SEPARATION APPARATUS AND SEPARATION METHOD

• US 20100107834A1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Kuo-Lung, Lin, Yu-Meng, Lai, Yao-Hsiang, Liu, Ta-Cheng, Hung, Jung-Hung
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/15
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 49/02 Hacksaw machines with straight saw blades secured to a rectilinearly-guided frame, e.g. with the frame fed stepwise in the plane of the guide
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 57/0007 using saw wires
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/547 having a wire-like cutting member endless wire B26D1/46; severing using a heated wire B26F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/28 Splitting layers from work; Mutually separating layers by cutting B26D3/30 takes precedence; Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics B29B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/08 Means for actuating the cutting member to effect the cut
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/10 by heating with Laser B23K26/00; severing by heating B26F
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 156/924 Delaminating display screen, e.g. cathode-ray, LCD screen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/11 Methods of delaminating, per se; i.e. , separating at bonding face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1961 Severing delaminating means [e.g., chisel, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1967 Cutting delaminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/041 By heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/283 With means to control or modify temperature of apparatus or work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/472 Wire tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4722 On tool support having reciprocation parallel to direction of work-feed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/75 With or to tool guide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7507 Guide for traveling cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8726 Single tool with plural selective driving means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8853 Including details of guide for tool or tool support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8887 By rectilinear movement of member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9292 Wire tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/937 : Tool mounted by and between spaced arms

Abstract

A separation apparatus for separating two planar devices bonded together by an adhesive layer is provided. The separation apparatus includes a base, a sliding module, a cutting member, and a positioning stage. The sliding module is mounted on the base. The cutting member is connected to the sliding module and is moveable in a two-dimensional plane with respect to the base by the sliding module for cutting the adhesive layer. The positioning stage is mounted on the base for positioning the planar devices and the adhesive layer therebetween on the base.

Claims

1. A separation apparatus for separating two planar devices that are bonded by an adhesive layer, the separation apparatus comprising:

a base;

a sliding module mounted on the base;

a cutting member connected to the sliding module and moveable in a two-dimensional plane with respect to the base by the sliding module for cutting the adhesive layer; and

a positioning stage mounted on the base and positioning the planar devices and the adhesive layer therebetween on the base.

2. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding module comprises:

a first rail mounted on the base;

a first sliding block slidably coupled with the first rail;

a second rail mounted on the first sliding block; and

a second sliding block slidably coupled with the second rail wherein the first rail and the second rail are substantially perpendicular to each other.

3. The separation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sliding module further comprises:

a first actuator connected between the first rail and the first sliding block for driving the first sliding block to slide; and

a second actuator connected between the second rail and the second sliding block for driving the second sliding block to slide.

4. The separation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sliding module further comprises a position controller coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator.

5. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member comprises a wire, a wire saw, a saw blade, or a wire with a coarse surface.

6. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member connecting the cutting member to the sliding module.

7. The separation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the support member is a U-shaped bracket with two bracket ends connected two ends of the cutting member, respectively, to retain the cutting member.

8. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning stage is provided with a heating capability.

9. The separation apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a temperature controller coupled to the positioning stage.

10. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning stage has a receiving cavity for receiving one of the planar devices.

11. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning head movably connected to the base and adapted to cooperate with the positioning stage to position the planar devices and the adhesive layer therebetween on the base.

12. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planar devices comprise a display module and a touch panel.

13. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planar devices comprise a display module and a protective sheet.

14. The separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planar devices comprise a touch panel and a protective sheet.

15. A separation method for separating two planar devices that are bonded by an adhesive layer, the separation method comprising:

positioning the planar devices and the adhesive layer therebetween; and

cutting the adhesive layer using a cutting member.

16. The separation method according to claim 15, further comprising softening the adhesive layer before cutting the adhesive layer.

17. The separation method according to claim 16, wherein softening the adhesive layer comprises heating the adhesive layer.

18. The separation method according to claim 17, wherein heating the adhesive layer comprises heating the adhesive layer to between approximately 60 Celsius degrees and approximately 70 Celsius degrees.

19. The separation method according to claim 15, wherein the cutting member comprises a wire, a wire saw, a saw blade, or a wire with a coarse surface.