Liquid crystal photo-alignment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10048521-B2
Application number	US-201414777127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The present invention discloses a liquid crystal photo-alignment device. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device includes two parallel guide rails, a platform sandwiched between the two guide rails, a support assembly slidably mounted on the two guide rails, and a cleaning assembly mounted to the support assembly. The platform has a supporting surface for supporting a LCD panel. Each support assembly includes a supporting beam across the platform, two supporting arms extending from opposite ends of the supporting beam, and two sliders connected to the respective supporting arms. The sliders are slidably mounted in the guide rails. The cleaning assembly faces toward the platform and is configured to clean up foreign objects on the platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid crystal photo-alignment device comprising:
two guide rails substantially parallel to each other;
a platform sandwiched between the two guide rails and having a supporting surface configured to support a LCD panel;
a support assembly slidably mounted on the two guide rails, the support assembly comprising a supporting beam across the platform, two supporting arms extending from opposite ends of the supporting beam, and two sliders connected to the respective supporting arms, the sliders slidably mounted in the guide rails; and
a cleaning assembly mounted to the support assembly and facing toward the platform, and the cleaning assembly configured to clean up foreign objects on the platform, wherein each guide rail is a frame and comprises an inner side surface defining a groove, the two grooves of the two guide rails face toward each other, and opposite sides of the platform engage in the respective grooves;
two driving assemblies corresponding to the two sliders and the two guide rails, wherein each driving assembly comprises a motor and a transmission screw, the motor is fixed to an outer surface of one end of the corresponding guide rail, the transmission screw is located in the corresponding guide rail, one end of the transmission screw is fixed to the motor, the other end of the transmission screw is rotatably mounted to the other end of the corresponding guide rail, and the transmission screw passes through the corresponding slider and screws with the corresponding slider; wherein each support assembly comprises a plurality of adjusting screws, one end of each adjusting screw engages with the supporting beam, and the other end of each adjusting screw is connected to the cleaning assembly, wherein the cleaning assembly is a brush, the brush is fixed to the supporting beam through the adjusting screw, and a distance between the brush and the platform is capable of being adjusted through driving the adjusting screw, and the brush faces toward the platform.

2. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 1 , wherein each guide rail comprises a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, the inner side surface is interconnected between the top surface and the bottom surface, each guide rail defines a guide hole passing through the top surface and the bottom surface, each slider is substantially T-shaped and comprises a connection portion and a fixing portion, the connection portion is supported by the top surface, and the fixing portion is slidably assembled in the guide hole.

3. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 2 , wherein the fixing portion of each slider defines a threaded hole, and each transmission screw passes through the corresponding slider and engages in the threaded hole of the corresponding slider.

4. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 1 , wherein the brush is made of wear-resisting material and comprises a plurality of bristles, and the diameter of each bristle is less than or equals to 0.5 millimeters.

5. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 4 , wherein the brush is made of anti-static material.

6. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrostatic eliminator, wherein the electrostatic eliminator is fixedly mounted on the supporting beam and faces toward the platform.

7. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 6 , wherein the supporting beam comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface faces toward the supporting surface, the brush is fixed to the supporting beam through the adjusting screw, and a distance between the brush and the supporting surface is capable of being adjusted through driving the adjusting screw, and the electrostatic eliminator is fixed to the upper surface.

8. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of ultraviolet sources, wherein the ultraviolet sources are fixed to the lower surface and faces toward the supporting surface, and the ultraviolet sources are configured to radiate ultraviolet light toward the LCD panel supported by the supporting surface.

9. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 8 , further comprising an illumination photometer, wherein the illumination photometer is fixed to the upper surface and faces toward the supporting surface, and the illumination photometer is configured to detect the intensity of illumination of the ultraviolet light emitting from the ultraviolet sources.

10. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a pressure portion, two vacuum portions at opposite sides of the pressure portion, and two ultrasonic generators positioned inside the pressure portion, an opening of the pressure portion and an opening of each vacuum portion face toward and are spaced apart from the platform, the pressure portion is configured to blow air to the platform, the two ultrasonic generators are configured to produce vibration to shock the foreign objects on the platform, and the two vacuum portions are configured to receive the shocked foreign objects.

11. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 10 , further comprising an electrostatic eliminator, wherein the supporting beam comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface faces toward the supporting surface, the cleaning assembly is fixed to the lower surface through the adjusting screw, a distance between the cleaning assembly and the supporting surface is capable of being adjusted through driving the adjusting screw, and the electrostatic eliminator is fixed to the upper surface and face toward the platform.

12. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of ultraviolet sources, wherein the ultraviolet sources are fixed to the lower surface and faces toward the supporting surface, and the ultraviolet sources are configured to radiate ultraviolet light toward the LCD panel supported by the supporting surface.

13. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 12 , further comprising an illumination photometer, wherein the illumination photometer is fixed to the upper surface and faces toward the supporting surface, and the illumination photometer is configured to detect the intensity of illumination of the ultraviolet light emitting from the ultraviolet sources.

14. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a vacuum portion, two pressure portions at opposite sides of the vacuum portion, and two ultrasonic generators positioned inside the two pressure portions, an opening of each pressure portion and an opening of the vacuum portion face toward and are spaced apart from the platform, the two pressure portions are configured to blow air to the platform, the two ultrasonic generators are configured to produce vibration to shock the foreign objects on the platform, and the vacuum portion is configured to receive the shocked foreign objects.

15. The liquid crystal photo-alignment device of claim 14 , further comprising an electrostatic eliminator, wherein the supporting beam comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface faces toward the supporting surface, the cleaning assembly is fixed to the lower surface through the adjusting screw, a distance between the cleaning assembly and the supporting surface is capable of being adjusted through driving the adjusting screw, and the electrostatic eliminator is fixed to the upper surface and face toward the platform.

16. The liquid crystal photo-alignmen

Assignees

• Shenzhen China Star Optoelect

Inventors

• Liu Xiaocheng
• Chiang Wen-Pin

Classifications

• B08B7/0057

  by ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• G02F1/1303 Primary

  Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs · CPC title

• A46B9/00

  Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body · CPC title

• G02F1/133788

  by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation · CPC title