Pillar Mounting via Pusher and Displacement Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for mounting pillars on substrates in glass panel units are time-consuming when dealing with a large number of pillars, as they require individual suction and placement, which slows down the manufacturing process.

Innovation Solution

A pillar mounting method involving an accommodation step, a mounting step, and a displacement step, where pillars are alternately pushed out of storage and positioned on a substrate, allowing for efficient arrangement and spacing, utilizing a pusher and displacement mechanism to efficiently mount multiple pillars on a substrate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If pillars are mounted one by one using suction pad, then each pillar can be precisely placed on the substrate, but the mounting process takes a long time when the number of pillars is large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement precisionVSAvoidmounting speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting process is segmented into two distinct phases: a batch accommodation phase where multiple pillars are loaded into storage simultaneously, and a sequential mounting phase where pillars are pushed out one by one to precise locations. This segmentation allows the system to combine the efficiency of batch processing with the precision of individual placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Pillars are preliminarily accommodated in storage in a stacked state before the actual mounting process begins. This preliminary action prepares multiple pillars in advance, so that during the mounting phase, they can be sequentially pushed out and placed without requiring individual suction and handling operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If multiple pillars are mounted simultaneously, then mounting speed increases, but it becomes difficult to maintain precise placement and proper spacing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting speedVSAvoidplacement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Storage acts as an intermediary device between the pillar supply source and the substrate. It temporarily holds multiple pillars in a stacked configuration, allowing them to be sequentially accessed and placed one by one on the substrate. This intermediary structure enables both efficient batch handling and precise individual placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Volume of stationary object

If pillars are stacked in storage, then space efficiency is improved, but access to individual pillars for mounting becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space utilizationVSAvoidpillar access mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting mechanism extracts pillars from the stacked configuration in storage one at a time through a pushing action. This extraction method is simpler than individual suction operations, as it uses a single pushing motion to sequentially access and place each pillar, reducing the complexity of the access mechanism while maintaining space efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3632868B1Pillar mounting method, method for manufacturing glass panel unit, and pillar mounting device
Publication Date: 2022.09.14 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3632868B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3632868B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3632868B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A pillar mounting method, a method for manufacturing a glass panel unit, and a pillar mounting device which enable a plurality of pillars to be efficiently mounted on a substrate are provided. A pillar mounting method includes an accommodation step, a mounting step, and a displacement step. The accommodation step is a step of accommodating a plurality of pillars (4) in storage (5) with the plurality of pillars (4) being stacked on each other. The mounting step is a step of pushing one pillar (4) of the plurality of pillars (4) accommodated in the storage (5) out of the storage (5) and mounting the one pillar (4) on a substrate (1) including a glass pane (100). The displacement step is a step of changing a relative location between the substrate (1) and the storage (5). The mounting step and the displacement step are alternately repeated to mount the plurality of pillars (4) in a predetermined arrangement on the substrate (1) such that the plurality of pillars (4) are apart from each other.