JP3298302B2 - Positioning method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for aligning a pair of jigs in inspecting and pressing a printed wiring board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, various methods have been proposed for inspecting a wiring circuit on a printed wiring board based on the presence or absence of electrical continuity and an apparatus therefor (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-44035, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. No. 56-11060). As shown in FIG. 8, a conventional printed wiring board stylus jig is used.
In some cases, the presence or absence of electrical continuity is inspected by contacting the probe 92 from the upper and lower surfaces 71 and 72 with respect to the wiring circuit.

[0003] The other end of the probe 92 is connected to a tester for detecting electrical continuity via a lead wire. When inspecting the electrical continuity of the printed wiring board 7, the stylus jigs 90 and 91 on which the probe 92 is mounted are lowered and raised from above and below the printed wiring board 7, and the probe 92 is connected to the inspection pad of the printed wiring board 7. Contact. At this time, if the printed wiring board 7 is not broken or short-circuited, normal electrical continuity is obtained. Thereby, the quality of each printed wiring board 7 can be determined.

Prior to performing such an inspection, the stylus jigs 90 and 91 are attached to an elevating device 99 such as a press machine to adjust the reference coordinate position of the stylus jigs 90 and 91 in the horizontal direction. Is performed.

The adjustment of the reference coordinate positions of the stylus jigs 90 and 91 is performed as follows. That is, an automatic alignment device that adjusts the position of each lifting device is installed,
This is a method of automatically adjusting the coordinate position of the stylus jig. The automatic alignment device includes, for example, a device that automatically adjusts a mounting position of a stylus jig by an optical system and an actuator such that recognition marks of coordinate positions provided on the stylus jig coincide with each other. There is.

[0006]

However, the adjustment of the coordinate position between the stylus jigs in the conventional printed wiring board inspection method has the following problems. That is, the method of installing the automatic alignment device in each lifting device has a problem that the equipment cost is significantly increased. The operation rate of the automatic alignment device is extremely low because it is used only during setup before actual inspection of the printed wiring board.

Further, when the lifting device is operated, vibrations and the like are transmitted to the automatic alignment device, and there is a problem that the automatic alignment device having a complicated mechanism is likely to be broken. Also,
As described above, when it is necessary to align a pair of jigs, there are a press machine, a multicolor printing machine, and a laminating and crimping machine for patterned decorative boards, which will be described later. There are similar alignment problems.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost alignment method and apparatus that can accurately and easily perform coordinate alignment between a pair of a first jig and a second jig.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a first jig fixed to a first jig is provided.
A method of aligning both jigs with respect to a reference plate having a plurality of reference points for alignment using an adapter and a second adapter having a second jig arranged so as to be movable horizontally. The first adapter and the second adapter are aligned in advance, and the reference plate is placed and fixed on the second jig, and a check sheet made of a translucent film is placed on the reference plate. Then, the check sheet is fixed to the second adapter, and then the first jig is lowered on the check sheet together with the first adapter, and the plurality of first contact pins provided on the first jig are attached. The contact sheet is pressed against the above check sheet, leaving a pressing mark on the film.
Next, the second jig is moved horizontally with respect to the second adapter so that the positions of the plurality of reference points on the reference plate on the second jig and the plurality of pressing marks on the film match.
Thereafter, the second jig and the second adapter are fixed at that position.

In the method of the present invention, the reference plate is a plate for determining a reference position between the first jig and the second jig, and has a plurality of alignment reference points. The first jig is fixed in advance to the first adapter. On the other hand, the second jig is disposed so as to be horizontally movable with respect to the second adapter in order to fix the second jig to the second adapter after the alignment. In addition, the first adapter and the second adapter are aligned with each other in advance.

At the time of positioning, as described above, a reference plate is placed on the second jig, a check sheet is further placed thereon, and then the first jig is placed on the check sheet with the first adapter. And lower it. Then, the plurality of first contact pins of the first jig are pressed against the check sheet. Thereby, a pressing mark is left on the film, and the position of the first jig is marked on the film.

Next, the first jig and the first adapter are separated from the check sheet. Thus, a pressing mark, that is, a reference point of the first jig is shown on the film, and a state where the reference plate is located under the film appears. Therefore, the second jig is moved horizontally with respect to the second adapter, and the coordinate positions of the plurality of reference points on the reference plate on the second jig and the plurality of pressing marks on the film are matched. Then, at that position, the second jig and the second adapter are fixed by a fixture such as a bolt or a clamp.

