JP6924587B2 - Display panel manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a display panel.

The display panel has a structure in which an optical film such as a polarizing film (polarizing plate) is bonded to the surface of an optical display component (substrate) (for example, Patent Document 1). In the case of a conventional display panel having a rectangular planar shape, the alignment when the rectangular optical film is attached to the rectangular optical display component can be performed with reference to each other's outer shape (for example, four corners).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-232911

By the way, recently, there is an increasing demand for display panels used in smart watches, in-vehicle meters, etc., whose plane shape is other than a rectangle.

As a method of manufacturing a display panel having a planar shape other than a rectangle, a method of producing a display panel having a rectangular planar shape and then changing the planar shape of the display panel to a shape other than the rectangular shape can be considered. However, the optical film hinders the processing of the optical display component, which may make the processing difficult.
Therefore, there has been a demand for a method for manufacturing a display panel that is easy to process.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a display panel that is easy to process.

In order to solve the above problems, in one aspect of the present invention, an optical film having a deformed shape corresponding to the shape of the display area is bonded to the surface of an optical display component whose outline shape of the display area is other than a rectangle. A method of manufacturing a display panel, in which an optical member having a rectangular shape in a plan view is marked with a first mark indicating the optical axis direction, and the optical member is cut into a deformed shape to form an optical film with the first mark. A display including a deformed processing step and a bonding step of bonding an optical film to the surface of an optical display component having a shape other than a rectangle and having a rectangular shape in a plan view while referring to the first mark. Provided is a method for manufacturing a panel.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the deformed processing step, the optical member is cut into a deformed shape with reference to the first mark step of attaching the first mark and the first mark, and the optical member with the first mark is attached. It may be a manufacturing method including a cutting step of forming a film.

In one aspect of the present invention, the first marking step is a second marking step of adding a second mark indicating the direction of the optical axis of the optical film raw fabric to the strip-shaped optical film raw fabric extending in one direction. The manufacturing method may include a film dividing step of forming the optical member by dividing the original optical film into a plurality of sheets in the longitudinal direction and forming the first mark corresponding to the second mark.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the second mark step, a manufacturing method may be used in which a line parallel to the longitudinal direction is continuously or intermittently attached as the second mark while transporting the optical film raw fabric in the longitudinal direction.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the deformed shape processing step, a manufacturing method may be used in which a plurality of optical members are collectively cut into a deformed shape.

In one aspect of the present invention, the manufacturing method may include a contour changing step of changing the contour shape of the optical display component after the bonding step.

In one aspect of the present invention, it may be a manufacturing method in which the optical film is a polarizing film.

In one aspect of the present invention, it may be a manufacturing method in which the optical display component is a liquid crystal panel.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a display panel that is easy to process.

The perspective view which shows the structure of the display panel 1. The flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the display panel 1. The flowchart which shows the 1st mark process S12. The figure explaining the 1st mark process S12. The figure explaining the cutting process S14. The figure explaining the bonding process S16.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings below, the dimensions and ratios of the components are appropriately different in order to make the drawings easier to see.

<Display panel>
As an example of a display panel manufactured by applying one aspect of the present invention, for example, the display panel 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. Note that FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the display panel 1.

The display panel 1 manufactured by applying one aspect of the present invention has an optical film 5 bonded to the surface of an optical display component 10 such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the optical display component 10 has a display region S having a circular contour shape. Although not shown, the optical display component 10 usually includes signal lines and scanning lines arranged in a matrix with each other, an active matrix type display unit, a signal line driving circuit for driving the signal lines, and scanning lines. It is equipped with a scanning line drive circuit for driving. Further, although not shown, the display unit usually includes active elements and pixels arranged at intersections of signal lines and scanning lines. The planar shape of the display unit corresponds to the contour shape of the display area S.

