Flexible circuit board inspection device
By using a test stage assembly with linear guide rails and adjustable telescopic rods, and through the coordinated adjustment of multiple components, the problems of positioning and image acquisition in flexible circuit board testing are solved, achieving accurate testing and high-efficiency adaptability, and reducing equipment replacement costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHAOYUAN WEIYU CIRCUIT BOARD CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-04
AI Technical Summary
Flexible circuit boards have poor adaptability to positioning and adjustment during appearance inspection, and the camera's image acquisition accuracy is insufficient, resulting in low inspection accuracy and a high likelihood of misjudgment or missed judgment.
The inspection stage assembly, which uses linear guide rails and adjustable telescopic rods, combined with a vacuum generator and vacuum regulating valve, achieves stable fixation of flexible circuit boards; it utilizes industrial cameras and CCD camera assemblies, and achieves high-definition image acquisition through an autofocus module and a ring light source; multiple components are adjusted collaboratively to adapt to inspection requirements of different sizes and types.
It achieves precise positioning and high-resolution image acquisition of flexible circuit boards, reduces detection errors, broadens the application range of the device, and reduces equipment replacement costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224594525U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of circuit board testing technology, specifically a flexible circuit board testing device. Background Technology
[0002] Flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) are highly flexible printed circuit boards made with polyimide or polyester film as the substrate. They can be bent, rolled, and folded freely during installation and are widely used in precision equipment such as mobile phones, computers, and automotive electronics. During the FPCB production process, flexible FPCB testing equipment is required to inspect the appearance, conductivity, insulation, and other performance indicators of the FPCBs to ensure they meet production standards and usage requirements.
[0003] Visual inspection of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) refers to the identification and judgment of defects on the FPC surface using specific technical means. Common defects to be inspected include circuit scratches, exposed copper, foreign matter residue, uneven etching, and solder joint misalignment. It is a crucial step in ensuring the quality of FPC products and the reliability of subsequent electronic products. Inspection is generally carried out through manual visual inspection or optical inspection devices. Manual inspection requires inspectors to observe the surface of the FPC through a magnifying glass or microscope and rely on experience to judge whether defects exist. Manual inspection depends on the inspector's experience and concentration, resulting in low inspection efficiency, large subjective errors, and high labor intensity. Traditional optical inspection devices have poor adaptability; the fixed worktable cannot adaptively adjust to the bending characteristics of the FPC, easily causing wrinkles and warping of the FPC during inspection, leading to image acquisition distortion and affecting the accuracy of defect identification. In addition, traditional devices lack precise positioning mechanisms, and the FPC is prone to positional shifts during transportation or placement, causing the image captured by the camera to be unable to accurately align with the standard template, resulting in misjudgment or missed defect detection. Utility Model Content
[0004] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is that flexible circuit boards generally have poor adaptability in positioning and adjustment during appearance inspection, and the accuracy of camera image acquisition during inspection and recognition needs to be improved.
[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The present invention proposes a flexible circuit board inspection device, including a base and an inspection table assembly disposed on the base. A frame is disposed on the base and an electric telescopic rod is disposed on the frame. The free end of the electric telescopic rod extends to the bottom of the frame and is provided with a defect detection assembly. The testing stage assembly includes two sets of parallel linear guide rails and an adjustment platform slidably mounted on the linear guide rails. An adjustment telescopic rod is provided on the base at the other end of the linear guide rails. An installation cavity is provided at the bottom of the adjustment platform. Air holes are arranged in a rectangular array on the adjustment platform. A vacuum generator is provided in the installation cavity. The vacuum generator is connected to the air holes through a flexible hose. A vacuum regulating valve is also provided on the flexible hose.
[0006] Preferred technical solution 1: The defect detection component includes a mounting box, a detection disk rotating at the bottom of the mounting box, a rotary motor installed inside the mounting box with its power output shaft connected to the detection disk, the top of the mounting box connected to the free end of an electric telescopic rod, an industrial camera installed at the center of the bottom of the detection disk, and three sets of CCD camera components equidistantly arranged on the detection disk.
