Electronic Component Inspection Backlighting for Terminal Flatness

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for inspecting electronic components face challenges in accurately determining the flatness of terminals due to light scattering at the edges, leading to less sharp images and reduced accuracy in specifying inspection points.

Innovation Solution

The proposed method involves using reflective plates to redirect light onto the terminals from the back face, capturing a backlit image with sharp edges, and setting inspection points based on contour detection, thereby enhancing the accuracy of determining the terminal's height and flatness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If light is irradiated from the side of the mounting face of the terminal, then the terminal can be illuminated for imaging, but light scattering at the edge occurs resulting in less sharp images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal illuminationVSAvoidedge sharpness
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional illumination approach by irradiating light from the back face of the terminal rather than from the mounting face side. This reverse illumination direction prevents light scattering at the edge while still achieving adequate terminal illumination, resulting in sharper images with clearly defined edges for accurate inspection point specification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Illumination intensity

If light is irradiated from the mounting face side, then the terminal is illuminated, but the scattered light makes it difficult to specify inspection points accurately

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal illuminationVSAvoidinspection point specification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reverses the illumination direction from the mounting face side to the back face of the terminal. This inversion eliminates light scattering that occurs with side illumination, producing clear terminal images with well-defined edges, thereby enabling accurate specification of inspection points for flatness measurement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Loss of information

If conventional side illumination is used, then the terminal can be seen in the image, but the edge becomes less sharp reducing height measurement accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal visibilityVSAvoidheight measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the illumination approach by shining light from the back face of the terminal instead of from the side. This reverse illumination maintains terminal visibility in the captured image while preventing edge scattering, thereby preserving edge sharpness and enabling accurate height measurement for flatness determination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach allows for precise specification of inspection points and improved accuracy in detecting the flatness of electronic components by obtaining sharp images of the terminals, even when light is scattered, thus enhancing the reliability of the inspection process.

Implementation Method 1

a reflective plate 21, 22 which reflects the irradiation light L onto the terminal 11, 12 from the back face

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3926331B1Electronic component inspection method
Publication Date: 2025.03.26 SUMIDA CORP
  • EP3926331B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3926331B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3926331B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an electronic component inspection apparatus that includes: a holding unit that holds an electronic component having a component body and terminals; light sources and reflection plates that irradiate reflected light at least on the terminals of the electronic component held by the holding unit, from the side of a back face opposite to a mounting face of the electronic component; a camera that captures an image of the electronic component under irradiation of the reflected light, from the side of the mounting face; and a control unit that controls processing related to inspection of the electronic component, on the basis of the image of the electronic component captured by the camera.