JP3239479B2 - Liquid crystal panel connection device and connection method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panel for an IC socket.
LCD panel that is electrically connected to external devices through the
The present invention relates to a connection device and a connection method .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a viewfinder of a video camera, a thin liquid crystal display device (hereinafter, referred to as "low power consumption") is used.
(Referred to as a liquid crystal panel). This type of liquid crystal panel is constructed by enclosing liquid crystal between a TFT substrate with a thin film transistor (TFT) formed on its surface and a counter substrate. By performing tests and inspections, non-defective products and defective products are distinguished in a process preceding the manufacturing process.

An aging test (aging test) is one of the tests and inspections of liquid crystal panels. In this aging test, a large number of assembled liquid crystal panels are put into a constant temperature chamber set at a certain high temperature, and each liquid crystal display device is left in a normal driving state for a long time while being driven. For example, it is a test for visual evaluation, and is a test for guaranteeing durability reliability when the video camera is used for a long time at a high temperature.

The overall productivity of the video camera is enhanced by discarding the liquid crystal panel in which an abnormality is observed in the display state as a result of the inspection and sending only non-defective products to a subsequent process.

[0005] When performing such an aging test, a large number of liquid crystal panels need to be put into a constant temperature chamber and driven in a normal driving state. Therefore, an inspection board called an aging board is connected via an IC socket. A liquid crystal panel is attached to the aging board, and the liquid crystal panel is driven by an inspection drive circuit formed on the aging board and an external device.

[0006]

The IC used here
Since the socket needs to drive the liquid crystal panel in the constant temperature chamber, the terminals of the liquid crystal panel and the terminals of the IC socket must be accurately joined together, and
After joining both terminals, it is necessary to fix the liquid crystal panel. In addition, in order to increase the test / inspection efficiency of the aging test described above, it is essential to automate the work of attaching the liquid crystal panel to the aging board.

[0007] As conventional IC sockets, plug-in sockets (DIP sockets), sockets provided with lids on the plug-in sockets, and the like are known, and are used properly depending on the terminal structure of the IC package. In order to automate the setting of a liquid crystal panel using a simple IC socket as it is, there are the following problems.

First, in the conventional IC socket with a lid, it is difficult to open the lid by an automatic machine, and it is not practical to shorten the work of attaching the liquid crystal panel to the aging board. In a normal IC package, a positioning guide or the like is formed in an IC socket, and the IC package is set in accordance with the positioning guide.
Although the terminals of the IC package were accurately joined to the terminals of the IC socket, setting the liquid crystal panel following the guide caused a problem specific to the liquid crystal panel, such that the side surfaces of the TFT substrate and the counter substrate were damaged. As described above, the IC socket used in the aging test requires a function of accurately joining the IC terminal and the socket terminal, and a function of fixing the liquid crystal panel thereafter.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, without damage to the liquid crystal panel, and an object thereof is to automatically attach the liquid crystal panel with high precision.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a liquid crystal panel connection device according to the present invention comprises a liquid crystal panel connection device for electrically connecting a liquid crystal panel having connection terminals on its surface to an external device. An IC socket electrically connected to the external device, and mounting means for mounting the liquid crystal panel to the IC socket, wherein the IC socket has a seat surface on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted. A formed socket main body, a contact pin provided on the socket main body for conducting between a connection terminal of the liquid crystal panel and a terminal of the external device, and a position provided on the socket main body to avoid interference with the liquid crystal panel. And a holding claw provided to be capable of opening and closing between a position where the liquid crystal panel is sandwiched in cooperation with the socket body, and wherein the mounting means releases the liquid crystal panel. After the holding portion is opened by pressing the cam surface formed on the holding claw, the liquid crystal gripped by the holding portion is provided. The panel is mounted on the IC
The liquid crystal panel is positioned at the mounting position on the seat surface obtained based on the image processing analysis of the marking provided on the socket body while avoiding contact between the peripheral end portion of the liquid crystal panel and the socket body, and the liquid crystal is moved from the grip portion. After the panel is released, the holding claw is closed by separating the grip portion from the IC socket to fix the liquid crystal panel to the IC socket.

