Liquid alignment device

The present invention provides a liquid alignment device including: a stage configured to carry a liquid crystal display panel, wherein in the liquid crystal display panel a first substrate is placed on the stage; a curing light source configured to irradiate the first substrate; a probe configured to provide the first substrate with a voltage. The present invention employs a color resist layer disposed in a second substrate of the liquid crystal display panel to solve the issue that during liquid alignment the second substrate must be disposed on a lower place and the first substrate must be disposed on an upper place to prevent efficiency of the liquid alignment.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a field of display technologies, especially relates to a liquid alignment device.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal and a sealant frame sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. Vertical and horizontal thin and tiny electrical wires disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, orientations of liquid crystal molecules are changed by voltage application and ultraviolet irradiation such that the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are orientated by a pretilt angle for achieving an objective of liquid alignment.

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional large size liquid crystal display panel100comprises a liquid crystal layer1002, and a first substrate1001and a second substrate1003located respectively on two sides of the liquid crystal layer1002. A color resist layer is disposed in the first substrate1001. Ultraviolet light is irradiated from above to the liquid crystal display panel100. A probe102is located on a side of the first substrate1001and exerts voltage U. To avoid the color resist layer from reacting with the ultraviolet light, the second substrate1003is disposed on a lower place and the first substrate1001is disposed on an upper place necessarily, which causes two sides of the liquid crystal display panel100to be sagged and curved, as shown inFIG. 2. Especially, a portion of the liquid crystal display panel100where the probe102is located has a maximum amount of deformation and is sunk, an orientation and a pretilt angle of liquid crystal nearby the sunk region are different in a certain extent, which affects display quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

As described above, during liquid alignment of the conventional large size liquid crystal display panel, ultraviolet light is absorbed by color resist in pixels to lower a production rate of the liquid crystal display panel and raise a manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal display panel. Due to a larger size, two ends of the liquid crystal display panel are sagged and curved. Especially, a portion of the liquid crystal display panel where the probe is located has a maximum amount of deformation and is sunk, an orientation and a pretilt angle of liquid crystal nearby the sunk region are different in a certain extent, which affects display quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Issue

The present invention provides a liquid alignment device able to solve the technical issue that due to a larger size, two ends of the liquid crystal display panel are sagged and curved, and especially, a portion of the liquid crystal display panel where the probe is located has a maximum amount of deformation and is sunk, an orientation and a pretilt angle of liquid crystal nearby the sunk region are different in a certain extent, which affects display quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

Technical Solution

To solve the above issue, the present invention provides technical solutions as follows:

A liquid alignment device comprises: a stage configured to carry a liquid crystal display panel, wherein a first substrate in the liquid crystal display panel is placed on the stage, a color resist layer and a pixel electrode of the liquid crystal display panel are located in a second substrate of the liquid crystal display panel; a curing light source configured to irradiate the first substrate along a direction from the first substrate to the second substrate to cure a pretilt angle of liquid crystal; and a probe configured to provide the first substrate with a curing voltage through an exposed electrode of the first substrate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curing light source is placed between the stage and the liquid crystal display panel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curing light source is displaced on the stage along a direction away from the liquid crystal display panel, and the stage is transparent.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curing light source comprises a light guide plate and a plurality of ultraviolet sources, the light guide plate is configured to change an emission direction of ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet sources such that the ultraviolet light irradiates the first substrate along the direction from the first substrate to the second substrate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet sources are disposed on a periphery of the light guide plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light guide plate comprises two light entering side surfaces and a light emitting surface between the two light entering side surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet sources are disposed on a bottom of the light guide plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a clamping device is disposed on a side of the stage, or two clamping devices are disposed respectively on two sides of the stage.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clamping device comprises a base, a pad on a surface of the base, and two cushion plates disposed oppositely in a chamber body defined in the pad, and the cushion plates are configured to clamp two sides of an end of the liquid crystal display panel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the probe is disposed on an inner edge of the chamber body of the pad.

