Method and device for filling of liquid material

Abstract

A liquid material filling device and method are provided which are intended to prevent air bubbles from remaining along an entire length of a flow passage extending from a liquid material reservoir (51) to a discharge port (53). The liquid material filling device includes a chamber (10) of an airtight structure, a pressure regulator (70) for regulating pressure in the chamber (10), and a control device (100). The liquid material is filled as follows. A negative pressure supply source (71) is communicated with a chamber communication pipe (90) and with a discharge device communication pipe (91) to reduce the pressure in the chamber (10) and pressure in an upper space of the reservoir (51) to a vacuum or a low pressure level close to a vacuum, and a resulted low-pressure state is maintained for a certain time to expel out air bubbles in the liquid material.

Claims

1. A liquid material filling device comprising: a chamber of an airtight structure; a pressure regulator for regulating pressure in the chamber; and a control device; the pressure regulator comprising: a negative pressure supply source; a first gas supply port; a second gas supply port; a first communication pipe in communication with the chamber; a second communication pipe connectable to a liquid reservoir inside the chamber; a changeover valve for changing over a first position at which the first communication pipe and the negative pressure supply source are communicated with each other, and a second position at which the first communication pipe and the first gas supply port are communicated with each other; an on-off valve A for establishing or cutting off communication between the first communication pipe and the changeover valve; an on-off valve B for establishing or cutting off communication between the first communication pipe and the second communication pipe; and an on-off valve C for establishing or cutting off communication between the second communication pipe and the second gas supply port; wherein the chamber includes a door, and wherein the pressure regulator is disposed outside the chamber and communicated with the chamber via the first communication pipe and the second communication pipe.

2. The liquid material filling device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is constituted so as to control the changeover valve, the on-off valve A, the on-off valve B and the on-off valve C.

3. The liquid material filling device according to claim 2, wherein the control device comprising: a first function for supplying a negative pressure to the first communication pipe and the second communication pipe from the negative pressure supply source by operating the changeover valve to the first position, opening both the on-off valve A and the on-off valve B, and closing the on-off valve C; a second function for communicating the first communication pipe and the second communication pipe by closing both the on-off valve A and the on-off valve C, and opening the on-off valve B; a third function for supplying a gas to the second communication pipe from the second gas supply port by closing the on-off valve B, and opening the on-off valve C; and a fourth function for supplying a gas to the first communication pipe and the second communication pipe from the first gas supply port by operating the changeover valve to the second position, opening both the on-off valve A and the on-off valve B, and closing the on-off valve C.

4. The liquid material filling device according to claim 1, wherein the first gas supply port and the second gas supply port are constituted by a same gas supply port.

5. The liquid material filling device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulator further comprising: a first flow control valve for adjusting a flow rate of a gas supplied to the first communication pipe; and a second flow control valve for adjusting a flow rate of a gas supplied to the second communication pipe.

6. The liquid material filling device according to claim 5, wherein a maximum flow rate through the first flow control valve is not less than three times a maximum flow rate through the second flow control valve.

7. The liquid material filling device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulator further comprising: a pressure gauge A for measuring a pressure of the first communication pipe in a state where the on-off valve B is closed, a pressure gauge B for measuring a pressure of the second communication pipe in a state where the on-off valve B is closed.

8. The liquid material filling device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber further includes a sensor for detecting a liquid inside the chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the constitution of a liquid material filling device according to the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state where a discharge device is installed inside the liquid material filling device according to the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control device.

(4) FIG. 4 is a partly-sectioned side view illustrating the constitution of the discharge device.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) One exemplary embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(6) <Constitution>

(7) As illustrated in FIG. 1, a liquid material filling device 1 according to the present invention includes, as main components, a chamber 10, a pressure regulator 70, and a control device 100. A discharge device 50 is installed in the chamber 10 of an airtight structure, and a filling step is performed in such a state. The pressure regulator 70 is to regulate respective pressures in the chamber 10 and a reservoir 51 of the discharge device 50, and the operation of the pressure regulator 70 is controlled by the control device 100.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the chamber 10 includes a door 11 fixed in place by hinges, a grip 12, locking members 13 and 14, and an airtight sealing member 15.