It is preferable that the check sheet comprises a light-transmitting film located on the second jig side and a transfer sheet placed thereon. It is preferable to use pressure-sensitive carbon paper or the like as the transfer sheet. In this case, the pressing mark is clearly shown.

Further, the film is preferably colorless and transparent or translucent. This makes it easier to read the positional relationship between the pressing mark and the reference point on the reference plate. Further, it is preferable that the horizontal movement at the time of the alignment is performed in the horizontal and vertical directions (X and Y directions) and the rotation direction. This facilitates the above alignment.

As a positioning device for carrying out the above method, a first adapter to which a first jig is fixed, a second adapter to which a second jig is disposed so as to be horizontally movable, Located between the jig and the second jig, fixed to the second adapter and peelable on the upper surface of the translucent film
A sheet holding member having a check sheet to which an efficient pressure-sensitive transfer sheet is adhered; a base for detachably fixing the second adapter; and a second jig horizontal to the second adapter. There is an alignment device comprising an adjustment table movable in a direction, wherein the first jig has a plurality of first contact pins that contact and press on the check sheet.

It is preferable that the adjustment table is configured to be movable in each direction by an actuator which can be moved horizontally, horizontally and vertically in a horizontal plane. The actuator includes a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, an electromagnetic cylinder, and the like.

The method and apparatus of the present invention can be used for an inspection method of a printed wiring board, and also for a positioning method such as a preparation in press working to be described later. Therefore, first, a description will be given below by exemplifying a case where the present invention is applied to an inspection of a printed wiring board. That is, in the inspection of the printed wiring board, first, there is an inspection unit for inspecting the printed wiring board, and a position adjusting unit for adjusting the coordinate positions of the pair of upper and lower stylus jigs as a setup process.

The pair of stylus jigs correspond to a first jig fixed to the first adapter and a second jig horizontally movable to the second adapter in the present invention. In addition, it is preferable that the position adjusting unit for performing the alignment between the jigs is provided at a rate of one for a plurality of inspection units. In general, the setup process time is shorter than the inspection execution process. Therefore, by providing one position adjustment unit for a plurality of inspection units, the setup process can be sufficiently performed and the position adjustment unit can be used. This is because the operation rate is increased.

The above-mentioned stylus jig is mounted on a first adapter and a second adapter which can be attached to and detached from the inspection unit, and both adapters have a fitting for matching the coordinate positions with each other. In the fitting, for example, a closely fitting convex member or concave member is provided on the adapter, and the convex member of one adapter is fitted into the concave member of the other adapter, so that the coordinate positions of each other can be determined. There is something to match.

At least one of the above adapters (hereinafter, the second adapter will be described as an example)
The printed wiring board is placed at a position corresponding to the inspection probe by being fitted into a positioning hole provided in the printed wiring board, and a positioning pin for holding the printed wiring board is erected.
The attachment position of the second stylus jig (the second jig attached to the second adapter) in the second adapter has some degree of freedom.

That is, for the printed wiring board to be inspected,
An alignment hole for reference alignment is provided in advance, while the second adapter is fitted in the alignment hole to allow the inspection probe as the first contact pin to be connected to the inspection pad of the printed wiring board. Alignment pins are provided which can be matched to

The above printed wiring board may be appropriately selected from a large number of products to be inspected or may be specially manufactured for alignment.
This serves as a reference plate for alignment.

The position at which the second stylus jig is attached to the second adapter has a degree of freedom that can be slightly changed. Such a degree of freedom can be realized by, for example, a method in which the insertion hole of the tightening bolt for fixing the second stylus jig is a stupid hole with play. In addition, the position adjustment unit has an adjustment table attached to the second adapter fixed to the base and capable of adjusting the position of the second stylus jig.

That is, the position of the second stylus jig is adjusted by the adjustment table, and then the second stylus jig is fixed to the second adapter. A printed wiring board held by the alignment holes is placed on the second stylus jig held by the adjustment table, and a sheet holding member that holds the check sheet is arranged on the upper surface thereof. The sheet holding member is provided integrally with the second adapter. In the check sheet, a peelable pressure-sensitive transfer sheet is stuck on the upper surface of a translucent film.

