Sticking device and electronic component mounting device
The adhesive tape application device and mounting device improve precision by using imaging and adjustment mechanisms to overcome elongation and feeding accuracy issues, achieving precise adhesive tape application and electronic component mounting on miniaturized display panels.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-02
AI Technical Summary
Conventional adhesive tape application devices suffer from precision issues due to elongation and feeding accuracy problems, which affect the high-precision attachment of adhesive tape and electronic components, particularly in the context of miniaturized display panels requiring high-density component mounting.
An adhesive tape application device with a transport unit, stage unit, imaging unit, backup unit, cutting unit, and pressure head, which uses imaging to detect the position of cuts in the adhesive tape and adjusts the stage and pressure head for precise application, combined with a mounting device that includes temporary and final crimping units to ensure accurate electronic component attachment.
Enables high-precision application of adhesive tape and mounting of electronic components, ensuring accurate alignment and conductivity between electrodes, addressing the precision challenges of conventional methods.
Smart Images

Figure JP2025033494_02042026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Adhesive device and electronic component mounting device
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an adhesive device and an electronic component mounting device.
[0002] When an electronic component such as a driver IC is mounted on a flat panel (display panel) such as liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence used in a display device by a mounting device, for example, an anisotropic conductive member called a tape-shaped ACF (Anisotropic Conducting Film) is attached to the display panel, which is the object to be attached, by adhesion device, and further, using a crimping device, crimping is performed between the electronic component and the display panel, which is the object to be mounted, through the attached anisotropic conductive member.
[0003] The attachment of the ACF is performed on the connection electrodes in the display panel that is the object to be attached. The tape-shaped ACF is detachably adhered on a base film (base material) as an adhesive tape having anisotropic conductivity, and is cut to a required length and attached. Such a tape-shaped member composed of a base film and an adhesive tape is pulled out from a state wound around a reel, and the adhesive tape is cut to a required length by a cutting portion provided at a predetermined position. That is, by cutting the adhesive tape every time it is fed by a required length with respect to the cutting portion, the adhesive tape is cut to a required length from the cutting portion to the cutting portion.
[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-1894
[0005] When the adhesive tape is cut by the adhesion device, the position where the adhesive tape is cut varies due to the elongation and feeding accuracy of the tape-shaped member itself. For this reason, the dimensions and attachment positions of the adhesive tape vary due to the conveyance of the tape-shaped member, which is a problem when realizing high-precision attachment of the adhesive tape.
[0006] In recent years, due to the miniaturization of display panels, etc., high-density mounting of electronic components has been required. As a result, high mounting accuracy of electronic components has been required, and improvement of the attachment accuracy of ACF has also been desired. For this reason, there are cases where the conventional allowable attachment accuracy is no longer acceptable.
[0007] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide an adhesive tape application device that can apply adhesive tape with high precision without being affected by the elongation of the tape-like member or the feeding accuracy associated with the transport of the tape-like member, and a mounting device that can mount electronic components with high precision.
[0008] The adhesive tape application device of this embodiment includes a transport unit for transporting the adhesive tape, a stage unit for placing the object to be applied, an imaging unit for imaging the first cut and / or second cut of the adhesive tape, a backup unit for supporting the application area of the object, a moving mechanism on which the imaging unit is mounted, a cutting unit for forming a second cut in the adhesive tape, and a pressure head for applying pressure to the object to be applied and applying the adhesive tape. Furthermore, based on the position of the second cut detected by imaging, the stage unit and the pressure head are moved to position them at the application location.
[0009] The electronic component mounting apparatus of this embodiment includes an attachment device for attaching adhesive tape to a mounting object to which the components are to be attached. Furthermore, the electronic component mounting apparatus includes a temporary crimping device for temporarily crimping the electronic components to the mounting object via the adhesive tape attached by the attachment device. Furthermore, the electronic component mounting apparatus includes a final crimping device for heating and pressurizing the temporarily crimped electronic components and the mounting object to which the electronic components have been temporarily crimped by the temporary crimping device, thereby making the adhesive tape electrically conductive and fixing them in place. Furthermore, the electronic component mounting apparatus includes a transport device for transporting the mounting object between the attachment device, the temporary crimping device and the final crimping device. Furthermore, the adhesive device includes a transport unit for transporting adhesive tape, a stage unit for placing an object to be attached with the adhesive tape, an imaging unit for imaging a first cut and / or a second cut in the adhesive tape, a backup unit for supporting the attachment area of the object to be attached, a moving mechanism on which the imaging unit is mounted, a cutting unit for forming a second cut in the adhesive tape, and a pressure head for applying pressure to the object to be attached with the adhesive tape. Furthermore, based on the position of the second cut detected by imaging, the stage unit and the pressure head are moved to position them at the attachment location.
[0010] Embodiments of the present invention enable high-precision application of adhesive tape and high-precision mounting of electronic components.
[0011] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mounting device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the temporary crimping unit in the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the main crimping unit in the first embodiment. This is a schematic configuration diagram of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the panel stage, etc., of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram schematically showing the adhesive process using the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram schematically showing the adhesive process using the adhesive device in a comparative example. This is another diagram schematically showing the adhesive process using the adhesive device in a comparative example. This is yet another diagram schematically showing the adhesive process using the adhesive device in a comparative example. This is an example of a block diagram of the control unit in the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the adhesive operation of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the adhesive operation of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the adhesive operation of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the adhesive operation of the adhesive device in the first embodiment. This is a flowchart of the adhesive process in the first embodiment. This is a schematic configuration diagram of the adhesive device in the second embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the procedure for positioning the cutting section in the second embodiment. This is a flowchart of the attachment process in the second embodiment. This is an example of a block diagram of the control unit in the third embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the determination of the amount of displacement in the third embodiment. This is a flowchart of the attachment process in the third embodiment. This is a flowchart of the attachment process in a modified example of the third embodiment.
[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are not limiting to the present invention. The drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the proportions of each part may not necessarily be the same as those of actual objects. In the specification and drawings, elements similar to those described above with respect to previously shown drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted as appropriate.
[0013] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the terms "greater than or equal to" and "less than or equal to" may be interpreted as "greater than" and "less than," respectively.
[0014] Furthermore, the X, Y, and Z axes described below represent axes perpendicular to each other, with the direction along the X axis being the X direction, the direction along the Y axis being the Y direction, and the direction along the Z axis being the Z direction. Note that the direction along each axis does not necessarily indicate a parallel direction. The X and Y directions intersect each other and correspond to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity, while the Z direction is the vertical direction intersecting the X and Y directions, i.e., the direction of gravity. However, this does not necessarily indicate that it is parallel to the direction of gravity. Also, the +Z direction corresponds to the upward direction, and the -Z direction corresponds to the downward direction. The X direction is an example of the first direction, the Y direction is an example of the second direction, and the Z direction is an example of the third direction.
[0015] In this embodiment, as described later, the direction in which the tape-like member 2 is transported at the attachment position is the X direction (first direction). Therefore, the Y direction (second direction) is the direction that intersects the X direction in the horizontal plane, and the direction above and below the attachment position is the Z direction (third direction).
[0016] In this embodiment, the ACF component is an example of an adhesive tape in a tape-like member consisting of an adhesive tape adhered to a base film, which is a base material. In this embodiment, a tape in which the adhesive tape 21, which is the ACF, is adhered to a release tape 22, which is a base film, will be described as the tape-like member 2. In this embodiment, the display panel component is, for example, a component that constitutes a flat panel display, and is an example of the object to which it is attached and the object to which it is mounted. In this embodiment, it will be described as the display panel P. In addition, an electronic component mounted on the display panel P will be described as the electronic component C.
[0017] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mounting device 7 in the first embodiment.
[0018] The above-mentioned attachment and crimping of the ACF display panel is performed by the mounting apparatus 7 shown in Figure 1. The mounting apparatus 7 comprises an attachment device 1, a crimping device consisting of a temporary crimping device 3 and a main crimping device 5, a transport device 9, and a control unit 19. The mounting apparatus 7 is an example of an electronic component mounting apparatus.
[0019] In this embodiment, the mounting apparatus 7 attaches an adhesive tape 21, which is ACF, from a tape-like member 2 to the display panel P to be attached using an attachment device 1. The temporary crimping device 3 aligns and mounts (mounts) the electronic component C to the display panel P via the attached adhesive tape 21, and the main crimping device 5 performs mounting by making the adhesive tape 21 electrically conductive and curing it. The display panel P is transported to each device by a transport device 9, and supplied to and discharged from each device. The control of such transport device 9 is performed by a control unit 19.
[0020] The adhesive device 1 cuts the adhesive tape 21 of the tape-shaped member 2 to a predetermined length (cutting length) L, and attaches the cut adhesive tape to the electrode row of the display panel P. For example, the adhesive device 1 transports the tape-shaped member 2 wound on a reel above the display panel P, presses the tape-shaped member 2 against the display panel P, and attaches the ACF, which is the adhesive tape 21 cut to a predetermined length. The display panel P to which the ACF is to be attached is transported and supplied to the adhesive device 1 by a transport device (not shown), and the display panel P with the ACF attached is transported to the temporary crimping device 3.
[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the adhesive device 1 comprises an adhesive unit 1a and a control unit 19a. The adhesive unit 1a has various drive units, which are controlled by the control unit 19a. The adhesive tape 21 is attached to the display panel P by the control of the control unit 19a. The detailed configuration of these components will be described later.
[0022] The temporary crimping device 3 temporarily crimps the electronic component C onto the display panel P. The temporary crimping device 3 holds the electronic component C in the temporary crimping head 300, aligns the electronic component C with the electrode row of the display panel P to which the ACF is attached, and presses and crimps it. After temporary crimping, the display panel P with the electronic component C temporarily crimped is transported to the main crimping device 5 by the transport device 9.
[0023] In this embodiment, the temporary crimping device 3 is a device that aligns the electrode terminals of the display panel P and the electrode terminals of the electronic component C so that their corresponding terminals match, and then mounts them via adhesive tape 21 (ACF). Therefore, the device uses image recognition to align the alignment marks of the electronic component C with the alignment marks of the display panel P or the electrode terminals (mounting area).
[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the temporary crimping device 3 comprises a temporary crimping unit 3a and a control unit 19b. The temporary crimping unit 3a has various drive units, which are controlled by the control unit 19b. Temporary crimping of the electronic component C to the display panel P is achieved by the control of the control unit 19b.
[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the temporary crimping unit 3a includes a temporary crimping head 300, a backup unit 302, and a panel stage 301. The temporary crimping head 300 holds the electronic component C and presses the electronic component C onto the adhesive tape 21 attached to the display panel P to perform temporary crimping. It has XYZθ drive axes (not shown).
[0026] The backup unit 302 is a block that supports the mounting area of the edge of the display panel P. It is fixedly positioned on the temporary crimping unit 3a. The panel stage 301 holds the display panel P to which the adhesive tape 21 is attached and positions it at the mounting position. The upper surface of the panel stage 301 is a holding surface for holding the display panel P. The display panel P is placed on this holding surface and held in place by a suction circuit (not shown). It has XYZθ drive axes (not shown) and positions the display panel P at the mounting position, and places it so that the backup unit 302 supports the mounting area of the edge of the display panel P.