A liquid alignment device comprises: a stage configured to carry a liquid crystal display panel, wherein a first substrate in the liquid crystal display panel is placed on the stage, a color resist layer and a pixel electrode of the liquid crystal display panel are located in a second substrate of the liquid crystal display panel; a curing light source comprising a light guide plate and a plurality of ultraviolet sources, wherein the light guide plate is configured to change an emission direction of ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet sources such that the ultraviolet light irradiates the first substrate along the direction from the first substrate to the second substrate to cure a pretilt angle of liquid crystal; and a probe configured to provide the first substrate with a curing voltage through an exposed electrode of the first substrate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curing light source is placed between the stage and the liquid crystal display panel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curing light source is displaced on the stage along a direction away from the liquid crystal display panel, and the stage is transparent.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet sources are disposed on a periphery of the light guide plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, I the light guide plate comprises two light entering side surfaces and a light emitting surface between the two light entering side surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light entering side surfaces are planar surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet sources are disposed on a bottom of the light guide plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a clamping device is disposed on a side of the stage, or two clamping devices are disposed respectively on two sides of the stage.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clamping device comprises a base, a pad on a surface of the base, and two cushion plates disposed oppositely in a chamber body defined in the pad, and the cushion plates are configured to clamp two sides of an end of the liquid crystal display panel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the probe is disposed on an inner edge of the chamber body of the pad.

Advantages

Compared to the prior art, the liquid alignment device provided by the present invention adds the light guide plate in the curing light source, and the light guide plate converts point light sources emitted from the ultraviolet sources into an area light source to irradiate the first substrate of the liquid crystal display panel. The color resist layer is disposed on the second substrate of the liquid crystal display panel to avoid the issue that the second substrate needs to be disposed on a lower place and the first substrate needs to be disposed on an upper place during liquid alignment. Therefore, it is achieved that ultraviolet light does not pass through the color resist layer in the pixel in advance to prevent the ultraviolet sources from being absorbed by the color resist layer and effecting a reaction rate of the liquid alignment such that efficiency of the liquid alignment is improved. The liquid crystal display panel is fixed on a surface of the stage and two ends thereof are clamped in the clamping devices such that the liquid crystal display panel is disposed horizontally to prevent one end of the first substrate is sagged and curved to improve a yield rate of the liquid alignment and lower the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal display panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Each of the following embodiments is described with appending figures to illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention that are applicable. The terminologies of direction mentioned in the present invention, such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer”, “side surface”, etc., only refer to the directions of the appended figures. Therefore, the terminologies of direction are used for explanation and comprehension of the present invention, instead of limiting the present invention. In the figures, units with similar structures are marked with the same reference characters.

The present invention aims at the technical issue that due to a larger size, two ends of the liquid crystal display panel are sagged and curved, and especially, a portion of the liquid crystal display panel where the probe is located has a maximum amount of deformation and is sunk, an orientation and a pretilt angle of liquid crystal nearby the sunk region are different in a certain extent, which affects display quality of the liquid crystal display panel. The present embodiment can solve the defect.

With reference toFIG. 3,FIG. 3is a schematic structural side view of a liquid crystal display panel provided by the embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display panel200comprises a first substrate2001, a liquid crystal layer2002, a second substrate2003, an electrode and a chip-integrated circuit20011sandwiched between the first substrate2001and the liquid crystal layer2002, and an electrode and a chip-integrated circuit20031sandwiched between the second substrate2003and the liquid crystal layer2002. The first substrate2001is formed with a color filter layer and a driver circuit layer. The liquid crystal layer2002comprises a plurality of liquid crystal20021. The second substrate2003is formed with a pixel electrode and a color resist layer. A length of the first substrate2001is greater than a length of the second substrate2003. Therefore, step regions are formed respectively on two sides of the liquid crystal display panel200, a common electrode2041on the step regions of the two sides can be deemed as the probe for exerting a predetermined voltage.

With reference toFIG. 4,FIG. 4is a schematic structural bottom view of a liquid crystal display panel provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In the liquid crystal display panel200, a laser is used to cut a side of the common electrode from a front surface of the first substrate2001, and the exposed electrode region forms an exposed electrode20012. When the liquid crystal layer2002is under alignment, the exposed electrode20012employs the probe to provide the first substrate2001in the liquid crystal display panel200with a predetermined voltage such each electrode is provided with a different electrical signal to facilitate curing of different electrode regions, chip-integrated circuit, and the sealant frame to improve production rate of the liquid crystal display panel200.