Next, in performing the alignment at the time of inspection of the printed wiring board using the alignment apparatus configured as described above, in the first step, the printed wiring board serving as the reference plate is placed on the upper surface (probe surface). Is held on the adjustment table together with the second adapter. Further, the sheet holding member is placed on the printed wiring board, and then the first adapter having the first stylus jig is brought close to the second adapter. Then, after pressing the inspection probe (first contact pin) of the first stylus jig against the check sheet, the first jig and the first adapter are removed.

In the subsequent second step, the transfer sheet is peeled off from the check sheet, the film is exposed, and the pressing mark of the inspection probe transferred onto the film is formed on the printed wiring board on the second stylus jig. Operate the adjustment table to match the test pad. In addition, it is preferable that the position adjustment unit is provided with an observation unit that observes the positional relationship between the pressing mark of the inspection probe on the film and the inspection pad of the printed wiring board on the second stylus jig. This facilitates the alignment between the pressing mark and the inspection pad.

The observation section clearly or easily observes the positional relationship between the press mark and the inspection pad. For example, there is a device that enlarges an image, forms an optical path so that the image can be viewed from directly above, or operates to move the observation position.

The present invention is applicable not only to the positioning of a pair of upper and lower jigs in a printed wiring board inspection apparatus as described above, but also to a positioning method and apparatus in various other apparatuses described below. Can be. That is, as the other devices, for example, (1) a device for arranging and joining electronic components such as ICs to a motherboard for mounting electronic components, (2) a press machine for metal and plastics, and (3) multicolor printing And (4) a laminate crimping machine for patterned decorative boards.

As the electronic component arrangement / bonding device (1), for example, a device for supplying electronic components to a predetermined position on a mother boat is a first jig, while a fixing jig for a motherboard is a second jig. Is equivalent to A first jig and a second jig are used to supply and join electronic components to precise locations on the motherboard.
The jig is accurately positioned.

Next, in the press machine of the above (2), for example, in order to form a hole in a predetermined position of a plate to be processed such as metal, plastics and the like and to deform a part of the hole, a first process is performed. A tool and a second jig are used. The first jig is
The second jig has a punch hole and a deformed surface corresponding to the punch portion for punching and a mold surface for deforming.

Next, in the multicolor printing machine of the above (3), the first jig is a printing plate on which a predetermined figure or the like is engraved, and the second jig is a fixing base for a printing object. The second jig has an alignment portion for pressing the printing plate to a predetermined position on the printing substrate.

In the decorative-plate laminating press of (4), for example, a jig for supplying the uppermost transparent pattern film to be laminated is the first jig. On the other hand, the plate to be processed on which the uppermost pattern film is to be laminated is placed on the second jig. Another pattern to be superimposed on the pattern film of the uppermost layer is applied to the plate to be processed. Then, by laminating two or many transparent pattern films in this manner, a decorative plate excellent in design can be obtained. Even in such a case, the alignment between the first jig and the second jig is important.

[0033]

In the positioning method of the present invention, the first adapter and the second adapter are aligned with each other in advance, the first adapter is fixed to the first jig, and the second adapter is fixed to the second adapter. After the alignment, the second jig is fixed.
The positioning of the first jig and the second jig is performed by horizontally moving the second jig with the pressing mark using the check sheet as a mark. for that reason,
The coordinate positioning between the first jig and the second jig can be performed accurately and easily.

Therefore, for example, the first jig and the second jig are aligned with each other in the position adjusting section, and the first jig and the second jig are transferred to the inspection section together with the respective adapters as they are. If the positions of both adapters are adjusted again, the coordinate position between the first jig and the second jig will be the same in the relocated inspection unit. Therefore, the former setup process (positioning process) can be performed at a place other than the inspection section, and the setup is facilitated.

Further, since the coordinate positioning can be easily performed with high precision as described above, the cost of the positioning can be reduced. Also, the same effect as described above can be obtained by the positioning device. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately and easily perform coordinate positioning between a pair of first and second jigs, and to provide a low-cost positioning method and apparatus therefor. Can be provided.

[0036]

1 to 7 show an embodiment in which the alignment method and apparatus of the present invention are applied to a printed wiring board inspection apparatus.
This will be described with reference to FIG. The inspection device shown in FIG. 3 uses a position adjusting unit 20 according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a first jig and a second jig aligned in the position adjusting unit 20. And an inspection unit 10 for inspecting the printed wiring board.

The positioning of the first jig and the second jig in the position adjusting section 20 is performed by, as shown in FIG. 1, a first adapter to which a first stylus jig 11 as a first jig is fixed. 13
And a second adapter 14 in which a second stylus jig 12 as a second jig is horizontally movably disposed. Then, a plurality of reference points for positioning (a pad 72 shown in FIG.
1, 722), the two jigs are aligned with respect to the printed wiring board 7 as a reference plate.