A method of connecting a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention is a method for connecting a liquid crystal panel having a connection terminal on a surface thereof to an external device through an IC socket electrically connected to the external device. In the method, the IC socket is provided on the socket main body having a seat surface on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted, and provided on the socket main body, and electrically connects a connection terminal of the liquid crystal panel and a terminal of the external device. A contact pin, a pressing claw provided on the socket main body and provided to be capable of opening and closing between a position for avoiding interference with the liquid crystal panel and a position for holding the liquid crystal panel in cooperation with the socket main body. Holding the liquid crystal panel by a gripper of a mounting device, and pressing a cam surface formed on the holding claw by a cam surface provided on the gripper. After the holding claw is opened, the liquid crystal panel grasped by the grasping portion is moved to the mounting position on the seat surface obtained based on the image processing analysis of the marking provided on the IC socket body. Positioning while avoiding contact between the peripheral end and the socket body, releasing the liquid crystal panel from the gripping part, and then separating the gripping part from the IC socket, closing the holding claw and closing the liquid crystal panel. Fix to IC socket.

[0012]

[0013]

[Function] When attaching a liquid crystal panel to the IC socket,
It is necessary to accurately join the terminals of the liquid crystal panel to the terminals of the IC socket, and to fix the IC package to the IC socket after joining both terminals. In addition, there is also a demand for increasing the working efficiency by automating the mounting work without damaging the liquid crystal panel.

[0014] In this onset Ming, when mounting the liquid crystal panel to the IC socket, the liquid in the grip portion of the liquid crystal panel mounting device
The LCD panel is grasped and the liquid crystal panel is analyzed using an analysis method such as an image processing method based on the marking provided on the IC socket.
After calculating the mounting position of the panel , the gripper is placed at the mounting position of the IC socket.

As a result, the joining accuracy between the terminal of the liquid crystal panel and the terminal of the IC socket is improved as compared with the conventional method of mounting the liquid crystal panel at the mounting position by means of a positioning guide or the like. Since there is no physical contact method as described above, there is no possibility of damaging the liquid crystal panel .

[0016] On the other hand, when placing the liquid crystal panel in this way the IC socket, by a cam surface provided on the grip portion of the liquid crystal panel mounting device, presses the cam face formed on the pressing pawl of the IC socket As a result, the holding claw of the IC socket is opened. Then, the liquid crystal panel held by the holding portion is
When the holding portion is separated from the IC socket after being placed at the mounting position of the C socket, the pressing claw is closed by the bias of the elastic body, and the liquid crystal panel is fixed to the IC socket.

As described above, only when the liquid crystal panel is mounted, the holding claws of the IC socket are opened, and the opening / closing operation of the holding claws is performed by using the approach / separation movement of the liquid crystal panel mounting device. Thus, the operation of mounting the liquid crystal panel can be automated, and as a result, the efficiency of the mounting operation is improved.

[0018]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a liquid crystal panel (see FIG. 2) is used as an IC package, and a socket (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) used when a large number of liquid crystal panels are mounted on an aging board is used as an IC socket. The method of mounting the IC socket and the IC package of the present invention will be described by exemplifying the liquid crystal panel mounting method and the mounting apparatus (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a socket according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is partially cut away so that a structure for mounting an elastic body can be understood. 2A and 2B are views showing a liquid crystal panel which is an IC package, FIG.
(B) is a sectional view taken along line BB of (A). FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the IC socket according to the embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a half sectional view showing the IC socket according to the same embodiment, and is a sectional view along the line CC of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a principal part for explaining a state in which the liquid crystal panel is mounted on the IC socket of the embodiment. FIG. 5A shows the moment when the liquid crystal panel is mounted on the socket. ) Shows a state in which the liquid crystal panel is mounted and fixed in the socket. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a gripping portion of the IC package mounting apparatus according to the embodiment, wherein (A) is a front view and (B).
Is a side view. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the IC package mounting apparatus, similarly, showing a state in which the grip portion is lowered.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the socket 1 of the present embodiment has a socket body 2 made of engineering plastics having an insulating property such as polyether sulfone (PES). On the upper surface of the socket body 2, a seat surface 4 on which a liquid crystal panel 3 to be tested / inspected is placed is formed.

