Method for regenerating inner panel of foldable mobile phone

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for regenerating an inner panel of a foldable mobile phone. The disclosed method includes the steps of: disassembling a foldable mobile phone and placing a panel on a cleaning table; covering the surface of the panel with an absorption sheet, which has absorbed an organic solvent, in order to soften an adhesive present on the surface of the panel into a gel; removing the adhesive, softened into a gel, from the surface of the panel by means of scrubbing after removing the absorption sheet; rinsing the surface of the panel using alcohol after removing the adhesive from the surface of the panel; and spraying the panel with CO2 dry ice particles to removing fine contaminants after rinsing the surface of the panel.

Description

How to Regenerate the Internal Panels of a Foldable Phone

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for regenerating an OLED panel, a CFRP panel, and an FPCB panel inside a foldable mobile phone, and more particularly, to a method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, which comprises softening the adhesive remaining on the surface of the panels when the panels are separated using an organic solvent absorbing sheet, removing the adhesive using a scrubbing method, rinsing the remaining solvent with alcohol, and then removing fine residues existing on the surface using a CO2 dry ice cleaning method.

[0002] In recent years, the popularity of foldable phones has been rapidly increasing. As shown in Figure 1, the interior of a foldable phone is largely composed of three panels: an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) panel that creates the screen, a CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) panel to maintain the phone's rigidity, and a FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) panel to control electrical signals. These three panels are attached to each other using an adhesive called a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). Pressure-sensitive adhesives have a bonding strength determined by pressure, and the stronger the pressure, the more firmly they adhere. Because they are semi-fluid materials that do not solidify, they are highly resistant to repeated folding and unfolding loads. Therefore, these pressure-sensitive adhesives are essential adhesives in the manufacture of foldable phones.

[0003] During the manufacturing process of foldable phones, or after final assembly or use, when panels need to be replaced, each panel is separated, leaving behind a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the panel surface. To recycle the panels, this residual adhesive must be effectively removed. However, currently, there is no effective recycling method, hindering the proper recycling of these expensive panels.

[0004] Conventional chemical wet cleaning methods for removing adhesive residue from panel surfaces can allow water and chemicals to penetrate the panel interior, degrading its performance. Physical methods such as scrubbing and blasting can easily cause physical damage to the panel, resulting in a very low regeneration efficiency. Furthermore, if regeneration fails, expensive panels must be discarded, resulting in significant losses. Furthermore, the environmental impact of such waste disposal is significant. Therefore, solutions that can address these various issues are urgently needed in the relevant technical field.

[0005] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and provides a method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone that can effectively remove various foreign substances including adhesive while minimizing damage to the panel by using an organic solvent absorption sheet, a soft cleaning pad, alcohol, and a CO2 dry ice cleaner to remove adhesive present on the surface of a separated panel.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem, a method for regenerating an inner panel of a foldable mobile phone comprises the steps of: disassembling a foldable mobile phone and placing the panel on a cleaning table; covering the surface of the panel with an absorbent sheet into which an organic solvent has been absorbed to soften an adhesive existing on the surface of the panel into a gel form; removing the absorbent sheet and then removing the softened adhesive in a gel form from the surface of the panel by a scrubbing method; removing the adhesive from the surface of the panel and then rinsing the surface of the panel using alcohol; and removing fine contaminants by spraying CO2 dry ice particles on the panel after rinsing the surface of the panel.

[0007] In one embodiment, the absorbent sheet into which the organic solvent is absorbed may be clean paper for clean rooms.

[0008] In one embodiment, the alcohol may be either isopropyl alcohol or ethanol.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the particle size of the CO2 dry ice may be 50 μm to 500 μm, and the pressure of the air for accelerating the particles of the CO2 dry ice may be 2 bar to 5 bar.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the method for regenerating an inner panel of the foldable mobile phone may further include a step of removing an adhesive that has been softened into a gel form from a surface of the panel by a scrubbing method after removing the absorbent sheet and before rinsing the surface of the panel with alcohol after removing the adhesive from the surface of the panel, inspecting the surface of the panel and, if residue is present, covering the surface of the panel with an absorbent sheet into which an organic solvent has been absorbed to soften the adhesive present on the surface of the panel into a gel form, and then performing subsequent steps.

[0011] The present invention provides a method for regenerating an inner panel of a foldable mobile phone using an organic solvent suction sheet, a soft cleaning pad, alcohol, and a CO2 dry ice cleaner to remove adhesive present on a separated panel surface, thereby effectively removing various foreign substances, including adhesive, attached to the surface of the panel while minimizing damage to the panel.

[0012] The method for recycling the internal panels of foldable mobile phones according to the present invention can revive and recycle expensive panels that are currently difficult to recycle and are therefore discarded in significant quantities. Furthermore, the recycling process is simple, and the use of organic solvents in the form of suction sheets significantly reduces the amount of chemicals used, significantly reducing the emission of environmental pollutants. Furthermore, the use of a CO2 dry ice cleaning method prevents the decline in yield caused by fine particles, which is becoming an increasing issue. Furthermore, the effective recycling of expensive core components can significantly increase the productivity of manufacturers and significantly reduce costs.