(9) The door 11 is opened and closed by a user grasping the grip 12. The inside of the chamber can be kept airtight by fixedly holding the door 11 with engagement of the locking member A 13 and the locking member B 14 in a state that the door 11 is closed and is pressed against the airtight sealing member 15 disposed in the form of a frame. The control device 100 and the pressure regulator 70 are installed in a rectangular parallelepiped housing above the chamber 10. A negative pressure gauge A 87 and a negative pressure gauge B 88 are disposed at the front of the housing such that the user can visually recognize those negative pressure gauges from the front side.

(10) The pressure regulator 70 includes a negative pressure supply source 71, flow control valve 80 to 82, on-off valves 83 to 85, a changeover valve 86, and the negative pressure gauges 87 and 88.

(11) The negative pressure supply source 71 is to supply predetermined negative pressure, and it can be constituted, for example, as a combination of a vacuum pump and a pressure reducing valve.

(12) The changeover valve 86 changes over a first position at which the negative pressure supply source 71 and the on-off valve A 83 are communicated with each other, and a second position at which the on-off valve A 83 and a gas supply port 92 are communicated with each other through the flow control valve C 82.

(13) One end of a pipe A 90 inserted into the chamber 10 is opened to a chamber space. One end of a pipe B 91 inserted into the chamber 10 is communicated with a lower end outlet of the reservoir 51. The pipe A 90 and the pipe B 91 are communicated, as illustrated in FIG. 1, with the gas supply ports 92 and 93 and with negative pressure supply source 71 through the flow control valves 80 to 82, the on-off valves 83 to 85, and the changeover valve 86. While, in this embodiment, the gas supply ports are communicated with the atmosphere to supply atmospheric gas, the gas supply ports may be communicated with an inert gas supply source to supply inert gas.

(14) As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control device 100 is electrically connected to a droplet detection sensor 61 and individual components of the pressure regulator 70. The control device 100 includes an arithmetic device and a storage device. In a filling step described later, the control device 100 automatically controls the operations of the changeover valve 86 and the on-off valves 83 to 85 in accordance with signals from the droplet detection sensor 61 and the negative pressure gauges 87 and 88. When the operations of the components of the pressure regulator 70 are controlled on the basis of a time schedule, the control device 100 may include a timer that is implemented with hardware or software.

(15) The droplet detection sensor 61 detects a droplet (or a liquid in the form of a string) discharged from a discharge port 53 of the discharge device 50, and sends a detection signal to the control device 100. A weighing device for measuring the weight of the droplet may be provided in a receiving pan 62, and the discharge of the droplet may be detected depending on a weight change of the receiving pan 62.

(16) FIG. 4 is a partly-sectioned side view illustrating the constitution of the discharge device 50.

(17) The reservoir 51 and a discharge device body 52 are coupled to each other through a liquid feed member 56 including a flow passage formed therein. An electromagnetic valve 57 is fixed to one lateral surface of the discharge device body 52.

(18) A tip of a rod 55 extending in a vertical direction is arranged in a liquid chamber 54 in communication with the discharge port 53. The rod 55 is reciprocally moved within the liquid chamber 54 by a rod driving source that is constituted by, e.g., a piezoelectric element.

(19) The reservoir 51 has an outlet at its lower end and an opening at its upper end. An air tube is connected to a cover member (connector) that covers the opening of the reservoir 51, and is communicated with an air supply port of an air pressure supply unit 58. A controller 59 controls the operations of the electromagnetic valve 57 and the air pressure supply unit 58.

(20) When the discharge device 50 is installed inside the chamber 10, the discharge device 50 is disconnected from the air pressure supply unit 58 and the controller 59. On that occasion, the rod 55 is fixedly held at an elevated position such that the rod 55 does not close the flow passage communicating the liquid chamber 54 and the discharge port 53. In other words, the discharge device 50 is installed inside the chamber 10 in a state where the discharge port 53 and the outlet of the liquid reservoir 51 are communicated with each other.