The optical film 5 has a circular shape corresponding to the circular display region S. As the optical film 5, for example, a polarizing film, a retardation film, an optical compensation film, a reflection polarization type brightness improving film, a prism film or the like having an optical axis, and a plurality of films arbitrarily selected from these films are laminated. Film can be used. Further, a film having no optical axis such as a diffusion film may be further laminated on the film having an optical axis and the laminated film.
The method for manufacturing a display panel of the present invention is preferably applied when the optical film 5 is a film having an optical axis. Further, it is more preferably applied when the optical film 5 is a polarizing film or a laminated film having a polarizing film.
The optical film 5 used in the present embodiment has a property of absorbing linearly polarized light having a vibration plane parallel to the optical axis (optical axis A described later) and transmitting linearly polarized light having a vibration plane orthogonal to the optical axis. It is a polarizing film. Usually, the polarizing film is a film in which a dichroic dye is oriented in a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin.

<Manufacturing method of display panel>
As a method for manufacturing a display panel to which one aspect of the present invention is applied, a case where the display panel 1 is manufactured will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of the display panel 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the display panel manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes a first mark step S12 for attaching a first mark to an optical member and a cutting step for cutting the optical member into a deformed shape to form an optical film. S14 includes a bonding step S16 for bonding an optical film to the surface of the optical display component, and a contour changing step S18 for changing the contour shape of the optical display component.
In the present specification, the first mark step S12 and the cutting step S14 are collectively referred to as a deformed processing step.

The optical film 5 is an optical member 51 (see FIG. 5) cut out in a circular shape corresponding to the display area S. The optical member 51 has an optical axis A set in one direction. Although not shown, the bonding surface 51s of the optical member 51 is adhered to an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer for bonding the optical film 5 to the optical display component 100 in the subsequent bonding step S16. A release film that covers the agent layer or the adhesive layer is provided. This release film is peeled off and removed before the bonding step S16.
A protective film may be provided on the back surface of the bonding surface 51s of the optical member 51.

[First mark step S12]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the first mark process S12. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first mark step S12. As shown in FIG. 3, the first mark step S12 includes a second mark step S10 for attaching a second mark M2 indicating the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film raw fabric 510 and a plurality of optical film raw fabric 510 in the longitudinal direction. It has a film dividing step S11 of dividing into sheets to form an optical member 51 having the first mark M1.

<< Second mark process S10 >>
As shown in FIG. 4, in the second marking step S10, a strip-shaped optical film raw fabric 510 extending in one direction is used.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the second mark step S10, while transporting the optical film raw fabric 510 in the longitudinal direction, a line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the optical film original fabric 510 is continuously drawn as the second mark M2 on the optical film. Attached to the original fabric 510. The angle between the extending direction of the second mark M2 and the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film original fabric 510 is known. Therefore, the direction of the optical axis A can be specified by referring to the second mark M2 (and the first mark M1).

In the present embodiment, the method of attaching the second mark M2 to the strip-shaped optical film raw fabric 510 is not particularly limited. The method of attaching the second mark M2 is a method of printing the second mark M2 on the optical film original fabric 510 with a printing device such as an inkjet printer, a method of forming a dent as the second mark M2 with a laser or a blade, and an optical film original. A method of forming a notch as a second mark M2 on a part of the end edge of the counter 510 may be used.

In the present embodiment, since it is possible to save the trouble of erasing the first mark M1 after the display panel 1 is completed, the first mark M1 attached to the optical film 5 and the display area S of the optical display component 100 overlap in a plane. It is preferable to attach the second mark M2 at a position where it does not become.

The second mark M2 may be attached to the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer or the adhesive layer formed on the optical member 51. Even in that case, the second mark M2 is placed at a position where the first mark M1 attached to the adhesive layer or the adhesive layer on the optical film 5 and the display area S of the optical display component 100 do not overlap in a plane. It is preferable to attach it.

When the optical member 51 is provided with a protective film, it is preferable to attach the second mark M2 to the protective film. This is because the first mark M1 attached to the protective film on the optical film 5 can be easily erased by peeling and removing the protective film from the optical film 5 after the bonding.