An opening 5 is formed at the center of the seating surface 4 so that the display state of the liquid crystal panel 3 can be observed. However, the opening 5 may be formed only when it is necessary to observe the display state by illuminating the backlight as in the liquid crystal panel 3, and when the opening 5 is simply left in a constant temperature chamber for an aging test. Need not form the opening 5.

An upright wall 6 is formed around the seating surface 4 to prevent the liquid crystal panel 3 from dropping after the liquid crystal panel 3 is placed on the seating surface 4. When mounting 3 on seat surface 4, the inner peripheral dimension of upright wall 6 is set larger than the outer peripheral dimension of liquid crystal panel 3 so that outer peripheral edge 3 a of liquid crystal panel 3 does not interfere with upright wall 6. . Incidentally, in this embodiment, the mounting position accuracy of the liquid crystal panel 3 with respect to the socket 1 is ensured by image processing analysis using the marking 7 described later.

Contact pins 9a, 9 which come into contact with the terminals 8 of the liquid crystal panel 3 shown in FIG.
b is attached. The liquid crystal panel 3 shown in FIG.
TF with thin film transistor (TFT) on the surface
The liquid crystal is sealed between the T substrate 10 and the opposing substrate 11. In FIG. 2, “8” is a TFT terminal provided on one side of the liquid crystal panel. A flexible printed circuit (FPC), not shown, is electrically connected. Further, “12” and “13” are an upper polarizing plate and a lower polarizing plate adhered to the front and back of the liquid crystal panel 3, respectively, and have polarization angles phased by 90 ° with each other.

One of the contact pins 9a and 9b attached to the socket body 2 is placed so as to be in contact with the terminal 8 shown in FIG.
Only supports the liquid crystal panel in contact with the surface of the opposite substrate of the liquid crystal panel 3. The other end of the contact pin 9a is attached to a terminal of an engine board, and the other end of the other contact pin 9b is inserted into the aging board to support and fix the socket.

A marking 7 is embedded in the seat 4 as an identification mark for image processing analysis. When the socket body 2 is colored black, the marking 7 is used to facilitate image identification. Is desirably colored white, for example. Note that the position where the marking 7 is provided is not limited to only the vicinity of the seating surface 4 as in the present embodiment.
What is necessary is just a range which can be imaged by a D camera or the like.

In mounting the liquid crystal panel 3 on the socket 1, the terminals 8 of the liquid crystal panel 3 and the contact pins 9a of the socket are positioned with high accuracy by image processing using the markings 7 described above. , LCD panel 3
The socket main body 2 is provided with a pair of holding claws 14 in order to fix the liquid crystal panel after the mounting.

The pressing claw 14 is rotatably supported by the through-hole 15 with respect to the socket main body 2. A spring 16 is interposed between the base end 14a and the socket main body 2, so that the pressing claw 14 is always shown in FIG. Are biased in the direction indicated by the solid line, that is, the direction in which the liquid crystal panel 3 is to be fixed. A cam surface 17 which is pressed by an IC package mounting device to be described later is formed at the tip of the holding claw 14, and the liquid crystal panel 3 is held by the foremost end 14b and the contact pins 9a and 9b provided on the socket body 2. It is designed to be pinched.

As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, when the cam surface 17 is pressed by the IC package mounting device, the pressing claw 14 opens against the elastic force of the spring 16 and the tips of the contact pins 9a and 9b. Is exposed, so that the liquid crystal panel 3 supplied from above is easily mounted. On the other hand, when the pressing force of the pressing claw 14 against the cam surface 17 is released,
The holding claw 14 is closed by the elastic force of the spring 16, and the top end 14 b of the holding claw is contact pin 9.
The liquid crystal panel 3 can be firmly sandwiched so as to face the tips of the a and 9b.

Next, the configuration of the grip portion of the IC package mounting apparatus will be described. The gripper 18 of the present embodiment is attached to, for example, a hand shaft 19 of a robot, and moves to a target position according to a command signal from a control device (not shown). On a base 20 fixed to the hand shaft 19, a bracket 23 to which a suction unit 22 is attached via a linear guide 21 (an upper linear guide 21a and a lower linear guide 21b) is provided to be vertically movable.