[0007] Preferred technical solution 2: The CCD camera assembly includes a U-shaped mounting bracket installed at the bottom of the detection plate, an adjustment block rotating inside the U-shaped mounting bracket, an adjustment motor for driving the adjustment block to rotate on the outer wall of the U-shaped mounting bracket, and a CCD camera installed at the bottom of the adjustment block.
[0008] Preferred technical solution three: A ring light source is also provided at the bottom of the detection disk.
[0009] Preferred technical solution four: A controller is provided on the frame, and the rotary motor, adjusting telescopic rod, adjusting motor and electric telescopic rod are all electrically connected to the controller.
[0010] Preferred technical solution five: A terminal computer is also provided on the base, and the industrial camera and CCD camera are both connected to the terminal computer via data cables.
[0011] Preferred technical solution six: A dust cover is provided on the base corresponding to the defect detection component. An opening on one side of the dust cover is used for the entry and exit of the adjustment table, and a sealing door is also provided on one side of the opening of the dust cover.
[0012] The flexible circuit board testing device proposed in this utility model has the following beneficial effects achieved by adopting the above-described structure: (1) The device can drive the adjustment table to slide back and forth along the guide rail through the linear guide rail of the detection table assembly and the adjustment telescopic rod, so as to facilitate loading and unloading operations. At the same time, the adjustment table, based on the coordinated control of the vacuum generator and the vacuum regulating valve, can form a uniform adsorption and fixation of flexible circuit boards of different thicknesses through the rectangular array of air holes, effectively avoiding the deformation or displacement of the circuit boards, solving the problems of poor positioning and adjustment adaptability and insufficient fixation stability in traditional detection, which not only meets the fixation requirements of circuit boards of different thicknesses, but also lays the foundation for subsequent accurate detection. (2) The defect detection component achieves high-definition image acquisition through multi-level precision control: On the one hand, the industrial camera has a built-in autofocus module, which can adjust the focus through the terminal computer to accurately align the acquired positioning mark image with the standard template, and achieve real-time data transmission with a delay of ≤10ms through the gigabit Ethernet data cable to ensure the accuracy of the positioning reference; on the other hand, the CCD camera integrates a 16-bit grayscale CMOS image sensor, which, together with the ring light source at the bottom of the detection plate, can acquire high-resolution optical images in a uniform lighting environment and quickly transmit them to the terminal computer through the USB3.0 data cable. At the same time, the supplementary lighting design of the ring light source further ensures that the positioning mark and circuit board details are clearly distinguishable, effectively solving the problem of insufficient acquisition accuracy and image blurring leading to recognition errors in traditional cameras; (3) The device achieves universality of detection through multi-component coordinated adjustment: the controller can link the rotating motor to adjust the circumferential angle of the detection disk, the adjusting motor to adjust the pitch angle of the CCD camera, and the electric telescopic rod to adjust the detection height. Combined with three sets of equidistantly distributed CCD camera components, the detection angle, detection height and detection range can be flexibly adjusted. Whether it is a flexible circuit board of different sizes or different types of detection needs such as edge defects and surface defects, it can be accurately adapted through multi-dimensional adjustment. Compared with the traditional fixed detection structure, the device has greatly broadened its application range and reduced the equipment replacement cost for detecting circuit boards of different specifications. Attached Figure Description
[0013] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible circuit board testing device proposed in this utility model. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible circuit board testing device proposed in this utility model. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible circuit board testing device proposed in this utility model. Figure 3 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a defect detection component of a flexible circuit board testing device proposed in this utility model.
[0014] The components include: 1. Base; 2. Inspection table assembly; 3. Frame; 4. Electric telescopic rod; 5. Defect detection assembly; 6. Linear guide rail; 7. Adjustment table; 8. Adjustment telescopic rod; 9. Air vent; 10. Vacuum generator; 11. Mounting box; 12. Inspection plate; 13. Rotary motor; 14. Industrial camera; 15. U-shaped mounting bracket; 16. Adjustment block; 17. Adjustment motor; 18. CCD camera; 19. Ring light source; 20. Controller; 21. Terminal computer; 22. Dust cover. Detailed Implementation
[0015] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0016] It should be noted that the terms “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “up,” and “down” used in the following description refer to the directions shown in the attached diagram, while the terms “inside” and “outside” refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.