Furthermore, when an alignment mark is attached to the optical display component 100 described later, the second mark is located at a position where the alignment mark and the first mark M1 attached to the optical film 5 are close to each other in a plane. It is more preferable to attach M2. The bonding of the optical film 5 is performed while aligning the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 based on the image captured by the camera. At that time, by attaching the second mark M2 to such a position, the first mark M1 on the optical film 5 and the alignment mark on the optical display component can be imaged in the same field of view. Therefore, it is easy to determine the relative position of the optical film 5. Further, when the optical film 5 is attached, the relative position of the optical axis between the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 can be easily confirmed, and the optical axis accuracy can be improved.

In FIG. 4, a line is continuously attached as the second mark M2, but it may be an intermittently attached line. Further, examples of the shape of the second mark M2 include a line, a cross, an arrow, an ellipse, and a polygon. The second mark M2 may be one kind or a combination of two or more kinds thereof.

When the mark shape is a line or an arrow, it is preferable to add the second mark M2 so that the direction indicated by the line or the arrow is parallel to the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film 5.
When the mark shape is a cross, one line is a cross longer than the other line, and the second mark M2 is set so that the direction of the longer line and the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film 5 are parallel. It is preferable to give it.
For the same reason, when the mark shape is elliptical, it is preferable to add the second mark M2 so that the direction of the major axis and the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film 5 are parallel.
By the above method, when the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 are bonded together, the inclination of the optical axis A with respect to the optical display component 100 can be easily adjusted to a desired inclination.

The number of the second mark M2 may be one or two or more. When the number of the second marks M2 is two or more, a plurality of second marks M2 having the same shape may be arranged in the direction of the optical axis A, or a plurality of two or more kinds of the second marks M2 may be arranged in the direction of the optical axis A. You may line up.

Further, in the optical member 51, the second mark M2 may be attached across the adjacent optical films 5. Further, the second mark M2 may be provided on each of the two opposite sides of the optical film 5. In that case, the angle of the optical axis A with respect to the line segment connecting the two second marks M2 is known. Therefore, the direction of the optical axis A can be specified by referring to the second mark M2.

<< Film division step S11 >>
As shown in FIG. 4, in the film dividing step S11, the optical film original fabric 510 is divided into a plurality of sheets in the longitudinal direction to form the optical member 51 which is rectangular in a plan view, and the first mark corresponding to the second mark M2 is formed. The mark M1 is formed.

[Cut step S14]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a cutting step S14. As shown in FIG. 5, in the cutting step S14, the optical member 51 is cut into a deformed shape with reference to the first mark M1 to form the optical film 5 with the first mark M1. At this time, the optical members 51 may be cut into a deformed shape one by one, or a plurality of optical members 51 may be cut into a deformed shape together. Since it is excellent in production efficiency, it is preferable to cut a plurality of optical members 51 into a deformed shape together.

Examples of the method of cutting the optical member 51 include a method of inserting the Thomson blade in the cutting direction, a method of rolling the roll blade in the cutting direction, a method of burning off using a laser, and a method of polishing using a milling machine or the like. These include, but are not limited to. A method using a laser is preferable because cutting chips are not generated. Further, since the plurality of optical members 51 can be efficiently deformed in a state where the plurality of optical members 51 are stacked, a method of polishing using a milling machine or the like is also preferable.

[Lasting step S16]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the bonding step S16. As shown in FIG. 6, in the bonding step S16, an optical film 5 having the first mark M1 and an optical display component 100 having a circular display region S and a rectangular shape in a plan view are used.

An alignment mark may be attached to the surface of the optical display component 100. This alignment mark is usually attached to the outside of the display area S (the portion hidden by the bezel) of the optical display component 100.

The optical display component 10 is a circular cut out of the optical display component 100. As shown in FIG. 6, in the bonding step S16, the optical film 5 is bonded to the surface of the optical display component 100 with reference to the first mark M1. Further, in the bonding step S16, the optical film 5 can be bonded while aligning the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 based on the image captured by the camera.

In the bonding step S16, the optical film 5 can be bonded to the surface of the optical display component 100 using a conventionally known bonding device.

Conventionally known bonding devices include, for example, JP-A-2003-107452, JP-A-2006-058411, JP-A-2008-12255, JP-A-2008-139523, JP-A-2010-072183, and the like. Examples thereof include the devices described in JP-A-2010-117546. That is, the optical display component is conveyed in the conveying direction, the optical film is supplied so that the optical display component and the optical film have a desired positional relationship, and the bonding surface of the optical film is bonded to the optical display component by a roller. Any device may be used as long as it is a device for sticking while pressing with.