[0027] Similar to the attachment device 1, the mounting area overhangs and the display panel P is held on the panel stage 301, and this mounting area is supported from below by the backup unit 302 at the mounting position. As the panel stage 301 positions the display panel P at the mounting position, alignment marks are captured from above by a camera (not shown) and the position is recognized. The mounting area of the display panel P is corrected and positioned at the mounting position based on this recognized position.
[0028] The electronic component C is held by the temporary crimping head 300, and an alignment mark is captured from below by a camera (not shown) to recognize its position. The position of the electronic component C is corrected and positioned at the mounting location so as to align with the display panel P.
[0029] At the mounting position, the temporary crimping head 300 moves toward the display panel P and presses the held electronic component C to the display panel P via the adhesive tape 21 attached thereto. At this time, the conductive particles contained in the adhesive tape 21 are not crushed, and there is no electrical conductivity between the electrodes of the electronic component C and the display panel P.
[0030] The crimping device 5 performs final crimping on the display panel P and electronic component C, which have been temporarily crimped in the temporary crimping device 3, by pressing them with a crimping head. The display panel P and electronic component C are heated and crimped at a higher temperature and pressure than during the temporary crimping. As a result, the conductive particles of the adhesive tape 21 are crushed, allowing conductivity, while the resin of the adhesive tape 21 hardens and fixes the components in place. The display panel P with the mounted electronic component C is then discharged from the mounting device 7 by the transport device 9.
[0031] In this embodiment, the crimping device 5 is a device that mounts the temporarily crimped electronic component C and the display panel P via adhesive tape 21 (ACF) so that the corresponding terminals of the electrode terminal groups of the electronic component C and the display panel P are electrically connected and fixed.
[0032] The crimping device 5 heats and presses the temporarily crimped electronic component C and display panel P, melting the adhesive tape 21. The conductive particles are then crushed between the electrodes of the electronic component C and the display panel P, creating a conductive state. The device then hardens the tape, thereby completely mounting the electronic component C onto the display panel P.
[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the crimping device 5 comprises a crimping unit 5a and a control unit 19c. The crimping unit 5a has various drive units, which are controlled by the control unit 19c. The crimping of the display panel P and the electronic component C is achieved by the control of the control unit 19c.
[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the crimping unit 5a includes a crimping head 500, a backup unit 502, and a panel stage 501. The crimping head 500 presses and permanently crimps the electronic components C that have been temporarily crimped to the display panel P. It also includes a Z drive shaft and a heating heater (not shown).
[0035] The backup unit 502 is a block that supports the mounting area of the edge of the display panel P. It is fixedly positioned on the crimping unit 5a. The panel stage 501 holds the display panel P, on which the electronic components C have been temporarily crimped, and positions it at the mounting position. The upper surface of the panel stage 501 is a holding surface for holding the display panel P. The display panel P is placed on this holding surface and held in place by a suction circuit (not shown). It has XYZθ drive axes (not shown) and positions the display panel P at the mounting position, and places it so that the backup unit 502 supports the mounting area of the edge of the display panel P.
[0036] Similar to the temporary crimping device 3, the display panel P, with the electronic components C temporarily crimped to the mounting area, is supplied to the panel stage 501 by the transport device 9, overhanging, and held there. This mounting area is supported by a backup. As the panel stage 501 positions the display panel P to the mounting position, alignment marks are captured from above by a camera (not shown) for position recognition. The mounting area of the display panel P is corrected and positioned to the mounting position based on this recognized position.
[0037] At the mounting position, the main crimping head 500 moves toward the display panel P and presses the temporarily crimped electronic component C against the display panel P via the adhesive tape 21 attached to the display panel P. At this time, the conductive particles contained in the adhesive tape 21 are crushed, and electrical conductivity is established between the electrodes of the electronic component C and the display panel P. The adhesive tape 21 is heated to the curing temperature of the substrate and hardens, fixing the electronic component C to the display panel P.
[0038] Let's refer back to Figure 1 for explanation. The aforementioned adhesive device 1, temporary crimping device 3, and main crimping device 5 are each equipped with control units 19a, 19b, and 19c that control their respective drive units. The mounting device 7 is equipped with a control unit 19 that integrates and controls these three control units 19a, 19b, and 19c. For example, after processing is completed in each device, the control unit 19 controls the transport device 9 to transport the processed display panel P.
[0039] Next, the details of the adhesive device 1 in the embodiment will be described.
[0040] Figure 4 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the adhesive device 1 in the first embodiment.
[0041] The adhesive device 1 comprises an adhesive unit 11, a supply unit 12, a recovery unit 13, a transport unit 14, a peeling unit 15, a cutting unit 16, an illumination unit 17, an imaging unit 18, and a control unit 19a. It also comprises a panel stage 101 as shown in Figure 5. The adhesive unit 11, supply unit 12, recovery unit 13, transport unit 14, peeling unit 15, cutting unit 16, illumination unit 17, imaging unit 18, and panel stage 101 together are also called the adhesive unit 1a. In this figure, for the sake of simplicity, some control lines of the control unit 19a are omitted from the description.
[0042] The supply unit 12 holds the tape-shaped member 2 to be used and supplies the tape-shaped member 2 to the attachment unit 11. The transport unit 14 pulls out the tape-shaped member 2 from the supply unit 12 and transports it to the recovery unit 13. During this time, the adhesive tape 21 of the tape-shaped member 2 is cut to a predetermined length by the cutting unit 16. The cut adhesive tape 21 is then photographed by the imaging unit 18 with the cut illuminated by the illumination unit 17, and its position is recognized. At the attachment unit 11, the adhesive tape 21 is attached to the display panel P held on the panel stage 101. The release tape 22 of the tape-shaped member 2 is peeled off the attached adhesive tape 21 and recovered in the recovery unit 13.
[0043] Furthermore, in the adhesive device 1, the path through which the tape-like member 2, pulled out from the supply reel 120 (described later), passes through the fixed roller 121a, movable roller 121b, path roller 122 and path roller 131 of the tension mechanism 121 to the recovery reel 130 is the transport path for the tape-like member 2.
[0044] Hereinafter, in order to explain the positional relationship of each part, the side of the supply unit 12 is also referred to as the upstream side of the tape-shaped member 2, and the side of the recovery unit 13 is also referred to as the downstream side of the tape-shaped member 2. Also, in the conveyance direction in which the tape-shaped member 2 is conveyed from the supply unit 12 to the recovery unit 13, the side of the supply unit 12 is also referred to as the upstream side of the tape-shaped member 2, and the side of the recovery unit 13 is also referred to as the downstream side of the tape-shaped member 2. Further, with respect to the sticking reference position OP, the downstream side of the tape-shaped member 2 is also referred to as the front, and the upstream side of the tape-shaped member 2 is also referred to as the back.
[0045] In the present embodiment, the sticking position is the position where the adhesive tape 21 is stuck to the display panel P. The sticking reference position OP is the position that serves as a reference for the sticking position and is a preset design reference position. Also, the sticking position is also the position where the cut of the adhesive tape 21, which will be described later, is positioned. In such a sticking position, the direction in which the tape-shaped member 2 is conveyed is the X direction (first direction).
[0046] In the example of FIG. 4, it shows a state where the leading position of the adhesive tape 21 in the tape-shaped member 2 (hereinafter also referred to as the cut CL) is pulled out to the sticking reference position OP, which is the reference position for the sticking operation. At this time, there may be a deviation between the cut CL and the sticking reference position OP. The cut CL is an example of the first cut.
[0047] The control unit 19a controls each part of the sticking device 1. The control contents of the sticking unit 11, supply unit 12, recovery unit 13, conveyance unit 14, peeling unit 15, cutting unit 16, lighting unit 17, imaging unit 18, and panel stage 101 are programmed in the control unit 19a and are executed by a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Also, it has a storage device (storage unit 199) that stores various information such as programs and operating conditions, a drive circuit that drives each element, an input / output signal circuit, a display for information display and input, a keyboard and a mouse, and a network interface with the outside. Details of the control unit of each part will be described later.
[0048] The sticking unit 11 sticks the adhesive tape 21 to the display panel P. The sticking unit 11 includes a pressing head 110, a backup unit 111, and a moving mechanism 113.
[0049] The pressing head 110 is moved up and down (in the Z direction), that is, in the direction of approaching and separating from the display panel P to be the object to be adhered, by a lifting device (not shown), and presses the tape-like member 2 against the display panel P to stick the ACF which is the adhesive tape 21. Therefore, a heater (not shown) is provided in the pressing head 110, and the contact surface with the tape-like member 2 is heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing head 110 is configured to move not only in the Z direction but also in the X direction, for example, using a ball screw and a motor, in order to position the upstream end at the sticking reference position OP.
[0050] Further, an adhesion prevention member 111a is provided on the surface of the pressing head 110 that contacts the tape-like member 2. The adhesion prevention member 111a is, for example, a sheet formed of an elastic body. The adhesion prevention member 111a is sandwiched between the release tape 22 of the tape-like member 2 and the pressing head 110 during pressing, and prevents the adhesive tape 21 of the tape-like member 2 softened by overheating from adhering to the pressing head 110. That is, in the adhesive tape 21, the direction opposite to the release tape 22 becomes the sticking surface with the display panel P.
[0051] The backup part 111 is a member that supports the display panel P from below when the tape-like member 2 is heated and pressed against the display panel P by the pressing head 110. The backup part 111 has a support surface on its upper surface, which is a flat surface that supports the edge of the sticking area of the display panel P held by the panel stage 101 (see FIG. 5). Further, the backup part 111 is mounted on a moving mechanism 113 described later, and moves in the X direction integrally with an imaging part 18 described later.
[0052] The moving mechanism 113 mounts the backup part 111 and the imaging part 18 and moves based on the control of the control part 19a. The moving mechanism 113 moves in the -X direction from the illustrated state in FIG. 4 during imaging by the imaging part 18 and during sticking, for example, to position the imaging part 18 at the imaging position or to position the backup part 111 at the sticking position.
[0053] Furthermore, when the cutting unit 16 cuts the adhesive tape 21, the moving mechanism 113 retracts in the +X direction from the attachment position to avoid interference with the cutting unit 16. Therefore, the position of the moving mechanism 113 shown in Figure 4 is the retracted position (standby position) of the backup unit 111 and the imaging unit 18. In other words, the moving mechanism 113 moves between the attachment position (attachment reference position) and the retracted position. As a result, the moving mechanism 113 moves the backup unit 111 and the imaging unit 18 between the attachment position (attachment reference position) and the retracted position. In addition, the moving mechanism 113 may also be structured to include an illumination unit 17 in addition to the backup unit 111 and the imaging unit 18. The moving mechanism 113 is an example of a first moving mechanism.
