Method for producing an adhesive bond and support plate for producing an adhesive bond

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing an adhesive bond between at least a first and a second, at least partially transparent planar component, in which the first component is laid onto a support plate, and an adhesive is applied to the first component at specified locations on the side of the first component facing away from the support plate, and the second component is laid onto the first component and is held parallel to the first component at a predefined distance, in such a way that the second component comes into contact with the adhesive on the first component.

Claims

1. A method for producing an adhesive bond between at least a first at least partially transparent plate-shaped component and a second at least partially transparent plate-shaped component, comprising the steps of: laying the first component onto an at least partially transparent support plate; applying an adhesive to the first at least partially transparent component at predetermined locations on a side of the first at least partially transparent component facing away from the at least partially transparent support plate; laying the second at least partially transparent component onto the first at least partially transparent component; and holding the second at least partially transparent component parallel to the first at least partially transparent component at a predefined distance in such a way that the second at least partially transparent component comes into contact with the adhesive, which is present on the first at least partially transparent component, wherein, to cure the adhesive, light is applied thereto from a side of the at least partially transparent support plate facing away from the first at least partially transparent component and the second at least partially transparent component through the at least partially transparent support plate and through the first at least partially transparent component, wherein the first at least partially transparent component is laid onto raised structures of the at least partially transparent support plate.

2. The method according of claim 1, wherein the support plate has a partially transparent light permeable base body comprising raised structures onto which the first at least partially transparent component can be laid, and wherein the at least partially transparent support plate has at least one intransparent section.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein transparent sections of the at least partially transparent support plate are arranged in a region of the raised structures.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the raised structures are produced by etching locations which are not raised.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the intransparent sections are formed by a light-impermeable layer applied to the base body.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the intransparent sections are formed by a mask which is connected to the base body.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein transparency and intransparency refers to UV light.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the second at least partially transparent component is held in a component holding frame by a handling unit.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the handling unit holding the component holding frame is aligned parallel to the at least partially transparent support plate, wherein an alignment takes place manually optically and/or by sensors.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially transparent support plate is held in a plate holding frame.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied to the first at least partially transparent component by a metering valve.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied to the first at least partially transparent component in an edge region of the first at least partially transparent component.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied to the first at least partially transparent component in a region of the raised structures of the at least partially transparent support plate.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein after laying the first at least partially transparent component onto the at least partially transparent support plate, a position of the first at least partially transparent component is measured by a camera prior to bringing the second at least partially transparent component into contact with the adhesive, the position of the second at least partially transparent component is measured by the camera, and the second at least partially transparent component is adjusted with respect to the first at least partially transparent component on the basis of the measured positions.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding of the second at least partially transparent component at a predefined distance from the first at least partially transparent component takes place by spacers, which are attached to the first at least partially transparent component and/or laid onto the first at least partially transparent component.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding of the second component at a predefined distance from the first at least partially transparent component takes place by sensors.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light applied to the adhesive is provided by a UV light source and/or a laser.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light is blocked by intransparent sections of the at least partially transparent support plate in such a way that light is applied only to regions of the first at least partially transparent component and the second at least partially transparent component, at which the adhesive is applied.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive bond is produced between the second at least partially transparent component and a further at least partially transparent component.

20. An adhering device for producing an adhesive bond between at least a first at least partially transparent component and second at least partially transparent component, according to the method according to claim 1, having a work plate extending along a work plane, and a base frame supporting this work plate, an at least partially transparent support plate having a base body comprising raised structures onto which the first at least partially transparent component can be laid, wherein the at least partially transparent support plate has at least one intransparent section, which is arranged on the work plate and onto which the first at least partially transparent component can be laid, a handling unit for receiving, displacing, holding, and laying down the first at least partially transparent component and the second at least partially transparent component, a displaceable metering valve for applying adhesive to the first at least partially transparent component, and a light source for applying light to the adhesive applied to the first at least partially transparent component from a side of the at least partially transparent support plate facing away from the first at least partially transparent component and second at least partially transparent component through the at least partially transparent support plate and through the first at least partially transparent component.

21. The adhering device according to claim 20, further comprises a camera for measuring the positions of the first at least partially transparent component and second at least partially transparent component.

22. The adhering device according to claim 21, wherein the adhering device comprises sensors for measuring the distance between the first at least partially transparent component and the second at least partially transparent component.

23. The adhering device according to claim 20, wherein the light source is a UV light source and/or a laser.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments in connection with the following drawings.

