Friction roller and method for using the same

{
  "publication_number": "US2017038627A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Friction roller and method for using the same",
  "abstract": "The disclosure discloses a friction roller comprising: a friction roller body comprising an inner cylinder and a pattern-variable module wrapped outside the inner cylinder; and a controller connected with the pattern-variable module. The controller controls the pattern-variable module to deform according to step information of a surface for friction. Also disclosed is a method for using the friction roller. Embodiments of the disclosure enable alignment grooves with the same depth to be formed on the surface for friction by way of the friction roller, thereby reducing stripes on the surface for friction and enhancing the display effect.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A friction roller comprising: a friction roller body comprising: an inner cylinder, and a pattern-variable module wrapped outside the inner cylinder; and a controller connected with the pattern-variable module; wherein the controller is configured to control the pattern-variable module to deform according to step information of a surface for friction. 2. The friction roller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pattern-variable module comprises a first deformation layer comprising a plurality of first deformation units, and the controller is configured to control one or more of the first deformation units to deform in a radial thickness direction according to the step information of the surface for friction. 3. The friction roller as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is further connected with a detection machine, and wherein the detection machine is configured to, in response to instruction information instructing to detect a step generated by the controller, acquires the step information of the surface for friction and sends the step information to the controller. 4. The friction roller as claimed in claim 3, wherein the detection machine is configured to acquire an image of the surface for friction and to obtain the step information of the surface for friction according to the image of the surface for friction. 5. The friction roller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pattern-variable module comprises a second deformation layer comprising a plurality of second deformation units, and the friction roller body further comprises a deformation perception layer comprising a plurality of perception units corresponding to the plurality of second deformation units one to one, the second deformation layer and the deformation perception layer successively wrapped outside the inner cylinder, and wherein the controller is connected with the deformation perception layer and configured to acquire pressure sensing signals generated by the plurality of perception units according to magnitudes of undergone pressures and control one or more of the second deformation units to deform according to the pressure sensing signals. 6. The friction roller as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of perception units is provided with a first electrode, a second electrode, and insulation substance located between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode forming a capacitor, and wherein the perception unit is configured to generate the pressure sensing signal by producing a corresponding number of electric charges that cause a change in the number of the electric charges stored in the capacitor after undergoing a pressure. 7. The friction roller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the insulation substance is piezoelectric ceramic. 8. The friction roller as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of perception units are made from pressure-sensitive conductive rubber. 9. The friction roller as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the friction operation, the friction roller body further comprises friction cloth wrapped outside the pattern-variable module. 10. The friction roller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pattern-variable module is made from an inverse piezoelectric material, and wherein the controller is configured to apply an electric signal to the inverse piezoelectric material according to the step information of the surface for friction to cause a thickness of the inverse piezoelectric material to change. 11. The friction roller as claimed in claim 10, wherein an absolute value of an amount of change in the thickness is greater than zero and less than or equal to a height of a maximum step of the surface for friction. 12. A method for using a friction roller, the friction roller comprising a friction roller body and a controller, the friction roller body comprising an inner cylinder and a pattern-variable module wrapped outside the inner cylinder, the controller being connected with the pattern-variable module, the method comprising: controlling by the controller the pattern-variable module to deform according to step information of a surface for friction. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pattern-variable module comprises a first deformation layer comprising a plurality of first deformation units, and wherein controlling by the controller the pattern-variable module to deform according to the step information of the surface for friction comprises: controlling by the controller one or more of the first deformation units to deform in a radial thickness direction according to the step information of the surface for friction. 14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller is connected with a detection machine, and wherein before controlling by the controller the first deformation unit to deform in the radial thickness direction according to the step information of the surface for friction, the method further comprises: generating by the controller instruction information instructing to detect a step; acquiring by the detection machine the step information of the surface for friction in response to the instruction information; and sending by the detection machine the step information of the surface for friction to the controller. 15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein acquiring by the detection machine the step information of the surface for friction in response to the instruction information comprises: acquiring by the detection machine an image of the surface for friction; and obtaining by the detection machine the step information of the surface for friction according to the image of the surface for friction. 16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pattern-variable module comprises a second deformation layer comprising a plurality of second deformation units, and the friction roller body further comprises a deformation perception layer comprising a plurality of perception units corresponding to the plurality of second deformation units one to one, the second deformation layer and the deformation perception layer successively wrapped outside the inner cylinder, the controller connected with the deformation perception layer, wherein before controlling by the controller the pattern-variable module to deform according to the step information of the surface for friction, the method further comprises: acquiring by the controller pressure sensing signals generated by the plurality of perception units according to magnitudes of undergone pressures, and wherein controlling by the controller the pattern-variable module to deform according to the step information of the surface for friction comprises: controlling by the controller one or more of the second deformation units to deform according to the pressure sensing signals. 17. The friction roller as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pattern-variable module is made from an inverse piezoelectric material, and wherein the controller is configured to apply an electric signal to the inverse piezoelectric material according to the step information of the surface for friction to cause a thickness of the inverse piezoelectric material to change. 18. The friction roller as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pattern-variable module is made from an inverse piezoelectric material, and wherein the controller is configured to apply an electric signal to the inverse piezoelectric material according to the step information of the surface for friction to cause a thickness of the inverse piezoelectric material to change. 19. The friction roller as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pattern-variable module is made from an inverse piezoelectric material, and wherein the controller is configured to apply an electric signal to the inverse piezoelectric material according to the step information of the surface for friction to cause a thickness of the inverse piezoelectric material to change. 20. The friction roller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pattern-variable module is made from an inverse piezoelectric material, and wherein the controller is configured to apply an electric signal to the inverse piezoelectric material according to the step information of the surface for friction to cause a thickness of the inverse piezoelectric material to change."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal display technologies, and in particular, to a friction roller and a method for using the same.\n\nA liquid crystal panel in a liquid crystal display comprises a substrate, and a surface of the substrate is filled with a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. By controlling the arrangement direction of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules, the effect of displaying a different image may be achieved. In the liquid crystal panel, in order to achieve control of liquid crystal molecules, it is necessary to align a plurality of liquid crystal molecules such that the plurality of liquid crystal molecules located on the substrate surface are arranged uniformly in the same direction.\n\nIn the prior art, the substrate surface is made to have an alignment capability by causing a friction roller to roll relative to the substrate surface. In particular, the friction roller is a cylinder with an outer surface being wrapped with friction cloth, and the surface of the friction cloth is provided with a plurality of fibers. When the friction roller is rolling on the substrate surface along a set direction, the fibers on the friction cloth can exert to the substrate surface a pressure perpendicular to the substrate surface and a friction force along the direction in which the friction roller is rolling, such that alignment grooves with a consistent direction are formed on the substrate surface.",
  "cpc": [
    "G02F 1/13378",
    "G02F 1/1303",
    "G02F 1/1337",
    "G02F 1/133776",
    "G02F 1/133784"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G02F 1/13",
    "G02F 1/1337"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "BOE Technology Group Co Ltd",
    "Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yangkun Jing"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-07-22",
  "publication_date": "2017-02-09",
  "priority_date": "2015-04-03",
  "application_number": "US-201514912882-A",
  "family_id": "53345980",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}