[0054] The moving mechanism 113 consists of a support base on which the imaging unit 18 and backup unit 111 are mounted, which is supported by a linear guide or the like, and is movable in the X direction by a drive mechanism such as a servo motor and a ball screw. When the moving mechanism 113 is described as moving, it means that the support base is moving.
[0055] The supply unit 12 supplies the tape-like member 2 to the adhesive unit 11 based on the control of the control unit 19a. The supply unit 12 comprises a supply reel 120, a tension mechanism 121, and a path roller 122. The supply reel 120 is a reel that winds the tape-like member 2 and feeds out the tape-like member 2 by rotation. Therefore, the supply unit 12 can be considered as supplying the adhesive tape 21 of the tape-like member 2. The path roller 122 provided in the supply unit 12 is an example of a first path roller.
[0056] The tension mechanism 121 applies tension to the tape-like member 2. The tension mechanism 121 consists of a pair of rollers spaced apart vertically to remove slack from the tape-like member 2 as it is pulled out from the supply reel 120. One roller is a fixed roller 121a that does not move up and down, and the other roller is a movable roller 121b that can move up and down. The movable roller 121b moves up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The movable roller 121b is a so-called dancer roller; when it moves upward, the tension in the tape-like member 2 is weakened, and when it moves downward, the tension in the tape-like member 2 is strengthened.
[0057] The path roller 122 is a roller that changes the transport direction of the tape-shaped member 2 fed from the tension mechanism 121 and feeds it toward the adhesive section 11. When the tape-shaped member 2 is attached, it is transported so that the surface of the adhesive tape 21 faces downward in the Z direction.
[0058] The recovery unit 13 recovers the release tape 22 that has peeled off the adhesive tape 21 attached to the display panel P in the adhesive unit 11, based on the control of the control unit 19a. The recovery unit 13 includes a recovery reel 130 and a path roller 131.
[0059] The recovery reel 130 is a reel that winds up and recovers the release tape 22. The path roller 131 is a roller that changes the transport direction of the release tape 22, which is transported from the adhesive section 11 side, and sends it to the recovery reel 130. The path roller 131 provided in the recovery section 13 is an example of a second path roller.
[0060] The transport unit 14 is positioned between the adhesive unit 11 and the recovery unit 13, and based on the control of the control unit 19a, it sends the tape-shaped member 2 from the supply unit 12 through the adhesive unit 11 to the recovery unit 13. The transport unit 14 is equipped with a pair of feed rollers 140. The pair of feed rollers 140 hold the release tape 22 and rotate in conjunction with the drive of a feed motor (not shown), feeding the release tape 22 towards the recovery reel 130. In other words, the tape-shaped member 2 is moved and transported from the supply reel 120 side to the recovery reel 130 side. The rotation axis of the feed motor is connected to the feed rollers 140, and the drive of this motor causes the feed rollers 140 to rotate around the rotation axis.
[0061] Furthermore, the transport unit 14 rotates in the reverse direction driven by a feed motor (not shown), feeding the gripped release tape 22 towards the supply reel 120. In other words, the tape-shaped member 2 is transported by moving it from the recovery reel 130 side to the supply reel 120 side.
[0062] The peeling unit 15 peels the release tape 22 from the adhesive tape 21 attached to the display panel P based on the control of the control unit 19a. The peeling unit 15 has peeling rods 150 and 151. The peeling rods 150 and 151 are, for example, round rods and are members that come into contact with the release tape 22. The peeling rod 150 comes into contact with the surface of the release tape 22, i.e., the surface on the adhesive tape 21 side, and the peeling rod 151 comes into contact with the back surface of the release tape 22. The peeling rods 150 and 151 move horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side of the attachment unit 11 while the release tape 22 is in contact with them, by a moving mechanism (not shown), thereby peeling the release tape 22 from the adhesive tape 21 that is pressed onto the display panel P. After peeling, the peeling rods 150 and 151 move horizontally from the upstream side to the downstream side and retract from the attachment position.
[0063] The cutting unit 16 cuts only the adhesive tape 21 from the tape-like member 2 based on the control of the control unit 19a. The cutting unit 16 may also make an incision in the release tape 22 to the extent that it does not cut the release tape 22. Cutting only the adhesive tape 21 in the tape-like member 2 in this way is also called a half-cut, and the incision formed in the adhesive tape 21 by the cutting unit 16 is also called a half-cut line HC. The position of this half-cut is also called the half-cut position. When referring to the half-cut position, it includes both the position where the adhesive tape 21 is half-cut and the position where the cutting unit 16 half-cuts the adhesive tape 21.
[0064] As described above, the cut at the leading edge of the adhesive tape 21 in the tape-shaped member 2, that is, the downstream end of the adhesive tape 21 that is adhering to the release tape 22, is the cut CL of the tape-shaped member 2. The half-cut line HC is located upstream of the cut CL of the tape-shaped member 2 by the length L of the adhesive tape 21 in the transport direction.
[0065] In this embodiment, the cutting section 16 is positioned upstream in the X direction from the adhesive reference position OP, at a predetermined distance (length L) away from the adhesive tape 21, which is the required adhesive length. As a result, the cutting section 16 can cut out one adhesive portion of the required length L from the leading edge of the adhesive tape 21 on the tape-like member 2, and the half-cut line HC can be sent to the adhesive reference position OP with one transport of the tape-like member 2 of length L. This half-cut line HC is an example of a second cut.
[0066] In Figure 4, as indicated by the dashed line, the cutting section 16 comprises a cutter 160, a backup member 161, and a moving mechanism 162. The cutter 160 is a member that cuts the adhesive tape 21 by making an incision in it. The moving mechanism (not shown) moves the tip blade upward in the Z direction until it passes through and cuts the adhesive tape 21 and contacts the release tape 22. The tip blade of the cutter 160 extends in the width direction (i.e., the Y direction) of the tape-like member 2. The backup member 161 is a rectangular parallelepiped block. The backup member 161 has a flat surface 161a on the lower surface of the block that sandwiches the tape-like member 2 between itself and the cutter 160 and contacts the release tape 22 in the horizontal direction.
[0067] The moving mechanism 162 is equipped with a cutter 160 and moves in the X and Y directions based on the control of the control unit 19a. The moving mechanism 162 comprises an X-direction moving mechanism 162a and a Y-direction moving mechanism 162b, and is structured to be movable in the X and Y directions. For example, the X-direction moving mechanism 162a and the Y-direction moving mechanism 162b are combined so as to be stacked in this order. For example, the X-direction moving mechanism 162a and the Y-direction moving mechanism 162b move on a slide rail using a built-in ball screw and motor, respectively.
[0068] As described above, when viewed from the Y direction, the cutter 160 is positioned upstream of the adhesive reference position OP at a distance equal to the length L of the adhesive tape 21. In other words, since the cutter 160 is only as far as the length of one piece of adhesive tape 21 from the adhesive reference position OP, it may interfere with the imaging unit 18 or the backup unit 111 during imaging or application. For this reason, during imaging or application with the imaging unit 18, the moving mechanism 162 is moved by the Y-direction moving mechanism 162b in the +Y direction, that is, towards the back of the paper, based on the Y-direction position of the tape-like member 2. This causes the cutter 160 and the backup unit 161 to move away from the vicinity of the adhesive reference position OP to a retracted position. Furthermore, when cutting the adhesive tape 21, the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111 are moved away from the vicinity of the adhesive reference position OP to a retracted position by the moving mechanism 113, so as not to interfere with the cutting unit 16.
[0069] When cutting the adhesive tape 21, the moving mechanism 162 moves from the retracted position to the position of the tape-like member 2 by the Y-direction moving mechanism 162b. In other words, the cutter 160 moves from the retracted position in the -Y direction and is positioned directly below the tape-like member 2. To put it another way, the cutting section 16 moves between the cutting position and the retracted position by the moving mechanism 162. However, in reality, the amount of tape-like member 2 drawn from the supply section 12 is subject to variation due to elongation and transport errors (feed errors), so when cut at this tape cutting position, it may not match the required length L of the adhesive tape 21.
[0070] In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 162 is configured to move a small distance in the X direction in order to fine-tune the half-cut position. For example, if the position where the tape-like member 2 drawn from the supply unit 12 should be half-cut is misaligned, the control unit 19a moves the moving mechanism 162 to adjust the half-cut position. The moving mechanism 162 is an example of a second moving mechanism.
[0071] The illumination unit 17, based on the control of the control unit 19a, irradiates light toward the adhesion reference position OP in the vicinity of the adhesion reference position OP. In this embodiment, the illumination unit 17 is located on the adhesive tape 21 side, i.e., the lower side, of the tape-shaped member 2. In Figure 4, the axis of light (optical axis) toward the adhesion reference position OP is shown by a dotted line. The illumination unit 17 may be mounted on the moving mechanism 113 and move together with the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111, or it may be arranged separately and independently.
[0072] The illumination unit 17 has its optical axis directed toward the attachment reference position OP and is positioned obliquely to the perpendicular line of the tape-like member 2. This perpendicular line intersects the attachment surface of the adhesive tape 21. The perpendicular line may also be a line perpendicular to the horizontal direction. If θ is the angle between the line perpendicular to the horizontal direction and the optical axis of the illumination unit 17, this angle is preferably 60° to 80°. The illumination unit 17 may be positioned upstream or downstream of the attachment reference position OP. Furthermore, for example, an LED that emits visible light can be used as the illumination unit 17, and among these, a white light or green light LED is preferable.
[0073] Furthermore, the statement that the optical axis of the illumination unit 17 is directed toward the attachment reference position OP means that the illumination unit 17 is positioned so as to be able to irradiate light toward the attachment reference position OP, and the optical axis does not necessarily have to perfectly intersect with the attachment reference position OP at the position shown in Figure 4.
[0074] The imaging unit 18 images the tape-shaped member 2 at the adhesive reference position OP based on the control of the control unit 19a. The imaging unit 18 is, for example, a camera. The imaging unit 18 is positioned on the adhesive tape 21 side of the tape-shaped member 2 with its optical axis aligned with the adhesive reference position OP, and images the tape-shaped member 2 while it is illuminated from the adhesive tape 21 side by the illumination unit 17.
[0075] In this embodiment, as described above, the imaging unit 18 is mounted on the moving mechanism 113. For imaging, the moving mechanism 113 moves in the -X direction from the standby position shown in Figure 4 so that the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is at the attachment reference position OP. As the tape-shaped member 2 is transported, the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21 is sent to the attachment reference position OP as the target, so the imaging unit 18 images the tape-shaped member 2 including the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21. This imaging of the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21 will be referred to as the first imaging below.
[0076] Furthermore, after the imaging unit 18 captures an image of the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21, the control unit 19a calculates the amount of displacement between the adhesive reference position OP and the position of the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21.
[0077] After the amount of displacement is calculated, the cutting unit 16 adjusts the half-cut position according to the amount of displacement. The cutting unit 16 adjusts the half-cut position by moving in the +X direction or -X direction so that the adhesive tape 21 is of the required length to be attached, according to the amount of displacement in the X direction between the cut CL and the attachment reference position OP. That is, it adjusts the half-cut position by moving in a direction along the transport direction of the adhesive tape. In addition, to avoid interference between the cutting unit 16 and the imaging unit 18 when the cutting unit 16 moves to the cutting position directly below the adhesive tape 21, the moving mechanism 113 retracts in the +X direction from the attachment position.