(21) In use, the discharge device 50 is mounted to an application apparatus including a work table on which an application object is placed, an XYZ-direction moving device for relatively moving the discharge device, which discharges a fixed amount of the liquid, and the work table, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the XYZ-direction moving device.

(22) The discharge device 50 illustrated in FIG. 4 is merely one example, and the present invention is applicable to any type of discharge device in which a rod is operated in a liquid chamber communicating with a discharge port. The present invention can be applied to, e.g., a discharge device of jet type in which a valve member is impinged against a valve seat disposed at an end of a flow passage in communication with a nozzle, or it is stopped immediately before impinging against the valve seat, thereby causing a liquid material to be discharged in a flying way, a discharge device of plunger type in which the liquid material is discharged by moving a plunger through a predetermined distance, the plunger sliding in close contact with an inner surface of a reservoir that includes a nozzle at its tip, and a discharge device of screw type in which the liquid material is discharged with rotation of a screw.

(23) <Filling Step>

(24) (Preparation Step: Mounting of Discharge Device, Etc.)

(25) An operator performs the following operations as a preparation step.

(26) (1) Mount the discharge device 50 to a holder 60 disposed inside the chamber 10.

(27) (2) Connect the pipe B 91 to the cover member covering the opening of the reservoir 51 that stores the liquid material, thereby forming a closed space in the reservoir 51 on the upper side.

(28) (3) Install the receiving pan 62 under the discharge port 53 of the discharge device 50.

(29) (4) Adjust a detection range of the droplet detection sensor 61 to be overlapped with a vertical line extending from the discharge port 53 of the discharge device 50 downwards.

(30) (First Step: Reducing Pressures in Chamber and Reservoir)

(31) The control device 100 operates the changeover valve 86 to the first position at which the negative pressure supply source 71 and the on-off valve A 83 are communicated with each other, opens both the on-off valve A 83 and the on-off valve B 84, and closes the on-off valve C 85. In this state, the negative pressure supply source 71 is communicated with the chamber 10 through the pipe A 90 and with the reservoir 51 through the pipe B 91. Therefore, pressure in the chamber 10 and pressure of gas present in the upper space of the reservoir 51 are reduced due to the negative pressure supplied from the negative pressure supply source 71.

(32) Because the discharge port 53 of the discharge device 50 is opened to the chamber space, pressure in an inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52 communicating with the discharge port 53 is also reduced with reduction of the pressure in the chamber 10. On that occasion, the control device 100 preferably performs control to adjust the flow control valve A 80 with time such that air in both the chamber 10 and the reservoir 51 is not abruptly evacuated. The reason is that, if an abrupt pressure change is generated in the flow passage inside the discharge device 50 and the reservoir 51, a possibility of mixing of air bubbles occurs, and that, particularly if the liquid material in the reservoir 51 is disturbed, the possibility of mixing of air bubbles increases significantly.

(33) (Second Step: Removal of Air Bubbles)

(34) When detection values of the negative pressure gauge A 87 and the negative pressure gauge B 88 each reach desired pressure (i.e., a vacuum or low pressure close to a vacuum), the control device 100 closes the on-off valve A 83. With the closing of the on-off valve A 83, the supply of the negative pressure from the negative pressure supply source 71 to both the chamber 10 and the reservoir 51 is stopped, thus resulting in a state where the pressure in the chamber 10, the pressure in the reservoir 51, and the pressure in the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52 are equal to one another. In such a state, the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52 is substantially brought into a vacuum state, and air bubbles are removed from all the liquid material present inside the chamber 10. This step of removing the air bubbles is continued for a certain time set in advance.