The first adapter 13 and the second adapter 14
Has been previously adjusted by the aligning tools 16 and 17. In positioning, first, the printed wiring board 7 is placed and fixed on the second stylus jig 12. next,
A film 31 and a transfer sheet 32 are provided on the printed wiring board 7.
Is placed using the sheet holding member 23.

Thereafter, the first stylus jig 11 is lowered on the check sheet 30 together with the first adapter 13, and a plurality of test probes as a plurality of first contact pins provided on the first stylus jig 11. 15 is pressed against the check sheet 30. Thus, the pressing marks 331 and 332 of the transfer sheet 32 are transferred to the film 31 (FIG. 6). Next, the transfer sheet 32 is peeled from the film 31.

Next, the second stylus jig 12 is horizontally moved irrespective of the second adapter 14, and the second stylus jig 12
A plurality of reference points (pads 7) on the upper printed wiring board 7
21, 722) and the positions of the plurality of pressing marks on the film 31 are matched (FIG. 6). After that, at that position, the second stylus jig 12 and the second adapter 14 are fixed.

As a result, the inspection probe 15 (first contact pin) in the first stylus jig 11 as the first jig and the pads 721 and 721 as inspection points on the printed wiring board as the object to be inspected. 722 is completed. Less than,
These will be described in detail.

To make the explanation easier to understand, first,
The printed circuit board inspection unit 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the inspection unit 10 is provided with first and second stylus jigs 11 and 12 which are close to the printed wiring board from different directions, and is detachable from the inspection unit 10. , Second adapters 13 and 14. And the first adapter 1
The third and second adapters 14 are provided with a convex member-shaped aligning tool 16 and a hole-shaped aligning tool 17 which are connected to each other so that the coordinate positions on the horizontal plane coincide with each other.

The probe surface 121 of the second stylus jig 12 attached to the second adapter 14 is fitted into a positioning hole 71 (FIG. 4) provided in the printed wiring board 7 so as to be printed. Positioning pins 122 (FIGS. 2 and 4) for mounting and holding the wiring board 7 at a position corresponding to the inspection probe 15 are provided upright. In addition, the second adapter 14
There is some degree of freedom in the mounting position of the second stylus jig 12 in.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the position adjusting unit 20 includes a base 21 for fixing the second adapter 14,
An adjustment table 22 that holds a second stylus jig 12 as a second jig attached to the second adapter 14 and that can adjust the position of the second adapter 14 in the horizontal direction. Positioning pin 122 on stylus jig 12
A check sheet 30 is held on the upper surface of the printed wiring board 7 held by the second adapter 14, and has a sheet holding member 23 provided integrally with the second adapter 14.

The check sheet 30 corresponds to FIG.
As shown in FIG.
And a pressure-sensitive transfer sheet 32 made of carbon paper, which is releasably adhered to the upper surface of the transfer sheet 1. And
In the first setup process of the inspection apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, the position adjustment unit 20 holds the second stylus jig 12 on which the printed wiring board 7 as the reference plate is mounted on the adjustment table 22, The check sheet 30 is held by the sheet holding member 23. On the printed wiring board 7 serving as the reference plate, there are provided test pads 7 serving as a plurality of reference points.
21, 722 (FIG. 6).

Thereafter, the first stylus jig 1 as the first jig
1 is attached to the first adapter 13,
The position of the second adapter 14 is adjusted. Next, the first stylus jig is lowered together with the first adapter 13 to approach the second adapter 14 on the base 21. Then, after the inspection probe 15 as a contact pin in the first stylus jig 11 is pressed against the check sheet 30, the first adapter 13 is removed. As a result, the pressing marks 331 and 332 are transferred onto the film 31 as shown in FIG.

In the subsequent second setup step, the transfer sheet 32 (FIG. 5) is peeled from the check sheet 30. Next, as shown in FIG.
The adjustment table 22 is operated by the actuator 24 irrespective of the second adapter 14 so that the position 32 matches the center of the predetermined inspection pads 721 and 722 of the printed wiring board 7 on the second stylus jig 12 ( See below). After that, the second stylus jig is fixed to the second adapter 14.