[0078] The optical axis of the imaging unit 18 does not have to be perpendicular to the tape-like member 2. For example, the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 may be at an angle of about 15° to the perpendicular to the tape-like member when viewed from the transport direction of the tape-like member 2. Also, the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 does not need to perfectly coincide with the attachment reference position OP. It is sufficient that the seam CL can be recognized from the image captured by the imaging unit 18.
[0079] The panel stage 101 holds the display panel P and positions it at the attachment position. The upper surface of the panel stage 101 is a holding surface for holding the display panel P. The display panel P is placed on this holding surface and held in place by a suction circuit (not shown). The backup unit 111 has XYZθ drive axes (not shown) and positions the display panel P at the attachment position, supporting the position where the adhesive tape 21 on the edge of the display panel P is attached, i.e., the attachment area. Therefore, positioning the panel stage 101 at the attachment position means positioning the attachment area on the display panel P at the attachment position. The panel stage 101 is an example of a stage unit on which an object to be attached is placed.
[0080] After the cutting unit 16 moves to the cutting position of the adhesive tape 21, a half-cut is performed. After the tape-like member 2 is half-cut to the length of the tape length L, the transport unit 14 transports the tape-like member 2 so that the half-cut line HC is positioned at the adhesive reference position OP. In other words, the half-cut line HC is transported toward the adhesive reference position OP. At this time, the half-cut line HC is moved with the adhesive reference position OP as the target.
[0081] After the half-cut line HC is transported towards the attachment reference position OP, imaging is performed again by the imaging unit 18. Therefore, the imaging unit 18 is provided so that the half-cut line HC can also be recognized from the image captured by the imaging unit 18. In order to avoid interference between the cutting unit 16 and the imaging unit 18 during imaging, the moving mechanism 162 moves in the +Y direction with reference to the Y-direction position of the tape-like member 2 to retract the cutting unit 16. After the retraction of the cutting unit 16 is complete, the moving mechanism 113 moves in the -X direction from the standby position so that the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is at the attachment reference position OP for imaging by the imaging unit 18.
[0082] As the tape-shaped member 2 is transported, the half-cut line HC of the adhesive tape 21 is sent towards the attachment reference position OP, and the imaging unit 18 images the tape-shaped member 2, including the half-cut line HC of the adhesive tape 21. This imaging of the half-cut line HC of the adhesive tape 21 will be referred to as the second imaging below. The amount of displacement calculated according to the result of the first imaging will be referred to as the first displacement amount, and the amount of displacement calculated according to the result of the second imaging will be referred to as the second displacement amount.
[0083] Furthermore, after the imaging unit 18 captures the half-cut line HC of the adhesive tape 21, the control unit 19a calculates the amount of deviation between the adhesive reference position OP and the half-cut line HC.
[0084] After the amount of displacement is calculated, the moving mechanism 113 moves further in the -X direction to attach the adhesive tape 21 to the display panel P, positioning the upstream ends of the pressure head 110 and backup unit 111 in the X direction at the half-cut line HC. Specifically, the half-cut line HC is the position moved by the amount of displacement from the attachment reference position OP.
[0085] In this manner, the adhesive device 1 positions the upstream end of the pressure head 110 and the backup unit 111 in the transport direction (X direction) relative to the half-cut line HC based on the amount of displacement between the adhesive reference position OP and the half-cut line HC.
[0086] Referring back to Figure 5, after the positioning of the backup unit 111 is complete, the panel stage 101 places the adhesive area on the edge of the held display panel P so that it is supported by the backup unit 111.
[0087] The display panel P is positioned by the panel stage 101 such that the mounting area overhangs and is held by the panel stage 101, and the mounting area is supported from below at the attachment position. As the panel stage 101 positions the display panel P at the attachment position, alignment marks are captured from above by a camera (not shown) for position recognition. The attachment area of the display panel P is corrected and positioned at the attachment position based on this recognized position and the position of the half-cut line HC.
[0088] After the display panel P is positioned, the pressure head 110 moves downward and applies pressure to the display panel P using the tape-shaped member 2.
[0089] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the application process using the adhesive device 1 in the first embodiment.
[0090] Figure 6(A) shows the state before application using the application device 1 in the first embodiment, and Figure 6(B) shows the state during application using the application device 1 in the first embodiment. (Note that in Figure 6, the portion of the adhesive tape 21 to be applied is shown with hatching.)
[0091] As described above, after the adhesive tape 21 is transported with the half-cut line HC targeting the attachment reference position OP, the attachment area of the backup unit 111, the pressure head 110, and the display panel P is positioned at the position of the half-cut line HC recognized from the image, and attachment is performed at this position. As shown in Figure 6(A), the backup unit 111 and the pressure head 110 are aligned with the half-cut line HC. In this state, as shown in Figure 6(B), the pressure head 110 descends and attaches the target portion of the adhesive tape 21 (dots in the figure) to the display panel P.
[0092] When repeated application, the half-cut line HC of the applied adhesive tape 21 becomes a cut line CL, and this cut line CL is positioned near the application reference position OP. For this reason, the operation of transporting the cut line CL to the application reference position OP may be omitted. Through the above operation, the adhesive tape 21 in this embodiment is positioned at the application position by transporting the tape-like member 2 in a single pass after the half-cut line HC is formed.
[0093] Here, as a comparative example, in the case of an adhesive device 1' in which the backup unit 111 is fixedly positioned with respect to the adhesive reference position OP, and the cutting unit 16 that performs a half-cut at a location away from the adhesive reference position OP to avoid interference is fixedly positioned, the state of adhesion will be schematically shown and explained in Figures 7, 8, and 9. Note that the same components as those in adhesive device 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the adhesive device 1' shown in Figures 8 and 9, an example is shown in which adhesive tape 21 cut to the same length as the pressure width (length in the X direction) of the pressure head 110 is attached to the display panel P.
[0094] In this comparative example, the half-cut line HC is positioned at the adhesive reference position OP, the left end in the X direction of the backup unit 111 and the left end in the X direction of the pressure head 110 are positioned, and the cut adhesive tape 21 is attached to the adhesive area of the display panel P. Figure 7(A) shows the state in which the half-cut line HC has been transported to the adhesive reference position OP before attachment, Figure 7(B) shows the state in which the pressure head 110 is descending and pressing the tape-like member 2 during attachment, and Figure 7(C) shows the state in which the pressure head 110 has risen after attachment and the adhesive tape 21 of the tape-like member 2 has been attached.
[0095] In the adhesive device 1' shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, there is no moving mechanism 162, and the cutting section 16 forms a half-cut line HC at a fixed position in the X direction of the tape-like member 2. After several half-cut lines HC have been formed, the tape-like member 2 is transported by the transport section 14 (not shown in Figures 8 and 9) so that the half-cut lines HC reach the adhesive reference position OP.
[0096] However, the tape-like member 2 generally has a high elastic modulus and undergoes expansion and contraction. Furthermore, when it is pulled out from the supply unit and transported in the transport unit as shown in Figure 4, the expansion and contraction become even larger. In addition, slippage and other issues occur in the transport unit 14. As a result, the transport error of the tape-like member 2 becomes large. In the adhesive device 1' as in the comparative example, the transport error of the tape-like member 2 is not corrected, so adhesion defects are likely to occur. Here, we will explain the adhesion defect that occurs when the positioning of the half-cut line HC to the adhesion reference position OP is misaligned due to the transport error of the tape-like member 2.
[0097] Figure 8 shows a situation where the adhesive tape 21 is not fed enough at the application position. Figure 9 shows a situation where the adhesive tape 21 is fed too far at the application position.
[0098] Figures 8(A) and 9(A) show the state before application, Figures 8(B) and 9(B) show the state during application, and Figures 8(C) and 9(C) show the state after application.
[0099] Figure 8 shows a situation where the adhesive tape 21 is not fed sufficiently at the attachment position. That is, as shown in Figure 8(A), when the pressure head 110 applies pressure to the display panel P with the half-cut line HC shifted upstream of the attachment reference position OP, the adhesive tape 21 protrudes upstream from the area pressed by the pressure head 110. In this case, as shown in Figure 8(B), the protruding portion is not pressed, resulting in a defective attachment where parts are not adhered. If the attachment is completed in this state, as shown in the circled area of Figure 8(C), the protruding portion of the adhesive tape 21 will not adhere and will peel up.
[0100] Figure 9 shows a situation where the adhesive tape 21 is fed too far at the application position. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9(A), when the position of the half-cut line HC is shifted downstream from the application reference position OP, and as shown in Figure 9(B), the pressure head 110 applies pressure to the display panel P with the tape-like member 2, the pressure head 110 wraps up the adhesive tape 21 to be used for the next application, resulting in poor application. Figure 9(C) shows how the wrapped adhesive tape 21 on the upstream side is torn. Furthermore, on the downstream side, the adhesive tape 21 protrudes downstream from the area pressed by the pressure head 110, and the protruding portion is not pressed and results in poor application.
[0101] Figure 10 is an example of a block diagram of the control unit 19a of the adhesive device 1 in the first embodiment.
[0102] The control unit 19a can be implemented, for example, by installing a program for the control unit 19a on a PC (Programmable Controller). The CPU within the control unit 19a executes the program for the control unit 19a, thereby realizing the functions of the adhesion control unit 190, tape transport control unit 191, cutting control unit 193, imaging control unit 195, calculation unit 196, movement mechanism control unit 197, correction movement control unit 198, and storage unit 199.
[0103] The adhesion control unit 190 controls the heater, lifting device, and movement in the X direction provided on the adhesion unit 11. The adhesion control unit 190 controls the heater to heat the pressure head 110, controls its movement in the X direction, and controls the lifting device to raise and lower the pressure head 110. The adhesion control unit 190 heats the heater provided on the adhesion unit 11 at a predetermined timing, such as at the start of processing. After the positioning of the pressure head 110, backup unit 111, and display panel P is completed, the adhesion control unit 190 lowers the pressure head 110 to perform adhesion.
[0104] Furthermore, the adhesion control unit 190 controls the moving mechanism provided in the peeling unit 15 and moves the peeling rods 150 and 151 horizontally to peel the release tape 22 from the tape-like member 2. For example, in response to a signal indicating the end of adhesion, the moving mechanism is controlled to move the peeling rods 150 and 151 horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side of the adhesion unit 11 while the release tape 22 is in contact with it, thereby peeling the release tape 22 from the adhesive tape 21 pressed onto the display panel P. Once the peeling of the release tape 22 is complete, the moving mechanism is returned to the downstream side.