[0017] like Figures 1-4As shown, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: A flexible circuit board inspection device includes a base 1 and an inspection table assembly 2 disposed on the base 1. A frame 3 is disposed on the base 1, and an electric telescopic rod 4 is disposed on the frame 3. The free end of the electric telescopic rod 4 extends to the bottom of the frame 3 and a defect detection assembly 5 is disposed thereon. The inspection table assembly 2 includes two sets of parallel linear guide rails 6, and also includes an adjustment table 7 slidably disposed on the linear guide rails 6. An adjustment telescopic rod 8 is disposed on the base 1 at the other end of the linear guide rails 6. The travel range of the adjustment telescopic rod 8 is 0-400mm. The free end is detachably connected to the side wall of the adjustment table 7 through a hinge seat, and is used to drive the adjustment table 7 to slide back and forth along the linear guide rails 6 for easy loading and unloading operations. An installation cavity is provided at the bottom of the adjustment table 7. Air holes 9 are arranged in a rectangular array on the adjustment table 7. A vacuum generator 10 is disposed in the installation cavity. Model: SMC ZH10BS, rated vacuum degree -85kPa, rated flow rate 100L / min, vacuum generator 10 is connected to air port 9 via a flexible hose, and a vacuum regulating valve is also installed on the hose. The vacuum generator 10 and the vacuum regulating valve work together to adjust the suction force of air port 9, so as to achieve uniform and stable fixation of the flexible circuit board. The vacuum regulating valve is model ASV310, with an adjustment range of 0-100kPa, and manual / electric dual adjustment modes. When the electric adjustment is performed, it is connected to the controller 20. During operation, after the vacuum generator 10 is started, the suction negative pressure of air port 9 is adjusted through the vacuum regulating valve, with an adjustment range of -20kPa to -80kPa, so as to achieve uniform and stable adsorption and fixation of flexible circuit boards with a thickness of 0.1mm-1mm, avoiding deformation or displacement.
[0018] like Figure 4As shown, the defect detection component 5 includes a mounting box 11, with a detection disk 12 rotating at the bottom of the mounting box 11. A rotary motor 13 is installed inside the mounting box 11, and the motor's power output shaft is connected to the detection disk 12, driving the detection disk 12 to rotate and adjust the detection angle. The top of the mounting box 11 is connected to the free end of the electric telescopic rod 4. An industrial camera 14 is installed at the center of the bottom of the detection disk 12. The industrial camera 14 is used to acquire images of the positioning marks on the flexible circuit board, making them accurately aligned with the standard template. The imaging focal length is adjusted, and the acquired image data is transmitted to the terminal computer 21 via a data cable. Three sets of CCD camera 18 components are equidistantly arranged on the detection disk 12. The lenses of the industrial cameras 14 face downwards, directly facing the center area of the adjustment table 7, and are used to acquire images of preset positioning marks on the flexible circuit board, such as circular reference points and cross marks. The industrial camera 14 has a built-in autofocus module, which can be controlled by the terminal computer 21 to adjust the imaging focal length, so that the acquired positioning mark images are accurately aligned with the standard templates stored in the terminal computer 21. The industrial camera 14 is connected to the terminal computer 21 via a gigabit Ethernet data cable. The image transmission delay is ≤10ms, and the acquired positioning image data is transmitted to the terminal computer 21 in real time. The bottom of the detection disk 12 is also equipped with a ring light source 19, which is used to provide uniform illumination to ensure that the positioning mark image is clearly distinguishable.
