Apparatus for manufacturing a display device and a method of manufacturing the display device

• US 5,671,029 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haruki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TIEP HUU
• Application Number:
  US08/431,892
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 359/62, 359/63, 359/88, 349/96, 349/149, 349/150
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing a display device in which a rubbing process is carried out to an orientation member included by a substrate member, the substrate member further including: a transparent substrate; a plurality of electrodes formed on one surface of the transparent substrate; a plurality of terminals which are formed in a peripheral portion of the transparent substrate and through which a drive signal is supplied to the electrodes, the orientation member covering the surface of the transparent substrate on which the electrodes are formed, comprises:

holding means having a mounting face on which the substrate member is to be mounted, for holding the substrate member so that the orientation member is directed upward in relation to the mounting face;

short-circuit means which can be contacted with and separated from a peripheral portion of the substrate member held by the holding means, where the terminals of the substrate member are formed, and have an electrically conductive contact face to be contacted with the substrate member; and

rubbing means for conducting a rubbing process on a surface of the orientation member of the substrate member.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, in which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of display panel wherein a liquid crystal material is interposed between two mutually confronted substrate members each having a surface on which plurality of electrodes are formed, and a plurality of terminals through which a drive signal is supplied to the electrodes are disposed on the other not mutually confronted surfaces of the substrate members, the apparatus comprising:

holding means having a mounting face on which the display panel is to be mounted, for holding the display panel by attracting the display panel onto the mounting face;

short-circuit means provided in such a manner that allows contact with or separation from a region where terminals on a lower substrate of the display panel held by the holding means are directed upward with respect to the mounting face, the short-circuit means having an electrically conductive contact face in contact with the display panel;

conductive means provided in such a manner that allows contact with a region where terminals on an upper substrate of the display panel held by the holding means are directed downward with respect to the mounting face, the conductive means having an electrically conductive contact face in contact with the display panel; and

pasting means for pasting a polarizing film to the surface of the display panel.

3. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 2, wherein the short-circuit means comprises:

a conductive member which can be contacted with all the terminals directed upward with respect to the mounting face, a portion of the conductive member, which is to be contacted with the terminals directed upwardly with respect to the mounting face, being electrically conductive;

a support member for supporting the conductive member; and

urging means for urging the conductive member toward the face of the substrate member on which the terminals directed upwardly with respect to the mounting face are formed,

wherein the contacting portion of the conductive member protrudes in a tapered manner and is elastic.

4. The apparatus of any claims 1 to 2, wherein the short-circuit means comprises:

a conductive member which can be contacted with all the terminals on said lower substrate and facing upward and includes an electrically conductive portion to be contacted with the terminals on said lower substrate and facing upward;

a plate spring, one end of which is attached to the holding means so that the other end on which the conductive member is disposed oscillates; and

fixing means for fixing the plate spring in a state where the conductive member is pressed against the substrate member,

wherein contacting portion of the conductive member protrudes in a tapered manner and is elastic.

5. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 2, wherein the short-circuit means of the invention comprises:

a conductive member which can be contacted with all the terminals on said lower substrate and facing upward and includes an electrically conductive portion to be contacted with the terminals on said lower substrate and facing upward;

a plate spring, one end of which is provided with the conductive member;

a first actuator which supports the other end of the plate spring, and which moves the plate spring so that the conductive member is moved in a direction vertical to the mounting face of the holding means; and

a second actuator which moves the first actuator so that the conductive member is moved in a direction parallel to the mounting face of the holding means,

wherein the contacting portion of the conductive member protrudes in a tapered manner and is elastic.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, in which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of a display panel wherein a liquid crystal material is interposed between two substrate members having different sizes, a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of switching elements which are connected to the electrodes are formed on a surface of one larger substrate member of said two substrate members, the surface confronting the other smaller substrate member, and a plurality of terminals through which a drive signal is supplied to the electrodes are formed on the other surface of the larger substrate member, not confronting the smaller substrate member, the apparatus comprising:

first holding means having a mounting face on which the display panel is mounted and holding the display panel by attracting the display panel so that the terminals on the larger substrate are directed upward with respect to the mounting face;

second holding means having a mounting face on which the display panel is mounted and holding the display panel by attracting the display panel so that the terminals on the larger substrate are directed downward with respect to the mounting face;

inverting means, located between the first holding means and the second holding means, for inverting the display panel;

short-circuit means provided in connection with the first holding means in such a manner that allows contact with or separation from a region where the terminals on the larger substrate of the display panel held by the holding means are directed upward with respect to the mounting face of the first holding means, the short-circuit means having an electrically conductive contact face in contact with the display panel;

conductive means provided in connection with the second holding means in such a manner that allows contact with a region where the terminals on the larger substrate of the display panel held by the second holding means are directed downward with respect to the mounting face of the second holding means, the conductive means having an electrically conductive contact face in contact with the display panel; and

pasting means for pasting a polarizing film to the surface of the display panel.