[0105] The tape transport control unit 191 controls the transport unit 14 to transport the tape-shaped member 2 between the supply unit 12 and the collection unit 13. When transporting the tape-shaped member 2 from the supply unit 12 towards the collection unit 13, the roller 140 of the transport unit 14 is rotated to move the release tape 22 of the tape-shaped member 2, which is held by the roller 140, toward the collection unit 13 side (downstream side). At this time, the tension mechanism 121 operates so that a constant tension (tension force) is applied to the tape-shaped member.
[0106] When transporting the tape-shaped member 2 from the recovery unit 13 toward the supply unit 12, the roller 140 of the transport unit 14 is rotated to move the release tape 22 of the tape-shaped member 2, which is held by the roller 140, toward the supply unit 12 side (upstream side). At this time, the tension mechanism 121 operates to apply tension so that the tape-shaped member 2 does not slacken.
[0107] Furthermore, the tape transport control unit 191 controls the transport unit 14 to transport the tape-like member 2 for a predetermined length and to transport it so that the cut line CL and half-cut line HC are positioned at predetermined locations. These transport amounts (feed amounts) can be determined using information stored in the memory unit 199, for example. Transporting the tape-like member 2 for a predetermined length and stopping it at predetermined positions are performed in response to signals from the adhesion control unit 190 indicating the completion of adhesion, signals indicating the completion of peeling of the release tape 22, and signals from the cutting control unit 193 indicating the completion of half-cutting of the adhesive tape 21. In addition, the tape-like member 2 is transported or kept stopped in response to signals from the determination unit 196b.
[0108] The cutting control unit 193 controls the lifting mechanism provided in the cutting unit 16 to raise and lower the cutter 160. For example, when performing a half-cut, the cutting control unit 193 moves the moving mechanism 162 to a predetermined position, and then controls the lifting mechanism to raise the cutter 160 to perform a half-cut. The depth of the half-cut is adjusted by adjusting the amount the cutter 160 is raised based on the information of the tape-shaped member 2 stored in the memory unit 199.
[0109] The imaging control unit 195 controls the imaging of the imaging unit 18. For example, the imaging control unit 195 controls the imaging unit 18 to perform imaging when imaging the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21 (the first imaging described above) and when imaging the half-cut line HC (the second imaging described above). It also controls the on / off of the illumination unit 17. More specifically, when imaging is performed by the imaging unit 18, the illumination unit 17 is turned on towards the adhesion reference position OP. When imaging is not performed by the imaging unit 18, the illumination unit 17 can be controlled to remain on or to be turned off. The second imaging may include imaging of the cut CL as well as the half-cut line HC.
[0110] The calculation unit 196 detects a break CL in the first imaging and a half-cut line HC in the second imaging, based on the image of the tape-shaped member 2 obtained by the imaging unit 18. These breaks CL and half-cut lines HC may be detected using, for example, the brightness value in a grayscale image. For example, it is conceivable to have the calculation unit 196 detect portions of the imaged tape-shaped member 2 that have a brightness value equal to or greater than a predetermined brightness value as breaks CL or half-cut lines HC.
[0111] Furthermore, the calculation unit 196 calculates the amount of displacement from the adhesive reference position OP to the detected cut CL or half-cut line HC based on the detected cut CL or half-cut line HC. For example, in the first imaging, the calculation unit 196 compares the positional relationship between the detected cut CL and the adhesive reference position OP and calculates the amount of positional displacement. Also, in the second imaging, the calculation unit 196 compares the positional relationship between the detected half-cut line HC and the adhesive reference position OP and calculates the amount of positional displacement. The positional adjustment by the cutting unit 16, backup unit 111 and pressure head 110 described above is performed according to the calculated amount of positional displacement.
[0112] The movement mechanism control unit 197 controls the movement of the movement mechanism 113, the movement mechanism 162, and the panel stage 101. For example, when the imaging unit 18 is taking an image, the movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the movement mechanism 113 so that the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is at the attachment reference position OP. At this time, in order to avoid interference between the imaging unit 18 and the cutting unit 16, the movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the cutting unit 16 to a retracted position using the movement mechanism 162. Also, when the cutting unit 16 performs a half cut, the movement mechanism control unit 197 retracts the movement mechanism 113 and moves the cutting unit 16 to a position directly below the tape-like member 2. In other words, it controls the movement of the cutting unit 16 in the Y direction. Furthermore, the movement mechanism control unit 197 also controls the movement of the upstream end of the backup unit 111 to the attachment reference position OP when attaching. Furthermore, the movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the panel stage 101 to position the adhesive area of the display panel P at the adhesive reference position OP, and places the edge of the display panel P on the upper surface of the backup unit 111.
[0113] The corrective movement control unit 198 generates control signals to move the movement mechanism 113, movement mechanism 162, pressure head 110, and panel stage 101 according to the amount of misalignment calculated by the calculation unit 196. These control signals move the movement mechanism 113, movement mechanism 162, and pressure head 110 by the calculated amount of misalignment. To adjust the amount of misalignment, the movement mechanism 162 moves in the X direction based on the control signal generated by the corrective movement control unit 198 to fine-tune the half-cut position. The movement mechanism 113 and pressure head 110 also move in the X direction based on the control signal generated by the corrective movement control unit 198 to adjust the amount of misalignment and adjust the attachment position. The panel stage 101 also moves based on the control signal to adjust the amount of misalignment of the attachment area (attachment position on the panel) and adjust the attachment position.
[0114] The storage unit 199 stores information necessary for the control of this embodiment. The storage unit 199 stores information such as the adhesive reference position OP, the feed (transport) amount, the movement position of the moving mechanism 113, the movement position of the moving mechanism 162, and the tape length L. The storage unit 199 may also store position data of the display panel P, position data of the area to be adhered, the imaging position of the imaging unit 18, the adhesion position of the backup unit 111, the pressing amount of the pressure head 110, the heating and pressing time, as well as setting information received from the operator. The storage unit 199 can use a storage device consisting of a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory.
[0115] Figures 11-15 illustrate the adhesion operation of the adhesion device 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 16 is a flowchart of the adhesion process in the first embodiment. The adhesion operation will be explained with reference to these figures.
[0116] In the first embodiment, the attachment is carried out as follows. The adhesive tape 21, which is ACF, is cut to a predetermined length required for attachment and attached to the attachment position (attachment area) of the display panel P. At this time, first, the cut CL, which is the downstream end face of the adhesive tape 21 on the downstream side of the tape-shaped member 2, is positioned near the attachment reference position OP. This is also the state after the previous attachment has been completed. The cutting part 16 is retracted to the retracted position. In this state, the cut CL is imaged by the imaging unit 18. From the captured image, the position of the cut CL is recognized and the amount of displacement between the attachment reference position OP and the cut CL is calculated.
[0117] Next, based on the calculated displacement, the half-cut position is calculated so that the distance from the cut line CL to the half-cut line HC becomes a predetermined length (cutting length) L required for adhesion. The imaging unit 18 is retracted, and the cutting unit 16 is positioned at the cutting position. At this time, the X-direction position of the cutting unit 16 is positioned so that a half-cut can be performed at the calculated half-cut position, and the adhesive tape 21 is half-cut.
[0118] In other words, the X-direction position of the cutting section 16, which is located at a predetermined distance in the X-direction from the adhesive reference position OP, is shifted by the amount of the position (amount of displacement) of the cut CL calculated based on the adhesive reference position OP, to a position that takes into account the required length of adhesive tape 21 and the amount of displacement, and a half-cut is performed. In this way, the cutting section 16 is moved in the X-direction, which is the transport direction of the tape-like member 2, according to the amount of displacement between the adhesive reference position OP and the first cut CL, and the formation position of the second cut, the half-cut line HC, is adjusted. That is, the half-cut position is adjusted by moving in a direction along the transport direction of the adhesive tape.
[0119] Once the half-cut is complete, the cutting unit 16 retracts, and the imaging unit 18 is positioned at the attachment reference position OP. At the same time, the tape-like member 2 is transported for a length L, and the half-cut line HC is positioned near the attachment reference position OP.
[0120] This half-cut line HC is captured by the imaging unit 18 positioned at the attachment reference position OP. From the captured image, the position of the half-cut line HC is recognized, and the amount of displacement between the attachment reference position OP and the half-cut line HC is calculated. Based on this displacement, the pressure head 110 and the backup unit 111 are positioned at the attachment position. Simultaneously, based on this displacement, the attachment area of the display panel P is positioned at the attachment position by the panel stage 101. At this time, the lower surface of the attachment area at the edge of the display panel P is brought into contact with the upper surface of the backup unit 111 for support. Subsequently, the pressure head 110 descends and presses the release tape 22 of the tape-like member 2, pressing the adhesive tape 21 against the display panel P, thereby attaching the adhesive tape 21 to the display panel P.
[0121] The following will provide a detailed explanation with reference to the drawings. Note that information necessary for processing, such as the adhesive reference position OP, is loaded from the storage unit 199 when the program of the control unit 19a is executed. Furthermore, as an initial state for this explanation, it will be assumed that there is a misalignment between the adhesive reference position OP and the cut line CL.
[0122] Figure 11(A) shows the state in which the adhesive device 1 begins to apply the tape-like member 2. In this state, the cut end CL of the tape-like member 2 has been fed to the adhesive reference position OP, and the upstream end in the transport direction of the pressure head 110 is aligned with the adhesive reference position OP. In this state, the cutting section 16 is retracted in the +Y direction.
[0123] Furthermore, the flowchart of this embodiment shown in Figure 16 uses this state as the initial state. Therefore, step S1 (transport of the tape-like member 2) indicates that the cut end CL of the tape-like member 2 is sent to the adhesive reference position OP.
[0124] Furthermore, this state can also be interpreted as indicating that the adhesive tape 21 has been attached and the attached display panel P has been ejected from the attachment position. When such a cut CL is positioned in advance near the attachment reference position OP, the operation of sending the tape-like member 2 to the attachment reference position OP may be omitted. Note that in the state shown in Figure 11, it is assumed that the cut CL is shifted in the -X direction (upstream side) relative to the attachment reference position OP.
[0125] Figure 11(B) shows the state in which the imaging unit 18 is imaging the gap CL. The moving mechanism control unit 197 moves the moving mechanism 113 in the -X direction from the position shown in Figure 11(A) until the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is at the attachment reference position OP. After the positioning of the imaging unit 18 is complete, the imaging control unit 195 controls the imaging unit 18 to image the gap CL (step S2).
[0126] Furthermore, after the imaging unit 18 captures an image of the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21, the calculation unit 196 calculates the amount of deviation between the adhesive reference position OP and the position of the cut CL of the adhesive tape 21 (step S3). The calculation unit 196 detects the cut CL from the image captured by the imaging unit 18 in step S2 and calculates the amount of deviation from the adhesive reference position OP. The correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal corresponding to this amount of deviation.
[0127] Figure 12 shows the state in which the cutting unit 16 performs a half-cut, continuing from the state in Figure 11. Therefore, the cutting unit 16, which was not shown in Figure 11, is shown. When positioning the cutting unit 16 at the half-cut position, the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111 may interfere with each other. For this reason, the movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the movement mechanism 113 in the +X direction to a position where the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111 do not interfere with the cutting unit 16. This movement position can be, for example, coordinates that have been stored in the storage unit 199 in advance. This movement position is also called the standby position or retracted position of the movement mechanism 113.
