Curved display manufacturing device and curved display manufacturing method

• US 10,222,638 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tovis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tovis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hwan Jin, Oh, Chang Min, Eom, Gi Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Raabe, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/506,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 445 24, 445 66
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1303 Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133354 Arrangements for aligning or assembling substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13

Abstract

Disclosed are a curved display manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a curved surface suction mold comprising a panel seat surface having a curved shape corresponding to a curved shape of the curved display to be formed, and air sucking holes formed through the panel seat surface; an air sucking unit for sucking air through the air sucking holes; a main frame for supporting the curved surface suction mold, to space the curved surface suction mold from a bottom of the main frame; and a pressing roller unit for pressing a curvature maintaining member to maintain the display panel in a bent state while sliding along a curved surface of the display panel under a condition that the curvature maintaining member overlaps with the display panel, for pressed attachment of the curvature maintaining member to the display panel.

Claims

1. A curved display manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a curved display by bending a display panel into a curved shape, comprising:

a curved surface suction mold comprising a panel seat surface having a curved shape corresponding to a curved shape of the curved display to be formed, and air sucking holes formed through the panel seat surface, to fix the display panel while bending the display panel by suction of air;

an air sucking unit for sucking air through the air sucking holes;

a main frame for supporting the curved surface suction mold, to space the curved surface suction mold from a bottom of the main frame; and

a pressing roller unit for pressing a curvature maintaining member to maintain the display panel in a bent state while a pivot movement and a sliding movement along a curved surface of the display panel under a condition that the curvature maintaining member overlaps with the display panel, for pressed attachment of the curvature maintaining member to the display panel.

2. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first spacer for spacing, from the display panel, an other end portion of the curvature maintaining member, at which pressing of a pressing roller is finished.

3. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first spacer driving mechanism for moving the first spacer when the pressing roller moves from one end portion of the curvature maintaining member to the other end portion of the curvature maintaining member, for pressed attachment of the curvature maintaining member, to gradually move the first spacer toward the display panel.

4. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second spacer for spacing an intermediate portion of the curvature maintaining member from the display panel.

5. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second spacer driving mechanism for moving the second spacer when a pressing roller moves from one end portion of the curvature maintaining member to the intermediate portion of the curvature maintaining member, for pressed attachment of the curvature maintaining member, to gradually move the second spacer toward the display panel.

6. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sliding mechanism for horizontally moving the pressing roller unit along the main frame.

7. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises:

a moving block coupled to the pressing roller unit, and formed with a through hole having threads;

a threaded rod formed, at an outer surface thereof, with threads to be threaded into the threads of the through hole, the thread rod extending in a movement direction of the pressing roller unit; and

a drive motor for rotating the threaded rod.

8. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing roller unit comprises:

a roller pressing mechanism for pressing a pressing roller in a close contact state; and

a roller pivoting mechanism for pivoting the roller pressing mechanism, to cause the pressing roller to perform a circular arc movement such that the pressing roller is directed in a tangential direction perpendicular to the panel seat surface.

9. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the roller pivoting mechanism comprises a servomotor.

10. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing roller unit further comprises a support roller for supporting an intermediate portion of the pressing roller, to prevent bending of the pressing roller.

11. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface suction mold is replaceably mounted to the main frame.

12. The curved display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface suction mold further comprises a position setting portion provided at the panel seat surface, to set a seat position of the curvature maintaining member.