(35) (Third Step: Start of Filling of Liquid Material)

(36) After the lapse of the certain time, the control device 100 closes the on-off valve B 84 to cut off the communication between the pipe A 90 and the pipe B 91. As a result, the communication between the chamber 10 and the upper space of the reservoir 51 is also cut off. Thereafter, the control device 100 closes the flow control valve B 81 and then opens the on-off valve C 85. At that time, because the flow control valve B 81 is closed, a reading of the negative pressure gauge B 88 is not changed.

(37) The control device 100 then gradually opens the flow control valve B 81. With the opening of the flow control valve B 81, atmospheric gas flows into the upper space of the reservoir 51 from the gas supply port 93 through the on-off valve C 85. On that occasion, the control device 100 preferably adjusts an opening degree of the flow control valve B 81 such that the liquid material in the reservoir 50 does not abruptly flow into the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52.

(38) As an amount of the atmospheric gas flowing into the reservoir 51 increases, the pressure in the reservoir 51 rises and the reading of the negative pressure gauge B 88 also increases. The inflow of the atmospheric gas into the reservoir 51 (i.e., a pressure rise therein) is continued until the negative pressure gauge B 88 indicates a desired pressure value. Because the communication between the flow passage (pipe) B 91 and the flow passage (pipe) A 90 is kept cut off with the presence of the liquid material inside the reservoir 51, a reading of the negative pressure gauge A 87 does not increase. A difference between the reading of the negative pressure gauge A 87 and the reading of the negative pressure gauge B 88 indicates a differential pressure between the reservoir 51 and the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52. The differential pressure serves as propulsion pressure for feeding the liquid material inside the reservoir 51 to the inner flow passage of the discharge device. The negative pressure in the chamber 10 is, e.g., 60 to 100 kPa, and the differential pressure between the negative pressure gauge A and the negative pressure gauge B is, e.g., several ten kPa to several hundred kPa.

(39) While the above description is made in connection with the method of opening the on-off valve C 85 and then opening the flow control valve B 81 by the control device 100, the on-off valve C 85 may be opened after setting the opening degree of the flow control valve B 81 in advance by the control device 100.

(40) (Fourth Step: Stop of Filling of Liquid Material)

(41) Upon the reading of the negative pressure gauge B 88 reaching the desired value, the control device 100 closes the on-off valve C 85. Instead of utilizing the reading of the negative pressure gauge B 88, the on-off valve C 85 may be closed after the lapse of a certain time. On that occasion, the differential pressure between the negative pressure gauge A 87 and the negative pressure gauge B 88 is maintained with the on-off valve B 84 being kept closed. Accordingly, the liquid material continues to moderately flow into the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52 from the reservoir 51. When it is ascertained from the detection signal from the droplet detection sensor 61 that the liquid material having flowed from the reservoir 51 has reached the discharge port 53, the control device 100 opens the on-off valve B 84 to communicate the pipe A 90 and the pipe B 91 with each other. As a result, the difference between the pressure in the reservoir 51 and the pressure in the chamber 10 is eliminated, and the inflow of the liquid material into the inner flow passage of the discharge device body 52 from the reservoir 51 is stopped. At that time, the readings of the negative pressure gauge A 87 and the negative pressure gauge B 88 are equal to each other (pressure equilibrium state).

(42) (Fifth Step: Release of Negative Pressure in Chamber)

(43) The control device 100 sets the changeover valve 86 to the second position, thereby communicating the on-off valve A 83 and the flow control valve C 82 with each other. At that time, the on-off valve A 83 and the flow control valve C 82 are in the closed state, and the on-off valve B 84 is in the opened state. Then, the control device 100 opens the on-off valve A 83 and gradually opens the flow control valve C 82. As a result, the atmospheric gas flows, from the gas supply port 92, into the chamber 10 through the pipe A 90, and into the upper space of the reservoir 51 through the pipe B 91. Accordingly, the pressures in the chamber 10 and the reservoir 51 rise and become equal to the atmosphere pressure.

(44) While the above description is made in connection with the method of opening the on-off valve A 83 and then opening the flow control valve C 82 by the control device 100, the on-off valve A 83 may be opened after setting the opening degree of the flow control valve C 82 in advance by the control device 100.

