Inspection equipment

Abstract

To provide an inspection device capable of flattening and inspecting a tape-shaped flexible circuit board with electronic components mounted on one side. [Solution] An inspection device 1 for a tape-shaped flexible substrate with electronic components mounted on one side, comprising a transport device 3 for transporting the FPC 2 with the electronic component mounting surface facing upward, the transport device 3 includes an inspection roller 34 located on the lower surface of the FPC 2 at the inspection position of the FPC 2, which contacts the entire widthwise surface of the lower surface of the FPC 2, and a plurality of rollers 32, 33, 35 positioned in front of and behind the inspection roller 34 in the transport direction of the FPC 2, respectively, which contact only the widthwise ends of the FPC 2 and apply tension to the FPC 2, thereby pressing it against the inspection roller 34.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for a tape-shaped flexible substrate on which electronic components are mounted on one side.

Background Art

[0002] When attempting to perform an appearance inspection of a tape-shaped flexible substrate on which electronic components are mounted on one side by the optical cutting method, the tape-shaped flexible substrate must be flat in order to accurately measure the height. However, the tape-shaped flexible substrate has a completely different hardness from a general film, and furthermore, warping occurs due to heating during the mounting of electronic components, making it difficult to flatten.

[0003] In that regard, in the case of an inspection apparatus for a film, it is possible to flatten it by simply pressing a inspection roller against the back surface of the film. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an anti-reflection film defect inspection apparatus that presses an inspection roller against an anti-reflection film conveyed by a pair of rollers, images the film illuminated by an illumination light source with an imaging device, and processes the captured image with an image processing unit to extract defects.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, a tape-shaped flexible substrate that is harder than a general film and has warping is difficult to flatten like a film.

[0006] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide an inspection device capable of flattening and inspecting a tape-shaped flexible substrate on which electronic components are mounted on one side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inspection apparatus of the present invention is an inspection apparatus for a tape-shaped flexible substrate with electronic components mounted on one side, and is a transport apparatus that transports the flexible substrate with the surface on which the electronic components are mounted facing upward, and includes an inspection roller located on the lower surface of the flexible substrate at the inspection position of the flexible substrate, with which the entire widthwise surface of the lower surface of the flexible substrate is in contact, and a plurality of rollers arranged in front of and behind the inspection roller in the transport direction of the flexible substrate, respectively, and which contact only the widthwise ends of the flexible substrate to apply tension to the flexible substrate and press it against the inspection roller.

[0008] According to the inspection apparatus of the present invention, at the inspection position of a tape-shaped flexible substrate with electronic components mounted on one side, a plurality of rollers positioned at front and rear positions in the transport direction of the flexible substrate contact an inspection roller located on the underside of the flexible substrate, with the entire width of the underside of the flexible substrate in contact. These rollers contact only both ends in the width direction of the flexible substrate without contacting the electronic components mounted on one side of the flexible substrate, thereby applying tension to the flexible substrate and pressing it against the inspection roller, making it adhere tightly, and thus the tape-shaped flexible substrate with electronic components mounted on one side can be flattened at the inspection position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to flatten a tape-shaped flexible substrate with electronic components mounted on one side at the inspection location and inspect it. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the inspection device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the arrangement of the third, fourth, and fifth rollers in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the inspection device in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the FPC, and Figure 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the third roller, fourth roller, and fifth roller in Figure 1.

[0012] In Figure 1, the inspection device 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is an inspection device for an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) 2 as a flexible substrate. As shown in Figure 2, the FPC 2 is a tape-shaped flexible substrate with width W on which electronic components 20 are mounted on one side. Both ends 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2 are areas where electronic components 20 are not mounted. Sprocket holes 21 are provided at both ends 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2, into which the sprocket of the seventh roller 37, which will be described later, engages. The electronic components 20 are provided in the area 2B of the FPC 2 excluding both ends 2A in the width W direction.

[0013] The inspection device 1 includes a transport device 3 for transporting the FPC 2. The transport device 3 transports the FPC 2 with the side where the electronic components are mounted (the side shown in Figure 2) facing upwards (upper side in Figure 1). The FPC 2 is set in the transport device 3 wound on the unwinding reel 4 with the side where the electronic components are mounted facing outwards. The FPC 2 is unwound from the unwinding reel 4 and wound onto the take-up reel 5. The unwinding reel 4 and the take-up reel 5 rotate counterclockwise in Figure 1 around horizontal rotation axes 4A and 5A, respectively.

[0014] Furthermore, the conveying device 3 is equipped with first to ninth rollers 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39 in order in the conveying direction between the unwinding reel 4 and the take-up reel 5. The FPC 2 unwound from the unwinding reel 4 is guided by the first to ninth rollers 31 to 39 and wound onto the take-up reel 5. The first to ninth rollers 31 to 39 rotate around horizontal rotation axes 31A, 32A, 33A, 34A, 35A, 36A, 37A, 38A, and 39A, respectively. Note that rotation axes 4A, 5A, 31A, 33A, 34A, 35A, 36A, 37A, and 38A are fixed. Rotation axes 32A and 39A move vertically to absorb the speed difference between the speed at which the FPC 2 is unwound from the unwinding reel 4 and the speed at which it is wound onto the take-up reel 5. Additionally, the rotating axes 32A and 39A move vertically to remove slack in the FPC2.

[0015] The inspection position is set between the unwinding reel 4 and the winding reel 5. A three-dimensional measuring device 6 is provided above the inspection position. The fourth roller 34, located on the underside of the FPC2 at the inspection position, is a cylindrical inspection roller that contacts the entire width W direction (both ends 2A and area 2B) of the underside of the FPC2, as shown in Figure 3. The outer diameter of the fourth roller 34 is larger than that of the other rollers 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39 because a larger outer diameter reduces the bending of the FPC2 at the inspection position. The outer diameter of the fourth roller 34 is set to, for example, approximately φ60 mm to φ200 mm.