6. A method of manufacturing a display device, in which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of a display panel wherein a liquid crystal material is interposed between two substrate members each having a surface on which a plurality of electrodes are formed, the surfaces of the substrate members confronting each other, and a plurality of terminals through which a drive signal is supplied to the electrodes are formed on the other surfaces of the substrate members, not confronting each other, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting and holding the display panel on a mounting face of holding means for holding the display panel by attracting the display panel so that terminals of the display panel directed downward in relation to the mounting face are contacted with conducting means having a conductive contact face to be contacted with the display panel;

contacting short-circuit means which can be contacted with and separated from a region of the display panel held by the holding means, wherein the terminals directed upward in relation to the mounting face are arranged, and which has an electrically conductive contact face to be contacted with the display panel, to the terminals directed upward; and

pasting a polarizing film to the surface of the display panel in a state where all the terminals of the display panel are short-circuited.

7. A method of manufacturing a display device, in which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of a display panel wherein a liquid crystal material is interposed between two substrate members having different sizes, a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of switching elements connected to the electrodes are formed on a surface of one larger substrate member of said two substrate members, the surface confronting the other smaller substrate member, and a plurality of terminals through which a drive signal is supplied to the electrodes are formed on the other surface of the larger substrate member, not confronting the smaller substrate member, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting and holding the display panel on a mounting face of first holding means for holding the display panel by attracting the display panel so that terminals of the display panel are directed upward in relation to the mounting face;

contacting short-circuit means which can be contacted with and separated from a region of the display panel held by the first holding means, wherein the terminals directed upward in relation to the mounting face are arranged, and which has an electrically conductive contact face to be contacted with the display panel, to the terminals directed upward;

pasting a polarizing film to one surface of the display panel in a state where all the terminals of the display panel are short-circuited each other;

mounting and holding the display panel on a mounting face of second holding means for holding the display panel by attracting the display panel so that the terminals directed downward in relation to the mounting face of the display panel are contacted with conductive means having a conductive contact face to be contacted with the display panel; and

pasting a polarizing film to an other surface of the display panel in a state where all the terminals of the display panel are short-circuited each other.

8. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of a display panel wherein a material having optical properties that are altered by subjecting the material to an electric field is interposed between a pair of transparent substrate members and the display panel comprises at least a plurality of display electrodes on surfaces of the substrate members, the surfaces confronting each other and being on the side of the material, and a plurality of terminals which elongate from the display electrodes toward peripheral portions of the corresponding substrate members, the apparatus comprising:

holding means for holding the display panel, wherein at least a display panel holding face of the holding means is light transmissive;

a light source for emitting light toward the holding means;

imaging means disposed on the side opposite to the light source with respect to the holding means;

inspection polarizing films to be inserted between the holding means and the light source and between the holding means and the imaging means, respectively;

first and second conductive members, the first conductive member connected with the plurality of terminals of one of the substrate members of the display panel held by the holding means, the second conductive member connected with the plurality of terminals of the other substrate member;

signal outputting means for supplying a display signal for inspection to the first and second conductive members; and

pasting means for pasting a polarizing film to a surface of the display panel in a state where the plurality of terminals of both of the substrate members are connected with the first and second conductive members.

9. A method of manufacturing a display device, in which a polarizing film is pasted to a surface of a display panel wherein a material having optical properties that are altered by subjecting the material to an electric field is interposed between a pair of transparent substrate members and the display panel comprises at least a plurality of display electrodes on surfaces of the substrate members, the surfaces confronting each other and being on the side of the material, and a plurality of terminals which elongate from the display electrodes toward peripheral portions of the corresponding substrate members, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting the display panel on a light-transmissive holding face of holding means;

inserting inspection polarizing films between the holding means and a light source which emits light toward the holding means, and between the display panel on the holding means and the imaging means which is disposed in the side opposite to the light source with respect to the holding means, respectively,

connecting the plurality of terminals of one of the substrate members of the display panel with a conductive member, and the plurality of terminals of the other substrate member with other conductive member;

supplying a display signal for inspection through the conductive members, and taking an image of a display face of the display panel to inspect a display state of the display panel; and

only when there is no display failure, pasting a polarizing film to a surface of the display panel in a state where the conductive members are connected with the plurality of terminals.