(2) FIGS. 1a-1d show schematic cross sections through a support plate, a first and a second component during various steps of the production of an adhesive bond.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded drawing of some parts used for producing an adhesive bond.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of an adhering device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) Identical reference numerals are used in the figures for elements of the invention, which are identical, or which act identically. For the sake of clarity, only reference numerals, which are required for the description of the respective figure, are illustrated in the individual figures.

(6) FIG. 1a shows a schematic cross section through a support plate 2, which is held in a plate holding frame 1, for producing an adhesive bond between at least a first and second, at least partially transparent plate-shaped component. For example, the position and alignment of the support plate 2 can be adjusted via the plate holding frame 1.

(7) The support plate 2 has a transparent, thus light-permeable, base body 3. The base body 3 is thereby formed in a plate-shaped manner, that is, it is a cuboid, in the case of which the height is much smaller than the length and the width.

(8) Raised structures 4, onto which the first component is laid, are arranged on the top side of the base body 3 of the support plate 2. The raised structures 4 are thereby produced, for example, by an etching process. For this purpose, a protective layer, for example a chromium layer, is applied at the locations, at which the raised structures 4 shall be located. Then, from the unprotected locations it is etched away so much, until the height of the raised structures 4 above the base body 3 reaches a specified value. The protective layer is subsequently removed again.

(9) A light-impermeable layer 5 is furthermore applied to the top side of the base body 3 of the support plate 2, namely at all locations of the top side, which do not have any raised structures. The light-impermeable layer 5 thus determines intransparent sections 6 of the support plate 2, while the raised structures 4 coincide with transparent sections 6 of the support plate 2.

(10) Instead of the light-impermeable layer 5, the intransparent sections 6 can also be formed by a mask, in particular a metal mask, which is connected to the base body 3. The mask is thereby produced in a separate production process and is subsequently connected in a positive manner, non-positive manner and/or by a substance-to-substance bond to the base body 3 of the support plate 2.

(11) A light source 8 is arranged underneath the support plate 2, thus on the side of the support plate 2 facing away from the raised structures 4. As an alternative, the light source 8 can also be arranged at another location, and optical elements, such as mirrors or optical waveguides can be provided, which guide the light from the light source 8 to the underside of the support plate 2.

(12) Due to the fact that the light of the light source 8 serves the purpose of curing an adhesive applied between the first and the second component, the light source 8 is embodied as UV light source. UV light is thereby understood to be light with wavelengths in the range of from 100 nm to 380 nm. The exact spectrum of the light source 8 is dependent on the used adhesive, because, depending on the adhesive, light of a different wavelength is required to cure the adhesive.

(13) FIG. 1b shows a cross section through the support plate 2, after the first at least partially transparent plate-shaped component 9 was laid onto the raised structures 4 of the support plate 2 by a handling unit. The first component 9 can thereby in particular be a glass plate. Due to the fact that the first component 9 only bears on the raised structures 4 of the support plate 2, a stable, largely wobble-free position of the first component 9 is at hand. Force effects on the first component 9 also appear only in the region of the raised structures 4, so that the first component 9 is mostly free from tensions at all other locations.

(14) In the region of the transparent sections 7 of the support plate 2, adhesive 10 is applied to the side of the first component 9 facing away from the support plate 2 by a metering valve. The support plate 2 comprising the first component 9 and the applied adhesive 10 is shown in FIG. 1c.

(15) As shown in FIG. 1d, the second at least partially transparent plate-shaped component 12, which is held in a component holding frame 11, is subsequently laid onto the first component 9 by a handling unit, and is held parallel to the first component 9 at a predefined distance D. The second component 12 thereby also comes into contact with the adhesive 10.

(16) The light source 8 is then turned on and applies light 13 to the adhesive 10. The path of the light 13 thereby runs from the light source 8 through the transparent sections 7 of the support plate 2 and through the first component 9 to the adhesive 10. The duration of the application of the adhesive 10 with light 13 is dependent on various factors, among others on the type of the adhesive 10, on the intensity of the light 13, on the thickness of the adhesive 10, and on the temperature.