[0019] like Figure 4 As shown, the CCD camera 18 assembly includes a U-shaped mounting bracket 15 installed at the bottom of the inspection plate 12. An adjustment block 16 rotates inside the U-shaped mounting bracket 15. An adjustment motor 17 is installed on the outer wall of the U-shaped mounting bracket 15 to drive the adjustment block 16 to rotate. The CCD camera 18 is installed at the bottom of the adjustment block 16. The adjustment motor 17 is a stepper motor with a step angle of 1.8° and a self-locking function. The CCD camera 18 integrates a CMOS image sensor, which can convert the acquired optical image into a 16-bit grayscale electrical signal and transmit it to the terminal computer 21 via a USB 3.0 data cable. The defect analysis software in the terminal computer 21 analyzes and judges the defects of the flexible circuit board. Multiple CCD camera 18 assemblies can achieve flexible adjustment of the inspection angle and inspection height through the coordinated operation of the rotating motor 13 to adjust the circumferential angle, the adjustment motor 17 to adjust the pitch angle, and the electric telescopic rod 4 to adjust the height, so as to adapt to the inspection needs of flexible circuit boards of different sizes and defect types, such as edge defects and surface defects.
[0020] The frame 3 is equipped with a controller 20, and the rotary motor 13, the adjusting telescopic rod 8, the adjusting motor 17, and the electric telescopic rod 4 are all electrically connected to the controller 20. The base 1 is also equipped with a terminal computer 21, and the industrial camera 14 and the CCD camera 18 are connected to the terminal computer 21 via data cables.
[0021] How to use the flexible circuit board testing device Depending on the thickness of the FPC to be tested, the adsorption negative pressure is adjusted by the vacuum regulating valve: if the FPC thickness is ≤0.5mm, the negative pressure is adjusted to -20kPa~-50kPa; if the FPC thickness is >0.5mm, it is adjusted to -50kPa~-80kPa to ensure that the adsorption force is adapted to the FPC thickness and to avoid deformation or detachment.
[0022] Start the terminal computer 21, open the defect analysis software, and check whether the autofocus module of the industrial camera 14 and the CMOS image sensor of the CCD camera 18 are functioning properly, ensuring that image acquisition and signal conversion can operate stably. Open the sealed door of the dust cover 22 to ensure that the adjustment table 7 can smoothly enter and exit the inspection area inside the dust cover 22.
[0023] The controller 20 sends a command to activate the telescopic adjustment rod 8, driving the adjustment platform 7 to slide along the linear guide rail 6 toward the opening of the dust cover 22 until the adjustment platform 7 is completely removed from the dust cover 22, at which point the telescopic adjustment rod 8 stops. A person or a robotic arm then places the FPC to be inspected flat on the adjustment platform 7, ensuring that the positioning mark of the FPC is approximately located in the center area of the adjustment platform 7, corresponding to the area directly opposite the industrial camera 14.
[0024] The vacuum generator 10 is started by the controller 20. The vacuum generator 10 operates at the rated vacuum of -85kPa and the rated flow of 100L / min. The air in the air hole 9 is extracted through the hose. Combined with the previously preset negative pressure value, the suction force of the air hole 9 is finely adjusted by the vacuum regulating valve until the FPC is evenly and stably adsorbed on the regulating table 7. Observe that the FPC is not warped or displaced.
[0025] The telescopic rod 8 reverses its direction, driving the adjustment platform 7, which has the FPC adsorbed, to slide back into the dust cover 22 along the linear guide rail 6 until the center of the adjustment platform 7 is directly opposite the industrial camera 14 of the defect detection component 5. Then, the telescopic rod 8 is closed, and the sealing door of the dust cover 22 is closed to prevent external dust from interfering with the detection.
[0026] Activate the electric telescopic rod 4 via controller 20 and adjust the height of the defect detection component 5 connected to its free end: according to the FPC surface defect detection requirements, such as close proximity for surface scratches and slightly greater distance for edge defects, adjust the distance between the bottom of the detection disc 12 and the FPC surface to 50mm-150mm, then stop the electric telescopic rod 4. Turn on the ring light source 19 at the bottom of the detection disc 12 and adjust the light source brightness to uniformly cover the FPC surface, ensuring that the positioning marks are free of reflection and shadows, and that clear imaging is possible.
[0027] The terminal computer 21 sends a command to start the industrial camera 14 at the bottom center of the detection disk 12. The industrial camera 14 adjusts the imaging focal length through the built-in autofocus module and acquires the preset positioning mark image on the FPC. The image is transmitted to the terminal computer 21 in real time via a data cable.