[0016] The three-dimensional measuring device 6 inspects electronic components mounted on the upper surface (mounting surface) of the FPC2 using the light section method. The three-dimensional measuring device 6 irradiates the FPC2 on the fourth inspection roller 34 perpendicularly with slit light 7 extending in the width W direction of the FPC2, and captures the reflected light from diagonally above with the imaging device 8 to obtain an inspection image. This three-dimensional measuring device 6 measures and inspects the three-dimensional dimensions, appearance, and shape of the electronic components 20 mounted on the FPC2.

[0017] The second roller 32, the third roller 33, and the fifth roller 35 are respectively arranged in the front and rear positions in the conveyance direction of the FPC 2 with respect to the fourth roller 34 for inspection. The second roller 32, the third roller 33, and the fifth roller 35 are for pressing against the fourth roller 34 for inspection by contacting only both end portions 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2 and applying tension to the FPC 2.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the third roller 33 has a cylindrical body portion 40, first enlarged diameter portions 41 provided at both end portions of the body portion 40, and second enlarged diameter portions 42 provided further outside both of the first enlarged diameter portions 41. The third roller 33 is formed such that the outer diameter of the body portion 40 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first enlarged diameter portion 41 so that the first enlarged diameter portions 41 contact only both end portions 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2.

[0019] The second enlarged diameter portion 42 is formed to have a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the first enlarged diameter portion 41. Also, the width B between the inner surfaces 42A and 42B of the second enlarged diameter portions 42 provided on both outer sides of the first enlarged diameter portion 41 is set to be slightly wider than the width W of the FPC 2. The FPC 2 contacts only both end portions 2A thereof with the first enlarged diameter portion 41 within the width B between the inner surfaces 42A and 42B of the second enlarged diameter portions 42.

[0020] Note that the second roller 32 and the fifth roller 35 also have the same configuration as the third roller 33. However, for positioning the FPC 2 in the width W direction on the fourth roller 34, in the third roller 33, as shown in FIG. 3, the back side edge 22A of the FPC 2 is set to contact the inner surface 42A of the back side second enlarged diameter portion 42. At this time, a gap is formed between the front side edge 22B of the FPC 2 and the inner surface 42B of the front side second enlarged diameter portion 42.

[0021] On the other hand, in the fifth roller 35 behind the fourth roller 34 in the conveyance direction with the fourth roller 34 interposed therebetween, it is set such that the front edge 22B on the front side of the FPC 2 abuts against the inner surface 42B of the second enlarged diameter portion 42 on the front side, contrary to the third roller 33. At this time, a gap is formed between the rear edge 22A on the back side of the FPC 2 and the inner surface 42A of the second enlarged diameter portion 42 on the back side. Thereby, the width W direction of the FPC 2 on the fourth roller 34 is positioned. Note that the contact surfaces of the second enlarged diameter portion 42 with the front and rear edges 22A and 22B of the FPC 2 of the third roller 33 and the fourth roller 34 may be reversed.

[0022] The seventh roller 37 is a roller that feeds the FPC 2 from the unwinding reel 4 to the winding reel 5. The seventh roller 37 has a sprocket for feeding the FPC 2 by engaging with the sprocket holes 21 at both end portions 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2. When the sprocket of the seventh roller 37 engages with the sprocket holes 21 of the FPC 2 and rotates at a constant speed, the FPC 2 passes through the inspection position on the fourth roller 34 at a constant speed.

[0023] In the inspection apparatus 1 provided with the conveyance apparatus 3 having the above-described configuration, the second roller 32, the third roller 33, and the fifth roller 35 contact only both end portions 2A in the width W direction of the FPC 2 unwound from the unwinding reel 4 and apply tension to the FPC 2, thereby pressing and adhering the FPC 2 to the inspection fourth roller 34. Thereby, the FPC 2 having the electronic components 20 mounted on one side (upper surface) becomes flat at the inspection position, and the three-dimensional dimensions, appearance, and shape of the electronic components 20 mounted on the FPC 2 can be measured and inspected by the three-dimensional measuring apparatus 6.

Industrial Applicability

[0024] The inspection apparatus of the present invention is useful as an apparatus for inspecting a tape-shaped flexible printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted on one side.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1 Inspection apparatus 2 FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) 3 Conveyance apparatus 4 reels 5. Winding reel 6. Three-dimensional measuring device 7 Slit light 8. Imaging device 20 Electronic Components 21 sprocket holes 31-39 Laura 1-9 40 Torso 41 1st enlarged diameter section 42 Second enlarged diameter section

Claims

1. An inspection device for a tape-shaped flexible circuit board with electronic components mounted on one side, A transport device for transporting the flexible substrate with the mounting surface of the electronic components facing upward, the transport device includes an inspection roller located on the lower surface of the flexible substrate at the inspection position of the flexible substrate, with the entire widthwise surface of the lower surface of the flexible substrate in contact with it, and a plurality of rollers positioned in front of and behind the inspection roller in the transport direction of the flexible substrate, respectively, and contacting only the widthwise ends of the flexible substrate to apply tension to the flexible substrate and press it against the inspection roller.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging device for capturing an inspection image of the flexible substrate above the inspection position of the flexible substrate.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transport device has a sprocket that engages with sprocket holes provided at both ends in the width direction of the flexible substrate to transport the flexible substrate.

Images