The bracket 23 is connected to a rod of a fluid cylinder 24 fixed to the base 20 via a plate 25. When the fluid cylinder 24 is operated, the bracket 23 moves up and down along the linear guide 21.
As a result, the suction part 22 moves up and down relatively to the base 20.

However, in order to prevent the suction unit 22 from excessively lowering and to realize the mounting of the liquid crystal panel by soft touch, a space is provided between the suction unit 22 and the bracket 23.
A spring 26 biasing downward in FIG. 6 is provided. Thus, even if the suction unit 22 is lowered too much by the fluid cylinder 24, the suction unit 22 or the work is not damaged. In this case, the lowering limit of the suction portion 22 is determined by the contact between the setting screw 28 and the pedestal pin 29.

Although not shown, the suction unit 22 is provided with a vacuum chuck, and the liquid crystal panel 3 is sucked by the vacuum chuck by applying or interrupting the suction force from a vacuum source. Or let go.

The lower surface of the base 20 is provided with rollers 27 (four in the present embodiment) for pressing the cam surface 17 formed on the holding claw 14, and the robot hand shaft 19 is operated. As a result, a pressing force is applied to the cam surface 17 of the pressing claw 14 from the roller 27 or released.

Incidentally, the CCD camera for identifying the marking 7 embedded in the socket body 2 is a base 2
0 or fixed to the robot hand shaft 19 or the like.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the liquid crystal panel 3 assembled as shown in FIG. 2 is sucked by the suction section 22 of the mounting device shown in FIG. At this time, T
The FT substrate 10 is sucked by the suction unit 22.

In this state, the gripper 18 is moved closer to the socket 1 and the CCD fixed to the hand shaft 19 or the like is used.
The marking 7 of the socket 1 is imaged by a camera. CCD
The image information captured from the camera is input to an image processing device (not shown), and the current position of the gripper 18 is compared with the position of the socket 1 obtained from the image information, and the image is sucked by the suction unit 22. The amount of movement of the hand shaft 19 is calculated so that the liquid crystal panel 3 placed on the seating surface 4 of the socket 1 is accurately placed.

When performing this calculation, it is set so that the outer peripheral edge 3a of the liquid crystal panel 3 does not contact the standing wall 6 of the socket 1. As a result, the joining accuracy between the terminal 8 of the liquid crystal panel 3 and the contact pin 9a of the socket is only improved as compared with the method of mounting the liquid crystal panel at the mounting position by physical contact means such as a positioning guide which has been conventionally used. In addition, since it is not a physical contact method as in the related art, there is no possibility of damaging the liquid crystal panel 3.

When the gripper 18 is moved closer to the socket 1 by operating the hand shaft 19, first, the rollers 27 provided on the gripper 18 are brought into contact with the cam surface 17 formed on the holding claws 14 of the socket. It comes into contact and presses the cam surface 17. As a result, the holding claws 14 of the socket open against the elastic force of the spring 16, and the tips of the contact pins 9a and 9b are exposed.

In this state, the suction cylinder 22 is moved down by operating the fluid cylinder 24, the liquid crystal panel 3 sucked by the vacuum chuck is placed at the mounting position of the socket 1, and then the suction force from the vacuum source is shut off. Thus, the suction of the liquid crystal panel 3 is released. When the liquid crystal panel 3 is released and placed on the socket 1, the grip 18 is separated from the socket 1. Then, the pressing claw 14 is closed by the elastic force of the spring 16, and as a result, the liquid crystal panel 3 is fixed to the socket 1.

As described above, only when the liquid crystal panel 3 is mounted, the holding claw 14 of the socket is opened, and the opening and closing operation of the holding claw 14 is performed by the holding portion 18 of the liquid crystal panel mounting device.
Since the movement is performed using the approaching / separating movement, the mounting operation of the liquid crystal panel 3 can be automated, and as a result, the efficiency of the mounting operation is improved.