[0028] The defect analysis software of the terminal computer 21 compares the acquired positioning mark image with the pre-stored standard template. If there is an offset, the software generates offset data and sends it to the controller 20. The controller 20 starts the rotating motor 13 in the detection disk 12, drives the detection disk 12 to fine-tune the rotation angle ±5° until the positioning mark image is completely aligned with the standard template, and then turns off the rotating motor 13.
[0029] The controller 20 activates the adjustment motors of the three CCD camera 18 components on the detection disk 12. Depending on the type of defect to be detected, such as an edge notch requiring a 30°-45° overhead viewing angle and a surface bulge requiring a 0° frontal viewing angle, the adjustment motor 17 drives the adjustment block 16 to rotate within the U-shaped mounting bracket 15, thereby adjusting the pitch angle of the CCD camera 18. Simultaneously, the rotation motor 13 can be activated again to fine-tune the circumferential angle of the detection disk 12, ensuring that the three CCD cameras 18 cover the edge area, the center area of the surface, and the corner area of the FPC, respectively, thus ensuring no blind spots in detection.
[0030] The terminal computer 21 starts up three sets of CCD cameras 18. The CMOS image sensor of the CCD camera 18 converts the acquired FPC optical image into a 16-bit grayscale electrical signal and transmits it to the terminal computer 21 via a USB 3.0 data cable.
[0031] The defect analysis software processes the received image data: it identifies edge defects of the FPC, such as notches and burrs, and surface defects, such as scratches, bulges, and foreign objects, and compares them with the defect threshold of the standard template to determine whether the FPC is qualified; at the same time, the software automatically records data such as defect location, size, and type, and generates an inspection report.
[0032] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, material, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, material, or apparatus.
[0033] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A flexible circuit board inspection device, comprising a base (1) and an inspection table assembly (2) disposed on the base (1), wherein a frame (3) is disposed on the base (1) and an electric telescopic rod (4) is disposed on the frame (3), and a defect detection assembly (5) is disposed below the frame (3) at the free end of the electric telescopic rod (4), characterized in that: The testing stage assembly (2) includes two sets of parallel linear guide rails (6) and an adjustment platform (7) slidably mounted on the linear guide rails (6). An adjustment telescopic rod (8) is provided on the other end of the linear guide rails (6) on the base (1). An installation cavity is provided at the bottom of the adjustment platform (7). Air holes (9) are arranged in a rectangular array on the adjustment platform (7). A vacuum generator (10) is provided in the installation cavity. The vacuum generator (10) is connected to the air holes (9) through a flexible hose. A vacuum regulating valve is also provided on the flexible hose.
2. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The defect detection component (5) includes a mounting box (11), a detection disk (12) rotating at the bottom of the mounting box (11), a rotary motor (13) is installed inside the mounting box (11) and the motor power output shaft is connected to the detection disk (12), the top of the mounting box (11) is connected to the free end of the electric telescopic rod (4), an industrial camera (14) is installed at the bottom center of the detection disk (12), and three sets of CCD camera (18) components are equidistantly arranged on the detection disk (12).
3. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The CCD camera (18) assembly includes a U-shaped mounting bracket (15) installed at the bottom of the detection plate (12), an adjustment block (16) is rotatably mounted inside the U-shaped mounting bracket (15), an adjustment motor (17) is provided on the outer wall of the U-shaped mounting bracket (15) to drive the adjustment block (16) to rotate, and the CCD camera (18) is mounted at the bottom of the adjustment block (16).
4. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The bottom of the detection disk (12) is also provided with a ring light source (19).
5. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The frame (3) is equipped with a controller (20), and the rotary motor (13), the adjusting telescopic rod (8), the adjusting motor (17) and the electric telescopic rod (4) are all electrically connected to the controller (20).
6. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: A terminal computer (21) is also provided on the base (1), and the industrial camera (14) and CCD camera (18) are connected to the terminal computer (21) via data cables.
7. The flexible circuit board inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: A dust cover (22) is provided on the base (1) at the position corresponding to the defect detection component (5). The dust cover (22) has an opening on one side for the adjustment table (7) to enter and exit. A sealing door is also provided on one side of the opening of the dust cover (22).