(45) Alternatively, in this step, the atmospheric gas may be introduced, from the gas supply port 93, to flow into the chamber 10 and the upper space of the reservoir 51. In other words, the control device 100 may, from the state where the on-off valve A 83, the on-off valve C 85 and the flow control valve B 81 are closed and the on-off valve B 84 is opened, open the on-off valve C 85 and gradually open the flow control valve B 81. Also on that occasion, the on-off valve C 85 may be opened after setting the opening degree of the flow control valve B 81 in advance by the control device 100. When the negative pressure in the chamber is released through the gas supply port 93, the changeover valve 86 is not required, and the flow control valve A 80 and the on-off valve A 83 can be directly coupled to each other.

(46) However, the inflow ports for the atmospheric gas are preferably provided as separate ports in some cases for the reason that, comparing the inflow of the atmospheric gas into the reservoir 51 in the third step and the inflow of the atmospheric gas into the chamber in the fifth step, the inflow amount of the atmospheric gas is much larger in the fifth step. Stated in another way, the case of providing the changeover valve 86 as well is advantageous in that it is possible to introduce the atmospheric gas to flow in from the gas supply port 92 through one valve adapted for a large flow rate, and to introduce the atmospheric gas to flow in from the gas supply port 93 through another valve adapted for a small flow rate. As a result, the negative pressure in the chamber can be quickly released in the fifth step. For example, a maximum flow rate through the flow control valve C 82 can be set to be not less than three times (preferably not less than five times and more preferably not less than ten times) that through the flow control valve B 81.

(47) (Posterior Step: Taking-Out of Discharge Device)

(48) The operator visually checks that the readings of the negative pressure gauges A 87 and B 88 have returned to the atmospheric pressure, and then takes out the discharge device 50 (i.e., the reservoir 51 and the discharge device body 52) from the chamber 10.

(49) While the above-described first to fifth steps are automatically executed in principle, it is a matter of course that a part or the whole of those steps may be manually performed.

(50) According to the liquid material filling device 1 described above, since the liquid material is filled in the vacuum state or in the substantially vacuum state where the atmosphere does not remain, the liquid material with no air bubbles remained therein can be caused to fill throughout the flow passage extending from the reservoir to the discharge port. Furthermore, since the discharge device is itself placed in the chamber and is held in the vacuum state, there is no possibility that gas flows into the inner flow passage of the discharge device from the discharge port.

(51) Thus, according to the present invention, since no air bubbles remain in the flow passage extending from the reservoir to the discharge port, advantageous effects are obtained in that an amount of the discharged liquid material is stabilized, and that discharge failures are not caused. Furthermore, since liquid dripping or posterior dripping from the discharge port attributable to the remaining air bubbles does not occur, the liquid material can be discharged in a clean condition. Moreover, in a discharge device of the type discharging the liquid material from the discharge port in a state of droplets, accuracy of droplet-landed positions is increased. The present invention is so much effective especially in a mechanical discharge device in which a tip of an operating shaft (rod) is arranged in a liquid chamber communicating with a discharge port.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(52) 1: liquid material filling device 10: chamber 11: door 12: grip 13: locking member A 14: locking member B 15: sealing member 50: discharge device 51: reservoir (syringe) 52: discharge device body 53: discharge port 54: liquid chamber 55: rod 56: liquid feed member 57: electromagnetic valve 58: air pressure supply unit 59: controller 60: holder 61: droplet detection sensor 62: receiving pan 70: pressure regulator 71: negative pressure supply source 80: flow control valve A 81: flow control valve B 82: flow control valve C 83: on-off valve A 84: on-off valve B 85: on-off valve C 86: changeover valve 87: negative pressure gauge A (pressure gauge A) 88: negative pressure gauge B (pressure gauge B) 90: pipe A (chamber communication pipe) 91: pipe B (discharge device communication pipe) 92: gas supply port 93: gas supply port 100: control device