[Contour change step S18]
In the contour changing step S18, the contour shape of the optical display component is changed (not shown). The method for cutting the optical display component is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include scribe cutting using a cutting tool.

According to the above method, the optical film 5 and the optical display component 10 can be processed separately. Therefore, the optical film 5 does not interfere with the processing of the optical display component 10, and each can be processed under optimum conditions. Therefore, in the method for manufacturing a display panel, which is one aspect of the present invention, the display panel is easy to process.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, since the optical film 5 is provided with the first mark M1 indicating the optical axis A, the direction of the optical axis A can be easily specified based on the first mark M1. .. Therefore, when the optical film 5 is attached to the surface of the optical display component 100, the alignment can be easily performed so that the optical axis A is in a desired direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, after the optical film original fabric is divided into a plurality of sheets in the longitudinal direction by continuously attaching a line parallel to the longitudinal direction as the second mark M2 to the optical film original fabric 510. Can also leave a mark (first mark M1) indicating the optical axis A. As a result, the first mark can be efficiently attached to the optical film 5.

It should be noted that one aspect of the present invention is not necessarily limited to that of the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Specifically, in the above embodiment, the case where the first mark step S12 is performed before the cutting step S14 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the deforming processing step, the optical member 51 may be provided with the first mark M1 indicating the direction of the optical axis A, and the optical member 51 may be cut into a deformed shape. Specifically, for example, by cutting the optical member 51 with a blade to which ink is attached, the optical member 51 can be cut and the first mark M1 can be attached to the optical member 51.

Further, in the first mark step S12, if the optical member 51 cut out into a single sheet is used from the beginning, the second mark step S10 and the film division step S11 can be omitted. In that case, the first mark M1 indicating the direction of the optical axis A may be attached based on the result of measuring the optical axis of the optical member 51.

In the optical member 51, the position where the first mark M1 is attached is not particularly limited. When the optical display component 100 is provided with an alignment mark, it is preferable to attach the first mark M1 at a position where the alignment mark and the first mark M1 attached to the optical film 5 are close to each other in a plane. .. The bonding of the optical film 5 is performed while aligning the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 based on the image captured by the camera. At that time, by attaching the first mark M1 to such a position, the first mark M1 on the optical film 5 and the alignment mark on the optical display component 100 can be imaged in the same field of view. Therefore, it is easy to determine the relative position of the optical film 5. Further, when the optical film 5 is attached, the relative position of the optical axis between the optical display component 100 and the optical film 5 can be easily confirmed, and the optical axis accuracy can be improved.

When the first mark M1 is attached to the optical member 51, the shape of the first mark M1 may be a line, a cross, an arrow, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like, similarly to the second mark M2. The first mark M1 may be one kind or a combination of two or more kinds thereof.

The number of the first mark M1 may be one or two or more. When the number of the first marks M1 is two or more, a plurality of first marks M1 having the same shape may be arranged in the direction of the optical axis A, or a plurality of two or more types of the first marks M1 may be arranged in the direction of the optical axis A. You may line up.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the second mark M2 is a line or an arrow, it is preferable to add the second mark M2 so as to be parallel to the direction of the optical axis A of the optical film 5, but it is not always parallel. It does not have to be. Since the direction of the optic axis A is known, it is possible to grasp the direction of the optic axis A by grasping the angle of the extending direction of the second mark M2 with respect to the optic axis A. The same applies when the second mark M2 is a cross or an ellipse. For example, when the second mark M2 is a cross, the angle between the longer line of the cross and the direction of the optical axis A may be known. Further, when the second mark M2 is an ellipse, the angle between the major axis of the ellipse and the direction of the optical axis A may be grasped. Further, even if the second mark M2 has another shape, it is sufficient to grasp the relationship between the characteristics of the shape and the direction of the optical axis A. This also applies to the first mark M1.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the contour changing step S18 is performed after the bonding step S16 is shown, but the contour changing step S18 after the bonding step S16 may be omitted. That is, the optical display component 100 may be used as it is as the optical display component 10 shown in FIG.

