# US 9,433,965 B2 · Sealant forming apparatus, sealant forming method, and method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,433,965 B2 - Document ID: US9433965B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/793,166 - Filed: 2010-06-03 - Published: 2010-09-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-29 - Assignees: LG Display Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hae Joon Son; In Kyu Lee - Inventors: Hae Joon Son; In Kyu Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9433965B2 ## CPC - B05C 11/1002: {Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves} - B05C 5/02: {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work - G02F 1/1339: Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A sealant forming device, a sealant forming method and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device using the same are disclosed. According to the present invention, a sealant coagulated in a nozzle can be minimized or prevented by performing an instantaneous suction process. A sealant forming device includes a dispenser including a syringe, and a nozzle connected to a lower end of the syringe to discharge a sealant therethrough; a dispensing tube connected to the syringe to apply a pressure to the syringe; and an instantaneous suction tube connected to the syringe to extract the sealant remaining in the nozzle after discharging the sealant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sealant forming method comprising the following sequence: (1) discharging a sealant through a nozzle of a dispenser to dispense the sealant on a substrate, wherein the dispenser includes a syringe, and a nozzle connected to a lower end of the syringe to discharge a sealant, wherein the syringe is connected to a central tube and, first and second tubes are diverged from the central tube in different directions; (2) restoring an atmospheric pressure to the dispenser through an atmospheric tube; (3) extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle through an instantaneous suction tube connected to the syringe by applying a vacuum pressure; and (4) performing an additional suction process to prevent at least another portion of the sealant from moving down to an end of the nozzle through an additional suction tube connected to the syringe, wherein the instantaneous suction tube is connected to the first tube and, the atmospheric tube, a dispensing tube and the additional suction tube are connected to the second tube; wherein the central tube includes an element for measuring an amount of the sealant included in the syringe to determine a level of pressure of vacuum applied to the syringe and wherein the element includes a pressure sensor connected to the central tube, a third tube diverged from the central tube, an empty syringe connected to the third tube, and a selection valve to control the turn-on/off state of the central tube and the third tube; wherein the dispensing tube, the atmospheric tube, the instantaneous suction tube and the additional suction tube have a dispensing valve, an atmospheric valve, an instantaneous suction valve and an additional suction valve therein, respectively; and wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the atmospheric valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the instantaneous suction valve. ### Claim 2 A sealant forming method comprising the following sequence: (1) discharging a sealant through a nozzle of a dispenser having a syringe to dispense the sealant on a substrate, wherein the dispenser includes a syringe, and a nozzle connected to a lower end of the syringe to discharge a sealant, wherein the syringe is connected to a central tube and, first and second tubes are diverged from the central tube in different directions; (2) restoring an atmospheric pressure through an atmospheric tube to the dispenser; (3) extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle through an instantaneous suction tube connected to the syringe; (4) performing an additional suction process to prevent at least another portion of the sealant from moving down to an end of the nozzle through an additional suction tube connected to the syringe; and (5) measuring an amount of the sealant in the syringe to determine a level of pressure applied to the syringe, wherein the instantaneous suction tube is connected to the first tube and, the atmospheric tube, a dispensing tube and the additional suction tube are connected to the second tube; wherein the central tube includes an element for measuring an amount of the sealant included in the syringe to determine a level of pressure of vacuum applied to the syringe and wherein the element includes a pressure sensor connected to the central tube, a third tube diverged from the central tube, an empty syringe connected to the third tube, and a selection valve to control the turn-on/off state of the central tube and the third tube; wherein the dispensing tube, the atmospheric tube, the instantaneous suction tube and the additional suction tube have a dispensing valve, an atmospheric valve, an instantaneous suction valve and an additional suction valve therein, respectively; and wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the atmospheric valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the instantaneous suction valve. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes: switching off the atmospheric valve, the instantaneous suction valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the dispensing valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes applying a pressure to the dispenser by a dispensing regulator in the dispensing tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein restoring an atmospheric pressure to the dispenser includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the instantaneous suction valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the atmospheric valve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle further includes switching off a protection valve in a second tube connected to the dispensing, atmospheric and additional suction tubes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes applying a vacuum pressure to the dispenser by a substantially instantaneous suction regulator in an instantaneous suction tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein performing the additional suction process to the dispenser includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the atmospheric valve and the instantaneous suction valve; and switching on the additional suction valve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein performing the additional suction process to the dispenser comprises applying a vacuum pressure to the dispenser by an additional suction regulator in an additional suction tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein measuring the amount of the sealant in the syringe includes: applying a pressure to the syringe; applying a pressure to the empty syringe; and comparing the pressure applied to the syringe with the pressure applied to the empty syringe. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes dispensing the sealant on the substrate by moving the dispenser on the fixed substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes dispensing the sealant on the substrate by moving the substrate with the fixed dispenser. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The sealant forming method of claim 2, wherein the sealant is formed in a linear pattern. ### Claim 14 A method for manufacturing an LCD device comprising: preparing first and second substrates; dispensing a sealant on at least one of the first and second substrates, wherein dispensing the sealant includes the following sequence: (1) discharging the sealant through a nozzle of a dispenser to dispense the sealant on the substrate, wherein the dispenser includes a syringe, and a nozzle connected to a lower end of the syringe to discharge a sealant, wherein the syringe is connected to a central tube and, first and second tubes are diverged from the central tube in different directions; (2) restoring an atmospheric pressure through an atmospheric tube to the dispenser; (3) extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle through an instantaneous suction tube; (4) performing an additional suction process to prevent at least another portion of the sealant from moving down to an end of the nozzle through an additional suction tube connected to the syringe, wherein a dispensing tube, the instantaneous suction tube and the additional suction tube are connected to a central tube which is then connected to the syringe; (5) measuring an amount of the sealant in the syringe to determine a level of pressure applied to the syringe; and providing a liquid crystal layer to at least one of the first and second substrates, wherein the instantaneous suction tube is connected to the first tube and, the dispensing tube, the atmospheric tube and the additional suction tube are connected to the second tube and have a dispensing valve, an atmospheric valve, an instantaneous suction valve and an additional suction valve therein, respectively; wherein the central tube includes an element for measuring an amount of the sealant included in the syringe to determine a level of pressure of vacuum applied to the syringe and wherein the element includes a pressure sensor connected to the central tube, a third tube diverged from the central tube, an empty syringe connected to the third tube, and a selection valve to control the turn-on/off state of the central tube and the third tube; and wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the atmospheric valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the instantaneous suction valve. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the sealant has an injection hole formed therein and providing the liquid crystal layer includes bonding the first and second substrates and injecting a liquid crystal through the injection hole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein providing the liquid crystal layer includes dispensing liquid crystal on at least one of the first and second substrates. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes: switching off the atmospheric valve, the instantaneous suction valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the dispensing valve. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes applying a pressure to the dispenser by a dispensing regulator in the dispensing tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein restoring the atmospheric pressure to the dispenser includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the instantaneous suction valve and the additional suction valve; and switching on the atmospheric valve. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes switching off a protection valve provided in a second tube connected to the dispensing, atmospheric and additional suction tubes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein extracting at least a portion of the sealant remaining in the nozzle includes applying a vacuum pressure to the dispenser by an instantaneous suction regulator in an instantaneous suction tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein performing the additional suction process to the dispenser includes: switching off the dispensing valve, the atmospheric valve and the instantaneous suction valve; and switching on the additional suction valve. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein performing the additional suction process to the dispenser includes applying a vacuum pressure to the dispenser by an additional suction regulator in an additional suction tube connected to the syringe. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein measuring the amount of the sealant in the syringe includes: applying a pressure to the syringe; applying a pressure to the empty syringe; and comparing the pressure applied to the syringe with the pressure applied to the empty syringe. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes dispensing the sealant on the substrate by moving the dispenser over the fixed substrate. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein discharging the sealant through the nozzle of the dispenser includes dispensing the sealant on the substrate by moving the substrate with the fixed dispenser. ### Claim 27 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the sealant is formed in a linear pattern.