The IC socket of the present invention and the method of mounting an IC package using the same are not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the IC package of the present invention is not limited to the above-described liquid crystal panel at all, but may be applied to various IC packages such as a leadless chip carrier (LCC) and a plastic led chip carrier (PLCC). Can be.

Further, the specific structure and use of the IC socket of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment and the illustrated example, and various modifications are possible. That is,
The embodiments described above are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, the IC
When mounting the IC package on the socket, the mounting position of the IC package is calculated using an analysis method such as an image processing method based on the marking provided on the IC socket, and then the grip portion is mounted on the mounting position of the IC socket. I put it. Therefore, the joining accuracy between the terminal of the IC package and the terminal of the IC socket is improved, and there is no danger of damaging the IC package since it is not a physical contact method as in the related art.

Further, only when the IC package is placed, the holding claws of the IC socket are opened, and the opening and closing operations of the holding claws are performed by using the approaching / separating movement of the IC package mounting device. Can be automated, and as a result, the efficiency of the mounting operation is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an IC socket according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a front view showing a liquid crystal panel as an IC package according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the IC socket according to the embodiment, which is a cross-sectional view along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a half sectional view showing the IC socket according to the embodiment, which is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are main part longitudinal sectional views for explaining a state in which the liquid crystal panel is mounted on the IC socket of the embodiment, wherein FIG. 5A shows a state during mounting and FIG.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing a grip portion of the IC package mounting apparatus according to the embodiment, wherein FIG. 6A is a front view and FIG. 6B is a side view.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a state in which a gripper of the IC package mounting apparatus is lowered.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... IC socket 2 ... Socket main body 3 ... Liquid crystal panel (IC package) 4 ... Seat surface 5 ... Opening 7 ... Marking 8 ... Liquid crystal panel terminal 9a, 9b ... Contact pin (socket terminal) 14 ... Holding claw 16 ... Spring (Elastic body) 17 ... Cam surface 18 ... Grip part 22 ... Suction part 27 ... Roller

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid crystal panel connection device for electrically connecting a liquid crystal panel having a connection terminal on a surface to an external device, comprising: an IC socket electrically connected to the external device; Mounting means for mounting the liquid crystal panel, wherein the IC socket is provided with a socket body on which a seat surface on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted is provided; and a connection terminal of the liquid crystal panel is provided on the socket body. A contact pin for conducting a terminal of an external device; a position provided on the socket body to avoid interference with the liquid crystal panel; and a position for holding the liquid crystal panel in cooperation with the socket body. A holding claw movably provided, the mounting means includes a gripper for releasably gripping the liquid crystal panel, and gripping the liquid crystal panel with the gripper; After the pressing claw is opened by pressing the cam surface formed on the pressing claw, the liquid crystal panel held by the holding portion is obtained based on the image processing analysis of the marking provided on the IC socket body. The liquid crystal panel is positioned at a mounting position on the seating surface while avoiding contact between the peripheral end of the liquid crystal panel and the socket body, and after releasing the liquid crystal panel from the grip, the grip is separated from the IC socket. And a liquid crystal panel connection device for fixing the liquid crystal panel to the IC socket by closing the pressing claw. 2. A method for connecting a liquid crystal panel having a connection terminal on a surface thereof to an external device via an IC socket electrically connected to the external device, the method comprising: A socket body formed with a seating surface on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted; a contact pin provided on the socket body for conducting a connection terminal of the liquid crystal panel to a terminal of the external device; A holding claw provided to be openable and closable between a position for avoiding interference with the liquid crystal panel and a position for holding the liquid crystal panel in cooperation with the socket body; After holding the panel by the holding portion of the mounting device and pressing the cam surface formed on the holding claw by the cam surface provided on the holding portion to open the holding claw, The peripheral edge of the liquid crystal panel and the socket main body are positioned at the mounting position on the seat surface obtained based on the image processing analysis of the marking provided on the IC socket main body. Positioning the liquid crystal panel while avoiding contact, releasing the liquid crystal panel from the grip portion, and then separating the grip portion from the IC socket to close the holding claw and fix the liquid crystal panel to the IC socket. Method.