With reference toFIGS. 5 and 6, the embodiment of the present invention provides a liquid alignment device comprising a stage201configured to carry the liquid crystal display panel200. A first substrate2001in the liquid crystal display panel200is placed on the stage201. A color resist layer20032and a pixel electrode20033in the liquid crystal display panel200is disposed in a second substrate2003of the liquid crystal display panel200. A curing light source is configured to irradiate the first substrate2001along a direction from the first substrate2001to the second substrate2003to cure a pretilt angle of liquid crystal20021. A probe is configured to provide the first substrate2001with a curing voltage through an exposed electrode20012of the first substrate2001.

With reference toFIG. 6, curing light source is placed between the stage201and the liquid crystal display panel200. The curing light source comprises a light guide plate202and a plurality of ultraviolet sources located on an outside of the light guide plate202. The light guide plate202is configured to change an emission direction of ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet sources such that ultraviolet light irradiates the liquid crystal display panel200along a front direction. In the liquid crystal display panel200, the first substrate2001faces downward, and in the liquid crystal display panel200, the second substrate2003faces upward.

With reference toFIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the ultraviolet sources comprise a first ultraviolet source2031and a second ultraviolet source2032disposed oppositely and respectively on two sides of the light guide plate201. According to actual needs, the ultraviolet sources are disposed around the light guide plate201, and a number of the ultraviolet sources can be plural.

A cross-section of the light guide plate202is rectangular, and the light guide plate202comprises a light entering side surface2022and a light entering side surfaces2023, and a light emitting surface2014between the light entering side surface2022and the light entering side surface2023. Both the light entering side surface2022and the light entering side surface2023are planar surfaces, and the first ultraviolet source2031and the second ultraviolet source2032are disposed on the outside of the light guide plate202. The first ultraviolet sources2031and the second ultraviolet sources2032are preferably circular. The first ultraviolet sources2031and the second ultraviolet sources2032are configured to emit ultraviolet light, a part of the ultraviolet light directly irradiates regions of two ends of the liquid crystal display panel200, for example, the ultraviolet light20312and the ultraviolet light20322. Another part of the ultraviolet light irradiates the light entering side surfaces of the light guide plate202, an incident of the ultraviolet light is changed by the light guide plate202for 90 degrees and then the ultraviolet light20312is emitted out from the light emitting surface2024to a middle region of the liquid crystal display panel200, for example, the ultraviolet light20311and the ultraviolet light20321.

a plurality of probes are disposed on an outside of the stage201, and the probes are configured to provide an electrode20012in the liquid crystal display panel200with a predetermined voltage. In the present embodiment, the probes comprise a first probe2041and a second probe2042. According to actual needs, a number of the probes is plural.

By a technology of the light guide plate202, the point light source emitted by the ultraviolet sources is converted into an area light source, and upward vertically irradiates the first substrate2001of the liquid crystal display panel200. In the meantime, both the color resist layer20032and the pixel electrode20033are used and disposed in the second substrate2003and such solution solves the technical issue that in the liquid crystal display panel200the second substrate2003is disposed on a lower place and the first substrate2001is disposed on an upper place necessarily. The liquid crystal display panel200sets the first substrate2001facing down, ultraviolet light does not pass through the pixel electrode20033and the color resist layer20032to prevent the ultraviolet light from being absorbed by the color resist layer20032in advance and to improve efficiency of the liquid alignment. The liquid crystal display panel200is fixed on a surface of the stage201and two ends thereof are clamped in the clamping devices such that the liquid crystal display panel200is disposed horizontally to prevent one end of the first substrate is sagged and curved to improve a yield rate of the liquid alignment of the liquid crystal20021and lower the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal display panel. During alignment of the liquid crystal layer2002, the exposed electrode20012employs the probe to provide substrate on the two sides of the liquid crystal layer2002in the liquid crystal display panel200with a predetermined voltage, and the ultraviolet light and the predetermined voltage are used to change orientations of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer2002such that the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer2002are arranged along the predetermined pretilt angle neatly to achieve an objective of liquid alignment. Also, each electrode is applied with a different electrical signal to curing of different electrode regions, chip-integrated circuit, and the sealant frame to improve production rate of the liquid crystal display panel200.