[0013] Figure 1 is a simple illustration of the shape and internal structure of a foldable phone.

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable phone of the present invention.

[0015] The purpose and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and examples are simplified and illustrative, intended to aid those skilled in the art in understanding the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the first step (S1) is a step of disassembling the foldable mobile phone and placing the contaminated panel on a cleaning table. A separate, soft, elastic pad may be placed under the contaminated panel to reduce physical damage. Alternatively, a jig suitable for the shape of the material may be manufactured and used to reduce damage to the pad due to pressure generated during the scrubbing process to remove contaminants such as adhesives in the subsequent third step (S3).

[0017] Step 2 (S2) involves softening the adhesive. To achieve this, a suitable organic solvent is absorbed into a thin absorbent sheet, which is then covered over the surface of the contaminated panel. Pressure is then applied to press the sheet, allowing the solvent to readily react with the adhesive on the panel surface, rapidly softening the adhesive. The reaction time is typically several tens of seconds (up to a minute), and if this reaction time is maintained, the adhesive softens and transforms into a gel. The absorbent sheet used here is a thin sheet soaked with the organic solvent, and can be a porous cleanroom paper.

[0018] Step 3 (S3) is the adhesive removal step. The adhesive, which has been softened into a gel form, is gently scrubbed with a clean pad to remove the adhesive. When scrubbing, it's important to remove the adhesive by gently pushing in one direction (e.g., from top to bottom). If the contamination is severe and a large amount of residue remains on the panel surface, do not force it away; instead, perform a second-stage softening process to gently remove it. The clean pad material used in Step 3 (S3) should preferably be made of soft cloth, not paper.

[0019] Step 4 (S4) is the panel alcohol rinse step. To remove organic solvents present on the panel's surface, the panel is gently rubbed and rinsed with alcohol. Preferably, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or ethanol is used as the alcohol used in Step 4 (S4).

[0020] Step 5 (S5) is the panel CO2 dry ice cleaning step. After the panel has been scrubbed, a final cleaning process is performed by spraying CO2 dry ice particles with low particle hardness to remove fine residues and particulate foreign substances present on the panel surface. Since large dry ice particles may damage the panel, the dry ice particle size is generally preferably 50 μm to 500 μm, but smaller sizes are also possible. The air pressure used to accelerate the particles is also generally preferably 2 bar to 5 bar, but smaller air pressures are also possible.

[0021] Step 6 (S6) is the final visual inspection of the panel. A microscope is used to determine whether the panel is damaged or has foreign matter on its surface. Any microscopic foreign matter found during the inspection can be removed using a fine cotton swab soaked in alcohol. Panels deemed acceptable in the final inspection are loaded onto trays, packaged, and shipped.

[0022] It should be noted that the content of the present invention described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it should be recognized that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make modifications and changes to the present invention without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0023] <Explanation of symbols>

[0024] S1: Table settling stage of the contamination panel

[0025] S2: Adhesive softening stage

[0026] S3: Adhesive removal step

[0027] S4: Alcohol Rinse Step

[0028] S5: CO2 dry ice cleaning stage

[0029] S6: Final appearance inspection stage

Claims

1. A method for regenerating the internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, Step 1: Disassemble the foldable phone and place the panel on the cleaning table; A step of covering the surface of the panel with an absorbent sheet into which an organic solvent has been absorbed to soften the adhesive present on the surface of the panel into a gel form; A step of removing the adhesive that has been softened into a gel form from the surface of the panel by scrubbing after removing the absorbent sheet; A step of removing the adhesive from the surface of the panel and then rinsing the surface of the panel using alcohol; and A method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, characterized in that it comprises a step of removing fine contaminants by spraying CO2 dry ice particles on the panel after rinsing the surface of the panel.

2. In claim 1, A method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, characterized in that the absorbent sheet into which the organic solvent is absorbed is clean paper for clean rooms.

3. In claim 1, A method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, characterized in that the alcohol is any one of isopropyl alcohol and ethanol.

4. In claim 1, A method for regenerating an internal panel of a foldable mobile phone, characterized in that the particle size of the CO2 dry ice is 50㎛ to 500㎛, and the pressure of air for accelerating the particles of the CO2 dry ice is 2 bar to 5 bar.

5. In claim 1, A method for regenerating an inner panel of a foldable mobile phone, characterized in that after removing the absorbent sheet and removing the adhesive that has been softened into a gel form from the surface of the panel in a scrub manner, and before rinsing the surface of the panel using alcohol after removing the adhesive from the surface of the panel, the surface of the panel is inspected and, if any residue is present, the surface of the panel is covered again with an absorbent sheet into which an organic solvent has been absorbed to soften the adhesive present on the surface of the panel into a gel form, and then the steps thereafter are performed.

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