Automatic spacers mounting system for field emission display and method of automatically mounting spacers

A method of automatically mounting spacers, the method comprising:

• spraying glue onto a plurality of positions on a panel;
• loading the panel onto a working table below an inserting guide of an automatic spacers mounting apparatus;
• horizontally positioning a plurality of spacers onto a horizontal arraying pallet;
• coupling the horizontal arraying pallet to a posture changing pallet;
• rotating the horizontal arraying pallet and the posture changing pallet by 180 degrees, thereby moving the plurality of spacers from horizontal positions to vertical positions;
• disposing the posture changing pallet above an inserting guide disposed above the panel;
• and
• allowing the plurality of spacers to fall through a plurality of guiding holes of the inserting guide onto the glue on the plurality of positions on the panel pressing the plurality of spacers to the panel.

An automatic spacers mounting system comprising:

• a horizontal arraying pallet configured to hold each of a plurality of spacers in a horizontal position in one of a plurality of elongated grooves formed in an upper surface of the horizontal arraying pallet;
• a posture changing pallet comprising a plurality of posture changing holes corresponding to the plurality of elongated grooves, wherein each of the posture changing holes comprises an inlet portion at an upper surface of the posture changing pallet, having a shape corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of elongated grooves, an outlet portion at a lower surface of the posture changing pallet having an inner circumference corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of spacers in a vertical position, and a curved portion which connects the inlet portion to the outlet portion and which is configured to guide one of the plurality of spacers from a horizontal position in the inlet portion to a vertical position in the outlet portion;
• an inserting guide comprising a plurality of guiding holes corresponding to the plurality of posture changing holes;
• a shutter comprising a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of guiding holes;
• means for coupling the shutter to the posture changing pallet and the posture changing pallet to the horizontal arraying pallet such that the posture changing pallet is disposed above the horizontal arraying pallet, the shutter is disposed above the posture changing pallet, and the upper surface of the posture changing pallet contacts the upper surface of the horizontal arraying pallet;
• means for rotating the shutter, the posture changing pallet, and the horizontal arraying pallet by 180 degrees such that the plurality of spacers disposed the plurality of elongated grooves of the horizontal arraying pallet fall through inlet portions and curved portions of the plurality of posture changing holes into outlet portions of the plurality of posture changing holes;
• means for positioning the posture changing pallet and the shutter above a panel;
• and
• means for moving the shutter to an open position in which positions of the plurality of through holes of the shutter correspond to positions of the plurality of posture changing holes of the posture changing pallet, such that the plurality of spacers disposed in outlet portions of the plurality of posture changing holes fall through the plurality of through holes onto the panel.

A method of automatically mounting spacers on a panel, the method comprising:

• arranging a plurality of spacers into horizontal positions in a plurality of elongated grooves formed in an upper surface of a horizontal arraying pallet;
• coupling an upper surface of a posture changing pallet to the upper surface of the horizontal arraying pallet, wherein the posture changing pallet comprises:
• a plurality of posture changing holes corresponding to the plurality of elongated grooves, wherein each of the posture changing holes comprises an inlet portion at the upper surface of the posture changing pallet, having a shape corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of elongated grooves, an outlet portion at a lower surface of the posture changing pallet having an inner circumference corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of spacers in a vertical position, and a curved portion which connects the inlet portion to the outlet portion and which is configured to guide one of the plurality of spacers from a horizontal position in the inlet portion to a vertical position in the outlet portion;
• coupling a shutter to the lower surface of the posture changing pallet, wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of posture changing holes;
• rotating the shutter, the posture changing pallet, and the horizontal arraying pallet by 180 degrees such that the plurality of spacers disposed in the plurality of elongated grooves of the horizontal arraying pallet fall through inlet portions and curved portions of the plurality of posture changing holes into outlet portions of the plurality of posture changing holes;
• positioning the posture changing pallet and the shutter above a panel;
• and
• moving the shutter to an open position in which positions of the plurality of through holes of the shutter correspond to positions of the plurality of posture changing holes of the posture changing pallet, such that the plurality of spacers disposed in the outlet portions of the plurality of posture changing holes fall through the plurality of through holes onto the panel.