[0128] Furthermore, after the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111 have been retracted, the movement mechanism control unit 197 controls the Y-direction movement mechanism 162b of the movement mechanism 162 to move the cutting unit 16 in the -Y direction. The movement position in the -Y direction can be, for example, coordinates that have been stored in the storage unit 199 in advance. This Y position is the position in the Y direction where the tape-shaped member 2 is cut (half-cut) (cutting position), and is directly below the transport path of the tape-shaped member 2.
[0129] Figure 12(A) shows the state where the imaging unit 18 and backup unit 111 are retracted, and the cutting unit 16 has moved from the retracted position in the -Y direction and is positioned at the cutting position. At this time, the position of the cutting unit 16 in the X direction is at a distance L upstream from the adhesive reference position OP. The cut line CL is shifted in the -X direction, i.e., upstream from the adhesive reference position OP, as in Figure 11. The position upstream at a distance L from the position of this cut line CL is the position where the half-cut is actually performed. Therefore, the position of the cutting unit 16 in the X direction after moving from the retracted position and the position where the half-cut is performed will be shifted by the amount that the cut line CL is shifted from the adhesive reference position OP.
[0130] The movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the movement mechanism 162 in the +X direction or the -X direction according to the amount of displacement calculated by the calculation unit 196. In other words, the movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the X-direction movement mechanism 162a according to the control signal corresponding to the amount of displacement, and adjusts the position of the cutting section 16 in the X direction. As a result, it is positioned at a distance L of the length of the adhesive tape 21 from the cut CL detected by the cutter 160. The adhesive tape 21 is then half-cut at this newly moved position.
[0131] Figure 12(B) shows the cutting section 16 positioned at the actual half-cut location, and the adhesive tape 21 being half-cut. After the moving mechanism 162 is positioned at the half-cut location, the cutting control unit 193 controls the lifting mechanism provided on the cutting section 16 to raise the cutter 160 and perform the half-cut (step S4). After the half-cut is completed, the cutting control unit 193 controls the lifting mechanism again to lower the cutter 160.
[0132] After the half-cut line HC is formed on the adhesive tape 21 by the cutting section 16 (half-cut), the moving mechanism control unit 197 moves the moving mechanism 162 in the +Y direction to retract the cutting section 16 from the cutting position in order to avoid interference between the imaging unit 18 and the cutting section 16 when taking a second image.
[0133] Figure 13(A) shows the state in which the imaging unit 18 is imaging the half-cut line HC. When the adhesive tape 21 is applied, after the cutting unit 16 is retracted, the imaging unit 18 moves toward the application reference position OP, and in parallel, the transport unit 14 moves the tape-like member 2 in the transport direction (+X direction). This movement is the amount of movement that takes into account the required length of adhesive tape 21 to be cut, i.e., the length L, and the amount of deviation between the application reference position OP and the first cut CL. Through this movement, the tape-like member 2 is transported so that the half-cut line HC is at the position of the application reference position OP (step S5 (transport of tape-like member 2)). Transport errors also occur due to this movement. In this embodiment, it is assumed that there is a deviation between the application reference position OP and the half-cut line HC. In the state shown in Figure 13(A), the deviation is downstream in the transport direction (+X direction).
[0134] The movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the movement mechanism 113 in the -X direction from the retracted position shown in Figure 12(B) until the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is at the attachment reference position OP. After the positioning of the imaging unit 18 is complete, the imaging control unit 195 controls the imaging unit 18 to perform imaging of the half-cut line HC (step S6). Note that the movement of the imaging unit 18 may be to the position of the cut line CL that was first recognized, rather than the attachment reference position OP.
[0135] Furthermore, after the half-cut line HC is captured by the imaging unit 18, the calculation unit 196 calculates the amount of deviation between the attachment reference position OP and the half-cut line HC (step S7). The calculation unit 196 detects the half-cut line HC from the image captured by the imaging unit 18 in step S6 and calculates the amount of deviation from the attachment reference position OP. The correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal corresponding to this amount of deviation.
[0136] Figure 13(B) shows the state in which the pressure head 110 and backup unit 111 are positioned at the half-cut line HC. The upstream end of the pressure head 110 is positioned at the half-cut line HC according to the calculated displacement amount. The movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the movement mechanism 113 in the -X direction from the imaging position shown in Figure 13(A) to position the upstream end of the backup unit 111 to coincide with the half-cut line HC. These moved positions are, for example, positions where the displacement amount is adjusted to the distance to the attachment reference position OP stored in the memory unit 199. In other words, at this point, the pressure head 110 and backup unit 111 are aligned with the half-cut line HC (step S8).
[0137] Figure 14 shows the state in which the adhesive area of the display panel P is positioned at the adhesive position, the pressure head 110 is lowered, and the pressure head 110 performs the adhesive application. After the pressure head 110 and the moving mechanism 113 are positioned at the position shown in Figure 13(B), similarly, based on the calculated displacement amount, the adhesive position (adhesion area) on the display panel P is positioned at a position corresponding to the half-cut line HC by moving the panel stage 101. In other words, at this point, the display panel P is aligned with the half-cut line HC (step S8). This aligns the pressure head 110, the backup unit 111, and the display panel P. At this time, the back surface of the adhesive area of the display panel P is supported by the backup unit 111. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 14(B), the adhesive control unit 190 controls the lifting device and lowers the pressure head 110. The adhesive tape 21 is pressed by the pressure head 110 via the anti-adhesion member 111a, completing the application (step S9).
[0138] Figure 15 shows the completed state of adhesion. After the adhesive tape 21 is attached to the display panel P, the adhesion control unit 190 controls the lifting device to raise the pressure head 110. After the pressure head 110 is raised, the peeling unit 15 is controlled to move horizontally from the downstream side to the upstream side, thereby peeling the release tape 22 from the adhesive tape 21 that has been pressed onto the display panel P (step S10). Once the release tape 22 has been peeled off and the adhesion is complete, the display panel P is moved to an unshown discharge position by moving the panel stage 101 under the control of the moving mechanism control unit 197.
[0139] In this embodiment, during imaging by the imaging unit 18 and during attachment, the moving mechanism 162 moves in the +Y direction, i.e., towards the back of the paper, based on the Y-direction position of the tape-like member 2, by the Y-direction moving mechanism 162b, and the cutter 160 and backup member 161 are moved from near the attachment reference position OP to the retracted position. The moving mechanism 162 may also be moved in the -X direction by the X-direction moving mechanism 162a to retract.
[0140] According to this embodiment, the adhesive device 1 adjusts the half-cut position by moving the moving mechanism 162, taking into account the amount of misalignment between the adhesive reference position OP and the cut point CL, and then performs the half-cut. This ensures that the tape-like member 2 is reliably half-cut to a predetermined length L. In other words, even if the tape-like member 2 stretches or there are transport errors, the half-cut can be performed to a predetermined length, enabling highly accurate adhesive application.
[0141] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the adhesive device 1 aligns the position of the display panel P with the half-cut position of the tape-shaped member 2 after it has been transported and then performs the adhesive application. As a result, the adhesive device 1 can attach the tape-shaped member 2 to the desired attachment position without being affected by the stretching or feeding accuracy of the tape-shaped member 2, thereby ensuring high adhesive accuracy.
[0142] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, after the cut CL of the tape-like member 2 is aligned with the adhesive reference position OP, the layout is such that the half-cut line HC is positioned at the adhesive position in a single feed. This reduces positional misalignment due to tape feeding compared to repeatedly feeding the tape from the half-cut position to position the portion of the adhesive tape 21 to be applied at the adhesive position. In addition, this allows a high-magnification camera with a narrow field of view to be used in the adhesive device 1, improving the recognition accuracy of the calculation unit 196 and ensuring high adhesive accuracy.
[0143] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the pressure head 110 and the backup unit 111 are positioned at the half-cut line HC for application. This prevents the adhesive tape 21 from being peeled up due to insufficient feeding of the tape upstream, which would result in unadhered portions. It also prevents the adhesive tape 21 from tearing due to overfeeding, which would cause the pressure head 110 to wrap around the adhesive tape 21 to be used for the next application.
[0144] The adhesive tape 21, which is attached with high precision by the attachment device 1 having the features of the embodiment described above, allows for high-precision temporary and permanent crimping of the electrode terminals of the electronic component C. This enables high-density mounting by the mounting device 7.
[0145] (Second Embodiment) Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the adhesive device 1 in the second embodiment.
[0146] In this embodiment, the structure of the cutting section 16 is different. The moving mechanism 162 does not have an X-direction moving mechanism 162a. Therefore, it is fixed in the X-direction, which is the transport direction of the tape-like member 2. For this reason, when half-cutting, adjustment of the half-cut position based on the position of the cut CL to be imaged is not performed. If the variation in the length L of the cut adhesive tape 21 is within an acceptable range, it is sufficient to avoid adhesion defects such as peeling or tearing as described above. For this reason, in this embodiment, the pressure head 110 is positioned on the half-cut line HC.
[0147] To accommodate various lengths L of adhesive tapes 21, the cutting section 16 may not have an X-direction movement mechanism 162a, but instead may have a structure that allows it to be fixed at any position in the X-direction. For example, various structures may be used, such as making the X-direction position changeable by using an elongated hole and bolts provided at the base of the cutting section 16.
[0148] When performing a half-cut, the moving mechanism 162 moves in the -Y direction under the control of the moving mechanism control unit 197 to position the cutter 160 from the retracted position to the cutting position.
[0149] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for positioning the cutting portion 16 in the second embodiment.
[0150] The overall flow is the same as the operation shown in Figures 11 to 15, so we will mainly explain the differences. Also, the operation of the attachment device 1 in the transport of the tape-like member 2 and the imaging of the half-cut line HC by the imaging unit 18 is the same as in Figure 13(B), so we will omit the explanation.
[0151] Figure 18(A) shows the state in which the cutting section 16 performs a half-cut. As shown in Figure 18(A), in order to avoid interference between the cutting section 16 and the imaging section 18 and the backup section 111, the imaging section 18 and the backup section 111 are moved out of the way, and the cutting section 16 is positioned directly below the tape-like member 2.
[0152] Next, the cutting control unit 193 controls a lifting mechanism (not shown) to raise the cutter 160, thereby performing a half-cut. After the half-cut is complete, the lifting mechanism is controlled again to lower the cutter 160.
[0153] After the half-cut is complete, the tape-shaped member 2 is transported and image is captured by the imaging unit 18. To avoid interference between the cutting unit 16 and the imaging unit 18 during imaging, the movement mechanism control unit 197 controls the Y-direction movement mechanism 162b to move the cutting unit 16 in the +Y direction, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 18(B), thereby retracting the cutting unit 16.
[0154] The operation after the retraction of the cutting section 16 is complete is the same as the operation shown in Figures 13 and 14, so the explanation will be omitted.
