Substrate Transfer Apparatus with Rotating Branch Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate transfer systems cause relative offset between upper and lower substrates during the transfer process due to gravity, leading to defects such as light leakage and color cast in liquid crystal display panels, especially in high-resolution and large-substrate products.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer apparatus with a main body and side-by-side main arms, equipped with branch arms that provide uniform support and can rotate to extend and retract, reducing the downward recess of substrates and maintaining flatness during transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional substrate transfer system is used, then the transfer process is simple, but gravity causes downward recess of substrates leading to relative offset between upper and lower substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple main arms and branch arms that can independently adjust and rotate. This segmentation allows each arm to provide localized support to different regions of the substrate, preventing gravity-induced recess while maintaining overall structural manageability and reducing alignment errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The branch arms are designed to be rotatable and extendable/retractable, transforming the static support structure into a dynamic one. This allows the support arms to adapt their configuration during the transfer process, maintaining substrate flatness against gravity while enabling smooth transfer operations without causing relative offset.
2Shape
If multiple main arms and branch arms are added to support substrate flatness, then substrate flatness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each main arm with its branch arms serves multiple functions: providing gravitational support, maintaining substrate flatness, enabling transfer motion, and allowing positional adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby managing device complexity while achieving excellent substrate flatness support.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable and extendable/retractable design of branch arms allows the system to achieve complex support configurations using relatively simple mechanical movements. This dynamic capability enables the arms to adapt to different substrate positions and orientations without requiring a large number of fixed structural elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If branch arms are made rotatable and extendable/retractable, then transfer flexibility is enhanced, but mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The branch arms incorporate rotation and extension/retraction capabilities that allow the transfer apparatus to adapt to various substrate positions, orientations, and transfer paths. This dynamic mechanism provides high transfer flexibility for different LCD panel sizes and transfer scenarios while using standardized mechanical components to control overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ability of branch arms to change their rotational angle and extension length allows the system to adapt to different transfer requirements. By varying these parameters, the apparatus can handle different substrate sizes and transfer distances, enhancing versatility without requiring completely different mechanical structures for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer apparatus and a substrate transfer system are disclosed. The substrate transfer apparatus including a main body and a plurality of main arms arranged side by side on the main body, wherein a plurality of branch arms are disposed on both sides of each of the main arms, and the plurality of main arms and the plurality of branch arms are disposed in a same supporting plane. When a substrate is transferred, the plurality of main arms and the plurality of branch arms are both disposed beneath the substrate and support the substrate together. Therefore, the downward recess of the substrate due to gravity action can be greatly reduced, so that the flatness of the substrate can be effectively improved, therefore, the display quality of the display product produced can be improved.