the coating roller into contact with the side of the cleaning member and maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side of the cleaning member and the liquid discharge unit.

10. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the workpiece is a thin plate having a curved portion on the side to be coated, and the radius of the coating roller is set to be equal to or less than the smallest radius of curvature of the curved portion of the workpiece.

11. A coating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coating control unit controls the movement operation of the coating unit by the coating unit moving means based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller created based on shape data of the workpiece.

12. A coating method for applying a film-forming liquid to a side surface of a workpiece, comprising a coating step of applying the film-forming liquid to the side surface of the workpiece by rotating a coating roller in a state where the coating roller is in contact with or close to the side surface of the workpiece, discharging the film-forming liquid from a liquid discharge portion onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while moving the coating roller relative to the workpiece.

13. A coating method according to claim 12, characterized in that the film forming liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge section onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller while rotating the coating roller in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the coating roller relative to the workpiece.

14. A coating method as described in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that a dispenser equipped with a discharge nozzle is used as the liquid discharge section, and the film forming liquid is discharged in a fixed amount from the discharge nozzle onto the outer peripheral surface of the coating roller by the dispenser while maintaining a predetermined relative position between the side surface of the workpiece and the discharge nozzle.

15. A coating method as described in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that a coating unit comprising the coating roller and the liquid discharge section is moved in X, Y, Z and θ directions using a coating unit moving means, and the film forming liquid is applied to the side surface of the workpiece by controlling the movement of the coating unit in the X, Y, Z and θ directions by the coating unit moving means based on a numerical control program including movement trajectory data of the coating roller created based on shape data of the workpiece.

16. A light irradiation device for hardening a film-forming liquid applied to a side surface of a workpiece, comprising: a light irradiation unit having a light emission surface that emits light to harden the film-forming liquid; a workpiece storage jig arranged to face the light emission surface of the light irradiation unit; the workpiece storage jig having a storage section capable of storing the workpiece, the storage section having a shape similar to that of the workpiece, and the side surface of the storage section serving as a light reflecting surface that reflects a portion of the light emitted from the light emission surface and directs it at the side surface of the workpiece.

17. The light irradiation device according to claim 16, wherein said light reflecting surface is covered with a light reflecting material.

18. The light irradiation device according to claim 16, wherein said light reflecting surface is mirror-finished.

19. The light irradiation device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising a light irradiation moving means for moving the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig relative to one another.

20. A light irradiation method comprising the steps of: using the light irradiation device according to claim 16, emitting light from the light emission surface of the light irradiation unit; reflecting a portion of the emitted light off the light reflecting surface of the storage section of the work storage jig; and directing the light at a side surface of the work stored in the storage section, thereby hardening the film-forming liquid applied to the side surface of the work.

21. The light irradiation method according to claim 20, characterized in that the light is emitted from the light exit surface while the light irradiation unit and the workpiece storage jig are moved relative to each other.

22. A coating system comprising the coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the light irradiation device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the light irradiation device is disposed in the coating work area of ​​the installation table, and the coating system is provided with a light irradiation moving means for moving the light irradiation unit relative to the workpiece storage jig, the storage section of the workpiece storage jig has a hole shape, and a side surface of the storage section serves as the light reflecting surface, and a lifting type workpiece holding means capable of holding the workpiece is disposed at the position of the storage section, and the workpiece holding means is provided with a holding table for holding the workpiece and a lifting means for lifting and lowering the holding table.

23. A coating system as described in claim 22, further comprising: a work storage means for storing the work before the film forming liquid is applied and the work after the film forming liquid has hardened; and a work transfer means for transferring the work between the work storage means and the holding table, wherein the work storage means and the work transfer means are disposed on the installation table.

24. A coating system as described in claim 23, characterized in that the work storage means comprises a magazine capable of stacking and storing trays capable of storing a plurality of the workpieces, and an insertion / removal means for inserting and removing the trays from the magazine, and the work transfer means transfers the work between the tray removed from the magazine by the insertion / removal means and the holding table.

25. A coating system as described in claim 24, wherein the work transfer means includes a hand unit for holding the work, and a transfer robot capable of moving the hand unit in the XYZ directions, and the hand unit has at least two holding units for holding the work.

26. A coating system as described in claim 25, characterized in that the tray has a placement section on which the workpiece is placed, and a push-up means is provided for pushing up the workpiece from the placement section of the tray removed from the magazine by the insertion / removal means, and the workpiece pushed up from the placement section by the push-up means is held by the holding section of the hand section.

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