[0155] Figure 19 is a flowchart of the attachment process in the second embodiment.
[0156] This flowchart differs from the example in Figure 16 in that steps S2 and S3 are omitted. Also, the operation during the half-cut in step S12 differs from the example in Figure 16. The operations in steps S11 and S13 to S18 are the same as steps S1 and S5 to S10 in the example in Figure 16, so their explanation is omitted.
[0157] In step S12, the movement mechanism control unit 197 controls the movement mechanism 113 to retract the imaging unit 18 and the backup unit 111 in the +X direction, and then controls the Y direction movement mechanism 162b to move it in the -Y direction to position the cutting unit 16 at the half-cut position. After the cutting unit 16 is positioned, the cutting control unit 193 controls the lifting mechanism to raise the cutter 160 to perform a half-cut. After the half-cut is completed, the cutting control unit 193 controls the lifting mechanism again to lower the cutter 160.
[0158] According to this embodiment, the adhesive device 1 captures an image of the half-cut line HC that has been transported with respect to the adhesive reference position OP as the target, recognizes its position, and, based on the calculated amount of deviation between the adhesive reference position OP and the half-cut line HC, aligns the adhesive area of the pressure head 110, backup unit 111, and display panel P with the position of the half-cut line HC and performs the adhesive application. As a result, the adhesive device 1 can attach the tape-like member 2 to the desired adhesive position without being affected by the elongation or feeding accuracy of the tape-like member 2, thereby ensuring high adhesive accuracy.
[0159] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, after the cut CL of the tape-like member 2 is aligned with the adhesive reference position OP, the layout is such that the half-cut line HC is positioned at the adhesive position in a single feed. This reduces positional misalignment due to tape feeding compared to repeatedly feeding the tape from the half-cut position to position the portion of the adhesive tape 21 to be applied at the adhesive position. In addition, this allows a high-magnification camera with a narrow field of view to be used in the adhesive device 1, improving the recognition accuracy of the calculation unit 196 and ensuring high adhesive accuracy.
[0160] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the pressure head 110 and the backup unit 111 are positioned at the half-cut line HC for application. This prevents the adhesive tape 21 from being peeled up due to insufficient feeding of the tape upstream, which would result in unadhered portions. It also prevents the adhesive tape 21 from tearing due to overfeeding, which would cause the pressure head 110 to wrap around the adhesive tape 21 to be used for the next application.
[0161] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the half-cut position is not adjusted, the cycle time is shortened.
[0162] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cutting section 16 is fixed in the X direction, which is the direction along the transport direction of the tape-like member 2. If the variation in the length L of the cut adhesive tape 21 is within an acceptable range, the structure of the cutting section 16 can be simplified.
[0163] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the adhesive device 1 aligns the position of the display panel P with the half-cut position of the tape-shaped member 2 after it has been transported and then performs the adhesive application. As a result, the adhesive device 1 can attach the tape-shaped member 2 to the desired attachment position without being affected by the stretching or feeding accuracy of the tape-shaped member 2, thereby ensuring high adhesive accuracy.
[0164] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the tape-like member 2 is positioned at the attachment position in a single pass after the cut CL is aligned with the attachment reference position OP. This reduces positional misalignment due to tape feeding compared to repeatedly passing the tape from the half-cut position to position the portion of the adhesive tape 21 to be attached at the attachment position. In addition, this allows a high-magnification camera with a narrow field of view to be used in the attachment device 1, improving the recognition accuracy of the calculation unit 196 and ensuring high attachment accuracy.
[0165] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the half-cut position is not adjusted, the cycle time can be shortened.
[0166] The adhesive tape 21, which is attached with high precision by the attachment device 1 having the features of the embodiment described above, allows for high-precision temporary and permanent crimping of the electrode terminals of the electronic component C. This enables high-density mounting by the mounting device 7.
[0167] (Third Embodiment) Figure 20 is an example of a block diagram of the control unit 19a in the third embodiment.
[0168] In this embodiment, the configuration of the adhesive device 1 is the same as in Figure 4 or Figure 17, so its description is omitted. Below, we will mainly describe the parts that differ from the embodiment described above.
[0169] Each time the cut CL or half-cut line HC of the adhesive tape 21 to be attached is transported towards the attachment reference position OP, errors in the feed amount may occur due to the stretching of the tape-like member 2 and the transport process. Furthermore, these errors may accumulate and become larger. In such cases, the cut CL or half-cut line HC may no longer be within the field of view of the imaging unit 18 positioned at the attachment reference position OP, making it impossible to image them.
[0170] In this embodiment, an allowable range is provided for the amount of misalignment between the cut line CL or half-cut line HC and the adhesive reference position OP. If this allowable range is exceeded, the supply unit 12 performs a transport operation of the tape-like member 2 to position the cut line CL or half-cut line HC so that the amount of misalignment is within the allowable range. This ensures that the cut line CL or half-cut line HC can be reliably imaged by the imaging unit 18. This prevents the adhesive device 1 from stopping due to inability to image, thereby suppressing a decrease in productivity.
[0171] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 19a shown in Figure 10 has a determination unit 196b that makes a determination regarding the allowable range of the deviation amount calculated by the calculation unit 196. In other words, in the control unit 19a of this embodiment, the calculation unit 196 includes a deviation amount calculation unit 196a and a determination unit 196b.
[0172] The displacement amount calculation unit 196a detects a break CL in the first imaging and a half-cut line HC in the second imaging, based on the image of the tape-shaped member 2 obtained by the imaging unit 18. The displacement amount calculation unit 196a also calculates the displacement amount from the detected break CL or half-cut line HC. For example, in the first imaging, the displacement amount calculation unit 196a compares the positional relationship between the detected break CL and the adhesive reference position OP and calculates the displacement amount. In the second imaging, the displacement amount calculation unit 196a compares the positional relationship between the detected half-cut line HC and the adhesive reference position OP and calculates the displacement amount.
[0173] In this embodiment, the displacement amount is calculated for both the first and second imaging. When the results of the first imaging are reflected in the transport, the distance traveled is short, and therefore the displacement amount that occurs at this time is also small. From the viewpoint of shortening the cycle time, the displacement amount may not be calculated during the second imaging. Also, in this embodiment, the displacement amount is determined after the first imaging, but the displacement amount may also be determined after the second imaging.
[0174] The determination unit 196b determines whether the amount of displacement between the cut line CL or half-cut line HC and the attachment reference position OP, calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 196a, is within the allowable range. The allowable value used for the determination can be information stored in the storage unit 199 in advance. This allowable value can be determined by the field of view of the imaging unit 18 and transport experiments, etc. For example, since the cut line CL or half-cut line HC must be imaged, the allowable value must be smaller than the imaging field of view. Based on the average amount of displacement obtained from transport experiments, etc., it can be set to a distance that does not go outside the field of view in the next transport.
[0175] If it is determined that the amount of displacement is not within the allowable range, the position adjustment transport is performed once again to transport the cut CL of the tape-like member 2 towards the adhesive reference position OP. The determination unit 196b calculates the amount of displacement by setting the adhesive reference position OP as the zero point, subtracting the displacement on the upstream side and adding the displacement on the downstream side. This makes it possible to recognize whether the cut CL has shifted beyond the allowable value on the upstream side or beyond the allowable value on the downstream side relative to the adhesive reference position OP.
[0176] The correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal according to the determination result of the determination unit 196b. For example, if the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of misalignment between the cut line CL or half-cut line HC and the adhesive reference position OP is within the allowable range, the correction movement control unit 198 does not generate a control signal. In other words, the transport position of the tape-shaped member 2 is not adjusted. On the other hand, if the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of misalignment between the cut line CL or half-cut line HC and the adhesive reference position OP is not within the allowable range, the correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal to drive the transport unit 14 according to the amount of misalignment calculated by the misalignment amount calculation unit 196a. The control signal at this time is a signal to transport the tape-shaped member 2 so that the calculated amount of misalignment is within the allowable range.
[0177] The correction movement control unit 198 works in cooperation with the tape transport control unit 191 to move the tape-like member 2 downstream or upstream. Specifically, for example, when moving the position of the adhesive tape 21 downstream, the transport unit 14 sends the release tape 22 downstream, and when moving it upstream, the transport unit 14 sends the release tape 22 upstream. At this time, the movable roller 121b of the tension mechanism 121 is lowered, which pulls the tape-like member 2 upstream, thereby moving it.
[0178] Furthermore, after the tape-shaped member 2 has been adjusted and transported, the imaging unit 18 takes images of the cut CL and half-cut line HC again. After that, the positions of the cut CL and half-cut line HC are moved until the amount of displacement falls within the acceptable range.
[0179] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the determination of the amount of displacement in the third embodiment.
[0180] Figure 21(A) shows an example in the third embodiment where the amount of displacement is within the allowable range, and Figure 21(B) shows an example in the third embodiment where the amount of displacement is not within the allowable range.
[0181] In this embodiment, when the determination unit 196b determines the amount of displacement, it sets an allowable range of σ in both the upstream and downstream directions, centered on the adhesive reference position OP. Figure 21(A) shows that the cut CL is shifted upstream of the adhesive reference position OP, and this amount of displacement is smaller than σ. In this case, the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of displacement is within the allowable range. On the other hand, Figure 21(B) shows that the cut CL is shifted downstream of the adhesive reference position OP, and this amount of displacement is larger than σ. In this case, the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of displacement is not within the allowable range on the downstream side.
[0182] As shown in the example in Figure 21(B), if the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of displacement is not within the allowable range, the tape-shaped member 2 is transported again, targeting the cut CL attachment reference position OP. At this time, whether to transport it upstream or downstream depends on the determination of which side it has shifted to. Also, there is a possibility that displacement may occur again due to this movement. Therefore, after the tape-shaped member 2 has been transported, the imaging unit 18 takes another image of the cut CL, and the displacement amount calculation unit 196a calculates the amount of displacement. In this way, the transport for position adjustment is carried out until the amount of displacement is within the allowable range.
[0183] Furthermore, during the initial imaging by the imaging unit 18, the gap CL may not be within the field of view of the imaging unit 18. In such cases, the movement mechanism control unit 197 may move the movement mechanism 113 in the X direction. The movement mechanism control unit 197 moves the imaging unit 18 in the X direction by a predetermined distance from a state in which the optical axis of the imaging unit 18 is positioned at the attachment reference position OP, and then the imaging control unit 195 controls the imaging unit 18 to repeat the imaging. At this time, if the gap CL is not within the field of view of the imaging unit 18, the movement mechanism control unit 197 repeats the movement of the movement mechanism 113 and imaging by the imaging unit 18 until the gap is within the field of view. Limits may be set for the movement distance and the number of imaging cycles. For example, if the movement distance or the number of imaging cycles exceeds the limit, the displacement amount calculation unit 196a may output an error message.
[0184] Retaking the image is performed, for example, by moving the moving mechanism 113 by a predetermined distance in the +X or -X direction relative to the attachment reference position OP. When repeating the image, the movement distance may be gradually increased.