Further, in the above embodiment, the procedure is shown as a procedure through which the deformed shape processing step including the first mark step S12 and the cutting step S14, the bonding step S16, and the contour changing step S18 are performed, but the procedure is appropriately changed according to the configuration of the display panel. May be good.
When manufacturing a display panel having a plurality of optical films, a plurality of optical members are subjected to a deforming processing step in advance, one optical film is laminated on an optical display component, and then the display panel is attached to another optical film. The joint step S16 may be repeated.

Further, in the above embodiment, the optical member 51 is shown as having a rectangular shape in a plan view, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any quadrangle in a plan view may be used. Examples of the plane view quadrangle include a rectangle, a square, a rhombus, a parallelogram, a trapezoid, and a plane figure surrounded by four straight lines other than the above.

Further, in the above embodiment, the optical display component 100 shows a rectangular shape in a plan view, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical display component 100 may be a rectangle in a plan view (rectangle, square, etc.).

Further, in the above embodiment, the contour shape of the display area S in the optical display component 10 is circular, but the present invention is not limited to this. The contour shape of the display area S is a shape other than a rectangle depending on the use of the display panel 1. As the shape other than the rectangle, for example, at least one of the four corners of an ellipse, a polygon (for example, a triangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, etc.) and a rectangle is rounded or cut. Examples thereof include a shape and a shape in which a notch is provided in a part of a rectangle.

Further, in the above embodiment, the shape of the optical film 5 is shown to be circular, but the shape is not limited to this. Further, the shape of the optical film 5 does not necessarily have to be the same as the contour shape of the display area S. The optical film 5 may have an irregular shape corresponding to the display area S.
Similarly, the shape of the optical display component 10 is shown to be circular, but the shape is not limited to this. Further, the shape of the optical display component 10 does not necessarily have to be the same as the contour shape of the display area S.

Further, an example is shown in which the optical film 5 is attached to the optical display component 100 via an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer formed in advance on the optical film 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. The pressure-sensitive adhesive or adhesive may be preformed on the optical display component 100, or may be formed on both the optical film 5 and the optical display component 100.

1 ... Display panel, 5 ... Optical film, 10,100 ... Optical display component, 51 ... Optical member, 510 ... Optical film original fabric, A ... Optical axis, M1 ... 1st mark, M2 ... 2nd mark, S ... Display Area, S10 ... 2nd mark process, S11 ... Film division process, S12 ... 1st mark process, S14 ... Cutting process, S16 ... Laminating process

Claims (7)

A method for manufacturing a display panel in which an optical film having a deformed shape corresponding to the shape of the display area is bonded to the surface of an optical display component whose outline shape of the display area is other than a rectangle.
A deformation processing step of attaching a first mark indicating the optical axis direction to an optical member having a rectangular shape in a plan view, cutting the optical member into the deformed shape, and forming the optical film with the first mark.
A bonding step in which the optical film is bonded to the surface of an optical display component having a display area other than a rectangle and having a rectangular plan view with reference to the first mark.
A method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising a contour changing step of changing the contour shape of the optical display component after the bonding step. The deformed shape processing step includes the first mark step of attaching the first mark and the first mark step.
The display panel according to claim 1, further comprising a cutting step of cutting the optical member into the deformed shape with reference to the first mark to form the optical film with the first mark. Production method. In the first mark step, a second mark indicating the direction of the optical axis of the optical film original fabric is continuously formed in the longitudinal direction of the optical film original fabric with respect to the strip-shaped optical film original fabric extending in one direction. Or the second mark process that is attached intermittently,
2. The manufacturing method of the display panel described in. The production of the display panel according to claim 3, wherein in the second mark step, a line parallel to the longitudinal direction is continuously or intermittently attached as the second mark while transporting the optical film raw fabric in the longitudinal direction. Method. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the deformed processing step, a plurality of the optical members are collectively cut into the deformed shape. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the optical film is a polarizing film. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the optical display component is a liquid crystal panel.

Images