A clamping device is disposed on a side of the stage201, or two clamping devices are disposed respectively on two sides of the stage201. The clamping device is configured to support two sides of an end of the liquid crystal display panel.

With reference toFIG. 5, in the present embodiment, clamping devices are disposed oppositely on the two sides of the stage201. A first clamping devices205comprises a first base2051, a first horizontal U-shaped pad2052located on a surface of the first base2051, and a first cushion plate2053and a second cushion plate2054in a first chamber body2055defined in the first horizontal U-shaped pad2052. The first cushion plate2053and the second cushion plate2054respectively clamp the two sides of the liquid crystal display panel200. The chamber body2055is a recess. An end portion of the liquid crystal display panel200has no contact with an adjacent edge of the first horizontal U-shaped pad2052to prevent damages to the liquid crystal display panel200due to contact of the end of the liquid crystal display panel200with the adjacent first horizontal U-shaped pad2052.

The second clamping devices206comprises a second base2061, a second horizontal U-shaped pad2062located on a surface of the second base2061, and a third cushion plate2063and a fourth cushion plate2064in a second chamber body2065defined in the second horizontal U-shaped pad2062. The third cushion plate2063and the fourth cushion plate2064respectively clamp the two sides of the liquid crystal display panel200. The chamber body2065is a recess. An end portion of the liquid crystal display panel200has no contact with an adjacent edge of the second horizontal U-shaped pad2062to prevent damages to the liquid crystal display panel200due to contact of the end of the liquid crystal display panel200with the second horizontal U-shaped pad2062.

Probes are disposed on an edge of the chamber body of the pad, and can be disposed on a surface of the liquid crystal display panel200or disposed in the liquid crystal display panel200. Due to step regions formed by the step difference of the first substrate2001and the second substrate2003, the first probe2041and the second probe2042in the present embodiment are disposed respectively inner edges of the first chamber body2055and the second chamber body2065.

In the present embodiment, the clamping devices comprise a first clamping device205and a second clamping device206. The first clamping device205and the second clamping device206respectively clamp the two ends of the liquid crystal display panel200and are fixed on the light guide plate202. In the liquid crystal display panel200, the first substrate2001faces downward, the second substrate2003faces upward, and both are disposed horizontally to prevent the two ends of the liquid crystal display panel200from being sagged and curved. The portions on the probes would not deform such that a yield rate of the liquid alignment of the liquid crystal display panel200is enhanced.

The present embodiment has no limit to the curing light source placed on the surface of the stage201. When the stage201is transparent for ultraviolet light to pass therethrough without obstruction, the curing light source can also be placed right under the liquid crystal display panel200and be located under the stage201.

The ultraviolet sources can be disposed on a bottom of the light guide plate202, and emitted ultraviolet light enters the bottom of the light guide plate202and irradiates the first substrate2001of the liquid crystal display panel200from a surface of the light guide plate202.

In the present invention, a light guide plate is added into the curing light source, and the light guide plate converts point light sources emitted from the ultraviolet sources into an area light source to irradiate the first substrate of the liquid crystal display panel. The color resist layer is disposed on the second substrate of the liquid crystal display panel to avoid the issue that the second substrate needs to be disposed on a lower place and the first substrate needs to be disposed on an upper place during liquid alignment. Therefore, it is achieved that ultraviolet light does not pass through the color resist layer in the pixel in advance to prevent the ultraviolet sources from being absorbed by the color resist layer and effecting a reaction rate of the liquid alignment such that efficiency of the liquid alignment is improved. The liquid crystal display panel is fixed on a surface of the stage and two ends thereof are clamped in the clamping devices such that the liquid crystal display panel is disposed horizontally to prevent one end of the first substrate is sagged and curved to improve a yield rate of the liquid alignment and lower the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal display panel.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, the aforementioned preferred embodiments are not used to limit the present invention. The person of ordinary skill in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the scope of the claims.