[0185] If a break line CL is captured due to a re-imaging, the correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal, taking into account the distance the imaging unit 18 moves from the attachment reference position OP and the deviation between the center of the imaging unit 18 and the break line CL. Based on this, the break line CL is sent to the attachment reference position OP.
[0186] The above explains the case of a cut line CL, but the same procedure can be used for a half-cut line HC.
[0187] Figure 22 is a flowchart of the attachment process in the third embodiment.
[0188] This flowchart describes the process of attachment, starting from the initial state where the attachment area of the display panel P is placed on the backup unit 111 and the upstream end of the pressure head 110 is positioned at the attachment reference position OP. Furthermore, it is assumed that information necessary for processing, such as the attachment reference position OP and the allowable value of the displacement, is loaded from the storage unit 199 when the program of the control unit 19a is executed. This flowchart also mainly describes aspects that differ from the embodiment described above. In this example, the first displacement amount calculated based on the first imaging is used to determine the allowable range.
[0189] Steps S21 and S22 are the same as steps S1 and S2 in Figure 16, so their explanation will be omitted.
[0190] In step S23, the displacement amount calculation unit 196a detects the seam CL from the image captured by the imaging unit 18 in step S22 and recognizes its position. It then calculates the displacement amount between the recognized seam CL position and the adhesive reference position OP. In step S24, the determination unit 196b determines whether the displacement amount between the seam CL and the adhesive reference position OP is within the acceptable range.
[0191] If it is determined that the amount of displacement is not within the acceptable range (NO in step S24), in step S25, the corrective movement control unit 198 generates a control signal to drive the transport unit 14 according to the displacement direction and amount of displacement calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 196a. Based on this control signal, the transport unit 14 is driven to move the tape-shaped member 2.
[0192] After step S25, the process returns to step S22, and the imaging unit 18 takes an image of the gap CL. The flow from step S22 to step S25 is repeated until the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of displacement is within the acceptable range.
[0193] If the amount of deviation is determined to be within the acceptable range (YES in step S24), then in step S26, a half-cut is performed by the cutting section 16. The operations of steps S26 to S32 are the same as steps S4 to S10 in Figure 16, so the explanation is omitted.
[0194] Figure 23 is a flowchart of the attachment process in a modified example of the third embodiment.
[0195] In the second embodiment, the half-cut position is performed at a fixed position without adjusting the half-cut position based on the deviation of the cut CL of the leading adhesive tape 21 of the tape-like member 2 from the attachment reference position OP.
[0196] Therefore, as the application of the second embodiment is repeated, the deviation of the length of the adhesive tape 21 from a predetermined length may accumulate, and this deviation may become an unacceptable amount. Furthermore, it is possible that it may fall outside the field of view for imaging.
[0197] To address this, in this modified version, if the position of the half-cut line HC recognized by imaging is outside the acceptable range, the tape is transported and the position of HC is adjusted to OP.
[0198] In this flowchart, steps S11 to S15 are the same as steps S41 to S45, compared to the example in Figure 19, but the flow from steps S46 to S47 is different. That is, after the cut CL of the tape-like member 2 is sent to the adhesive reference position OP, the position of the tape-like member 2 is adjusted as described in the above embodiment. Steps S48 to S50 are the same as steps S16 to S18 in Figure 19.
[0199] In step S46, the determination unit 196b determines whether the amount of misalignment between the cut CL and the adhesive reference position OP is within the acceptable range. If it is determined that the amount of misalignment is not within the acceptable range (NO in step S46), in step S47, the correction movement control unit 198 generates a control signal to drive the transport unit 14 according to the misalignment direction and amount of misalignment calculated by the misalignment amount calculation unit 196a. Based on this control signal, the transport unit 14 is driven to move the tape-shaped member 2.
[0200] After step S47, the process returns to step S44, and the imaging unit 18 performs imaging of the half-cut line HC. The flow from step S44 to step S47 is repeated until the determination unit 196b determines that the amount of displacement is within the acceptable range.
[0201] If the amount of misalignment is determined to be within the acceptable range (YES in step S46), in step S48, the pressure head 110 and the backup unit 111 are aligned with the half-cut line HC. This operation is the same as in step S16, so the explanation is omitted.
[0202] In the embodiments and their modifications described above, the backup unit 111 and the imaging unit 18 are mounted on the moving mechanism 113, but this is not the only option. The backup unit 111 and the imaging unit 18 may be mounted on separate moving mechanisms and moved independently.
[0203] According to this embodiment, the adhesive device 1 readjusts the position of the cuts CL and half-cut lines HC until the amount of misalignment between the adhesive reference position OP and the cuts CL and half-cut lines HC is within an acceptable range. As a result, the adhesive device 1 can position the adhesive tape 21 at the adhesive position with high positioning accuracy, and variations in the length and adhesive position of the adhesive tape 21 can be suppressed.
[0204] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the variation in the cutting position is reduced by readjusting the position of the adhesive device 1, it is not necessary to increase the range of movement of the moving mechanism 162 on which the cutting unit 16 is mounted, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the adhesive device 1 and the increase in power consumption.
[0205] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the variation in the cutting position is reduced by readjusting the position, a high-magnification, narrow-field imaging unit 18 can be used when imaging the cut line CL and half-cut line HC, thereby improving the accuracy of position recognition.
[0206] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the cut line CL or half-cut line HC is not within the field of view of the imaging unit 18, the attachment device 1 repeatedly moves the moving mechanism 113 to retake the image. This allows the cut line CL to be imaged even if there is a large deviation from the attachment reference position OP, and the adhesive tape 21 can be reliably positioned at the attachment location.
[0207] Furthermore, the transport state of such tape-like member 2 can be recognized by the cut line CL or the half-cut line HC, and adjustment transport can be performed as needed. This adjustment transport can be performed for both the cut line CL (steps S22 to S25 in Figure 22) and the half-cut line HC (steps S44 to S47 in Figure 23). In addition, either adjustment transport can be performed periodically, or both adjustment transports can be performed alternately or periodically. This allows for the periodic elimination of any accumulated error.
[0208] The adhesive tape 21, which is attached with high precision by the attachment device 1 having the features of the embodiment described above, allows for high-precision temporary and permanent crimping of the electrode terminals of the electronic component C. This enables high-density mounting by the mounting device 7.
[0209] In the embodiments and their modifications described above, the backup unit 111 is positioned together with the pressure head 110 at the position of the half-cut line HC. However, the backup unit 111 does not necessarily have to be aligned with the detected half-cut line HC. The backup unit 111 only needs to be able to support the adhesion area of the display panel, and its upstream end face does not need to be aligned with the position of the half-cut line HC. This eliminates the time required to accurately align the backup unit 111 with the half-cut line HC, thereby shortening the cycle time.
[0210] The adhesive tape 21, which is attached with high precision by the attachment device 1 having the features of the embodiment described above, allows for high-precision temporary and permanent crimping of the electrode terminals of the electronic component C. This enables high-density mounting by the mounting device 7.
[0211] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the mounting device 7 was described as comprising one adhesive device 1, one temporary crimping device 3, and one main crimping device 5. However, these devices may be provided in any number as needed.
[0212] Although several embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel adhesive device 1 described herein can be implemented in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made to the embodiments of the adhesive device 1 described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and equivalents are intended to include such embodiments and modifications included in the scope and spirit of the invention.
[0213] 1: Adhesion device, 1': Adhesion device, 1a: Adhesion unit, 2: Tape-shaped member, 3: Temporary crimping device, 3a: Temporary crimping unit, 5: Main crimping device, 5a: Main crimping unit, 7: Mounting device, 9: Conveying device, 11: Adhesion section, 12: Supply section, 13: Recovery section, 14: Conveying section, 15: Peeling section, 16: Cutting section, 17: Illumination section, 18: Imaging section, 19, 19a, 19b, 19c: Control section, 21: Adhesive tape, 22: Release tape, 101: Panel stage, 110: Pressure head, 111: Backup section, 111a: Anti-adhesion member, 113: Moving mechanism, 121: Tension mechanism, 121a: Fixed roller, 121b: Movable roller, 122: Path roller, 131: Path roller, 140: Feed roller, 150: Peeling rod, 151: Peeling rod, 160: Cutter, 161: Backup member, 161a: Flat surface, 162: Moving mechanism, 162a: X-direction moving mechanism, 162b: Y-direction moving mechanism, 190: Adhesion control unit, 191: Tape transport control unit, 192: Peeling control unit, 193: Cutting control unit, 195: Imaging control unit, 196: Calculation unit, 196a: Shift amount calculation unit, 196b: Determination unit, 197: Moving mechanism control unit, 198: Correction movement control unit, 199: Memory unit, 300: Temporary crimping head, 301: Panel stage, 303: Backup unit, 500: Main crimping head, 501: Panel stage, 503: Backup unit, C: Electronic component, P: Display panel, OP: Adhesion reference position, CL: Cut, HC: Half-cut line
Claims
1. An adhesive tape application device for applying adhesive tape to an object to be applied, comprising: a conveying unit that, after a second cut is formed upstream of a first cut which is the leading position of the adhesive tape in the conveying direction, conveys the second cut toward an application reference position which serves as the basis for application; a stage unit on which the object to be applied is placed; an imaging unit that images the first cut and / or the second cut; a backup unit that supports the application area of the object to be applied to which the adhesive tape is applied; a moving mechanism on which the imaging unit is mounted and moves between the application reference position and a retracted position which is retracted from the application reference position; a cutting unit that moves between a retracted position which is retracted when the moving mechanism is located at the application reference position and a cutting position which forms the second cut in the adhesive tape; and a pressure head that moves in a direction toward or toward the object to be applied and applies pressure to the object to be applied. An adhesive device characterized by moving the stage and the pressure head to the adhesive position based on the position of the second cut detected by the imaging.
2. The attachment device according to claim 1, characterized in that the backup unit moves to the attachment position based on the position of the second cut detected by the imaging.
3. The adhesive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cutting portion moves in a direction along the transport direction of the adhesive tape according to the amount of displacement between the adhesive reference position and the first cut, and adjusts the formation position of the second cut.
4. The adhesive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cutting portion forms the second cut at a position moved from the first cut by a predetermined length of the adhesive tape in a direction along the conveying direction of the adhesive tape, based on the amount of displacement between the adhesive reference position and the first cut.
5. The adhesive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, if the amount of misalignment between the adhesive reference position and the first cut is not within an acceptable range, the transport unit and the supply unit that supplies the adhesive tape adjust the position of the first cut so that the amount of misalignment is within an acceptable range.
6. An electronic component mounting apparatus comprising: an attachment device according to claim 1 or 2; a temporary crimping device that temporarily crimps an electronic component to a mounting object via the adhesive tape attached to the mounting object by the attachment device; a main crimping device that heats and pressurizes the temporarily crimped electronic component and the mounting object on which the electronic component has been temporarily crimped by the temporary crimping device, thereby making the adhesive tape electrically conductive and fixing it in place; and a transport device that transports the mounting object between the attachment device, the temporary crimping device and the main crimping device.
Citation Information
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