Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-11-06
Aftergut, Jeff H. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312549
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an optical disk pasting apparatus and method for pasting optical disks, and in particular an optical disk pasting apparatus and a method for pasting optical disks which, when an optical disk adsorbed and held by an arm is caused to overlap on another optical disk which is placed on a disk table and is coated with an adhesive agent, is constructed so that closed space is formed between the two disks and is capable of pasting the two disks flatly without any air bubbles being mixed in the abovementioned adhesive agent by vacuuming the closed space.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in connection with a two optical disk pasting apparatus and a method for pasting the same, various types of technologies have been developed and proposed, wherein a chamber provided so as to enclose a pasting apparatus itself is made vacuum.
For example, the first technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 273213 of 1996 and the second technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 198720-1997 are listed. Hereinafter, a detailed description is given of these conventional arts.
The first technique (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 273213 of 1996) shown in
FIG. 7
is an art developed so as not to thicken the outer circumference of a disk due to a protection film.
That is, in a method and an apparatus
20
for producing pasted disks which the adhered surfaces of a pair of one-sided disks
21
and
22
are butted to each other and pressure-fitted after forming a projection film on a reflection film of the pit surface of the pair of one-sided disks
21
and
22
to be pasted together and coating an adhesive agent to the pasting surface of at least one of the one-sided disks, the space
28
in a vacuum chamber
26
is vacuumed by a vacuum pump (not illustrated), using a vacuum tank having such a size so as to cover pressure-fitting tables
25
and
26
a
to make the inside of the vacuum chamber
28
vacuum. Thereafter, by causing the pressure-fitting table
24
secured to a rod
29
to fall down, the outer circumferential portion
27
of the disks
21
and
22
is first pressure-fitted by ring-like projections
25
and
26
formed on the pressing surface of the upper and lower pressure-fitting tables
23
and
24
, and next, the entire surfaces of the disks
21
and
22
are adhered to each other.
The second technique (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 198720-1997) shown in
FIG. 8
is an art developed for an object for more effectively removing air bubbles which may be mixed in an -adhesive agent of the pasted disks
31
or in the disk
31
.
That is, in the pasting method of an overlapped disk
31
, the overlapped disk
31
placed between an upper press plate
37
secured at an axial portion
39
and a lower press plate
38
is positioned in closed space
33
formed by covering a chamber
32
in a compression device
30
, wherein when vacuuming the closed space
33
by a vacuuming tube
34
, O rings
35
which seal the chamber
32
are deformed by pressure given from the outside to the rigid chamber
32
, which forms the closed space
33
, and the overlapped disk
31
is compressed equivalent to a decrease in the sealing interval
36
in line with the deformation of the O rings
35
. Thereby, air suction resulting from the vacuuming is to suck air bubbles in the adhesive agent of the overlapped disk
31
.
In addition, the third technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. 245331 of 1991, which is illustrated in
FIG. 9
, is an art developed in order to exclude air bubbles in the adhesive agent, devise so as to make the thickness of the adhesive agent uniform, and maintain the flatness of the disks
43
and
44
in a good state.
That is, the technique is an art in which an adhesive agent is coated to at least one of a pair of disks
43
and
44
, the pair of disks
43
and
44
are faced to each other so that the surface on which the adhesive agent is coated comes inside, and at least one of the disks
44
is deformed by warping so that the center portion is swelled toward the disk
43
side. The pair of disks
43
and
44
are adhered to each other from the center portion to the outer circumferential side one after another. Accordingly, the pair of disks
43
and
44
cemented at their entire surfaces are compressed and pasted to each other.
However, the abovementioned conventional arts are inherently bound with the following problems and shortcomings. That is, in the first and second conventional arts, since vacuum chambers
26
and
32
having a greater capacity such that they can cover the disk plate are employed, the device itself becomes large-scaled, and the production cost is increased. Further, in these types of vacuum chambers
26
and
32
, since the inner capacity is great, it is necessary to increase a vacuuming force, wherein a lengthy period of suction (vacuuming) is required in order to get an appointed pressure condition, and the working efficiency is incorrect.
In addition, with the third technology, since a means for warping one disk
44
and pasting the disks
43
and
44
together is employed, a certain effect can be obtained with respect to removal of air between the disks
43
and
44
. However, in connection with effective removal of air bubbles mixed in an adhesive agent, removal is not sufficient in that the time required for causing the disk
44
to overlap on the disk
43
is slow, and air sufficiently exists in the surrounding of the disks
43
and
44
.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an optical disk pasting apparatus and a method for pasting optical disks which, in view of effectiveness of a vacuum suction technique in a disk pasting art, can achieve the vacuum suction by a simple construction and can prevent air bubbles from being mixed in an adhesive agent.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The following inventions are employed in order to achieve the following objects.
An optical disk pasting apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes an apparatus disk, whereby a second disk is caused to overlap on a first disk to which an adhesive is coated to paste the two disks together, wherein the second disk is attracted and held by being warped so that the second disk is swelled in the direction opposite to the first disk side opposite to the second disk, and the second disk is caused to overlap on the first disk. And, by bringing the outside am of the first disk and the second disk into contact with each other, closed space formed between both disks is made into a vacuum.
In the invention, since the face of the second, which faces the first disk, is attracted and held so that it is swelled to the side opposite to the first disk, and the second disk is caused to overlap on the waiting first disk disposed on a disk table, a space shaped so that a dish is upside down is created between the first disk and the second disk.
If the space is clogged and closed from its surrounding, and air in the corresponding space is vacuumed, the closed space can function as a vacuum chamber, wherein the second disk is attracted to the first disk side and is adhered on the adhesive agent coated on the first disk. Further, the closed space is remarkably smaller in capacity that that of the conventional vacuum chamber, and vacuuming can be carried out in a short time.
In addition, according to the vacuuming of the closed space formed between the first disk and the second disk, since the second disk can be quickly adhered on the adhesive agent coated on the first disk, no air bubbles can be mixed into the adhesive agent.
In addition, it is not necessary to have a large-scaled vacuum chamber which is formed so as to cover the entirety of members surrounding the disks such as a table, an arm, etc., which has disks placed thereon and holds the disks.
An optical disk pasting apparatus in accordance with the present invention is constructed so that the second disk is attracted and held by an arm having a disk holding portion on which a ring-li
Fujita Yuichi
Miyano Ken
Murakami Noboru
Sano Masaaki
Aftergut Jeff H.
Cole Thomas W.
Global Machinery Co., Ltd.
Haran John T.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
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