(17) Due to the fact that the light 13 is blocked by the intransparent sections 6 of the support plate 2, no application with light 13 occurs at those locations of the first component 9 and second component 12, at which no adhesive 10 is applied. A heating and a damage to the components 9 and 12 by the light 13 therefore also does not occur at the locations, at which no adhesive 10 is applied. Tensions in the components 9 and 12 are thus also reduced to a necessary minimum, so that the first component 9 and the second component 12 have a high degree of parallelism to one another. This is of major importance, for example, when the first and the second component 9 and 12 are glass plates, which are adhered to one another parallel to one another at a predefined distance D for the use in holographic glasses.

(18) FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded drawing of some parts, which are used for producing the adhesive bond. From the bottom to the top, this is initially the plate holding frame 1, in which the support plate 2 is held and by which the support plate 2 can be adjusted.

(19) The support plate 2 has raised structures 4, wherein raised structures 4 are provided for holding four first components 9, so that four adhesive bonds can be produced at the same time. The raised structures 4 are thereby arranged so that they each come into contact with the first component 9 in an edge region of the first component 9.

(20) A mask 14, in particular a metal mask, is laid onto the base body 3 of the support plate 2 and is connected to the base body 3. The mask 14 is light-impermeable and has recesses, which coincide with the raised structures 4 of the support plate 2. By these recesses, light 13 can be applied to the adhesive 11 from below through the support plate 2 and the first component 9.

(21) The component holding frame 11, in which the first component 9 is received first and then the second component 12, comprises recesses for holding four first or second, respectively, components 9 or 12, respectively, so that a handling unit, which moves the component holding frame 11, can position four components 9 or 12 at the same time.

(22) Finally, four first plate-shaped components 9, for which an adhesive bond can be produced at the same time, are also shown in FIG. 2. The four second plate-shaped components 12 are preferably identical or similar to the first components 9.

(23) FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of an adhering device 15. The adhering device 15 comprises a work plate 16 and a base frame 17 supporting the work plate 16. The top side of the work plate 16 thereby defines a work plane E.

(24) A support plate 2 comprising raised structures 4 is located centrally on the work plate 16, and a light source 8 is arranged underneath the support plate 2 in a recess of the work plate 16. A control unit 18 of the adhering device 15, which controls the units of the adhering device 15, is only indicated.

(25) A camera system 19, here for example comprising two cameras 20, is arranged above the support plate 2. A handling unit 21 and a metering valve 22 for adhesive 10, which are displaceable in the work plane E and perpendicular to the work plane E, are moreover arranged above the work plate 16.

(26) To produce an adhesive bond between two at least partially transparent plate-shaped components 9 and 12, the first component 9, which is held in the component holding frame 11, is initially received by a receiving station 23 by the handling unit 21, is moved to the support plate 2, and is laid down there. The exact position of the first component 9 is detected by the cameras 20 of the camera system 19 and is evaluated in the control unit 18 by an image processing software.

(27) Adhesive 10 is subsequently applied to the first component 9 at predetermined locations by the metering valve 22. The second component 12, which is likewise held in the component holding frame 11, is then received by the receiving station 23 by the handling unit 21 and is moved to the support plate 2. Before the second component 12 is laid down onto the first component 9, it is detected by the cameras 20 of the camera system 19 and is evaluated in the control unit 18 by the image processing software. The measured position of the second component 12 is compared to the measured position of the first component 9 and—if necessary—the position of the second component 12 is corrected by the handling unit 21.

(28) The second component 12 is then laid down onto the first component 9 and is held parallel to the first component 9 at a distance D from the first component 9. This distance D is measured by a sensor 24, illustrated here as optical sensor, which is arranged close to the support plate 2 and which is directed towards the edges of the components 9 and 12. The handling unit 21 then moves the second component 12 in such a way that the distance D between the first and second component 9 and 12 corresponds to a predetermined distance D.

(29) As soon as the second component 12 is aligned correctly, the light source 8 is turned on, and light 13 is applied to the adhesive 10 for curing from the underside of the support plate 2 through the support plate 2 and through the first component 9.

(30) After a predefined duration, the light source 8 is turned off again, and the components 9 and 12, which are adhered to one another, are transported to a delivery station 25 by the handling unit 21. The next components 9 and 12 can then be adhered to one another.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 1 plate holding frame 2 support plate 3 base body 4 raised structures 5 light-impermeable layer 6 intransparent section 7 transparent section 8 light source 9 first component 10 adhesive 11 component holding frame 12 second component 13 light 14 mask 15 adhering device 16 work plate 17 base frame 18 control unit 19 camera system 20 camera 21 handling unit 22 metering valve 23 receiving station 24 sensor 25 delivery station D distance E work plane