Next, in the inspection section 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the stylus jig 1 is connected to the lifting devices 18 and 19 via the first and second adapters 13 and 14 aligned as described above.
Attach 1,12. At this time, both adapters 13,
The fittings 16 and 17 of the fourteen are fitted again, and the position adjusting unit 2
The inspection unit 10 reproduces the alignment state of the stylus jigs 11 and 12 performed at 0.

Then, the inspection of the printed wiring board 7 is performed by bringing the inspection probe 15 into contact with the printed wiring board 7 from both upper and lower surfaces. Further, the stylus jigs 11 and 12 are exchanged according to the printed wiring board 7 to be inspected. The position adjustment unit 20 is provided for each of the plurality of inspection units 10 by one unit.

Next, the actuator 24 for operating the adjustment table 22 includes a first actuator 241 moving in parallel in the horizontal (X) direction, a second actuator 242 moving in parallel in the vertical (Y) direction, and a rotation. And a third actuator 243. Thereby, the adjustment table 22 can move the stylus jig 12 in an arbitrary direction on the horizontal plane. A first set pin 211 is provided upright on the upper surface of the base 21, while a first set hole 141 is formed in the second adapter 14 so as to closely fit the first set pin 211. I have.

The second adapter 14 is provided with a column-shaped fitting 17 standing upright. As described above, the fitting 17 is closely fitted to the fitting 16 (recessed hole) of the first adapter 13. Can be combined. As a result, both adapters 1
3, 14 are mutually aligned. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a fourth set hole 231 is formed in the sheet holding member 23 for holding the check sheet 30, and the fourth set hole 231 is closely fitted to the fitting 17. As a result, as shown in FIG.
It is placed and held on the adapter 14.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, on the upper surface of the adjustment table 22, a second set pin 221 is provided upright. On the other hand, the second stylus jig 12 includes FIGS.
As shown in (2), a second set hole 123 is formed to fit tightly with the second set pin 221. Further, the second set pin 221 is loosely fitted in the insertion hole 145 of the second adapter 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, a third set pin 111 is erected on the first stylus jig 11.
The adapter 13 is provided with a third set hole that closely fits into the third set pin 111. After the above-mentioned alignment, the second stylus jig 12 is fixed to the second adapter 14 by a fixing screw (not shown), but the fixing position has a certain degree of freedom due to a stupid hole.

As described above, according to this example, the first and second
By using the adapters 13 and 14 and the position adjustment unit 20, the positioning of the stylus jigs 11 and 12 in the inspection unit 10 can be easily performed with high accuracy and in accordance with the procedure. Since the above-described alignment uses the printed wiring board 7 to be inspected as a reference plate, even if there is an error on the pattern of the printed wiring board, it is not affected by the error and is very practical.

Further, since the positioning as a setup step in the position adjustment unit and the inspection execution step in the inspection unit can be performed in parallel, the equipment can be operated effectively. The position adjusting unit 20 of this example is extremely inexpensive as compared with the one using a conventional automatic alignment device.

The position adjustment unit 20 can be shared by a plurality of inspection units 10. Therefore, the investment efficiency of the position adjustment unit 20 of the present embodiment is extremely good as compared with the conventional device in which the inspection unit is provided with the automatic alignment device on a one-to-one basis. As described above, according to this embodiment, the coordinate positioning of the pair of upper and lower first and second stylus jigs can be performed accurately and easily, and the equipment can be manufactured at low cost. It is possible to provide a printed wiring board inspection apparatus with high investment efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an inspection apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a development explanatory view of a main part of the inspection apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of an inspection unit of the inspection apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 (without a transfer sheet).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a step of pressing a first stylus jig against a check sheet.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of alignment between a pressing mark of a film and an inspection pad (FIG. 6A is before alignment, and FIG. 6B is after alignment).

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion of each member in the position adjustment unit.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional printed wiring board inspection apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11. . . 11. first stylus jig, . . 12. second stylus jig, . . First adapter, 14. . . Second adapter, 20. . . Position adjustment unit, 22. . . Adjustment table, 23. . . 24. sheet holding member, . . Actuator, 30. . . Check sheet, 31. . . Film, 32. . . Transfer sheet, 331, 332. . . 6. Press mark, . . Printed wiring board,

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A first adapter to which a first jig is fixed, and a second adapter to which a second jig is horizontally movably arranged. The first adapter has a plurality of reference points for positioning. A method for aligning both jigs, wherein the first adapter and the second adapter are pre-aligned, and the reference plate is placed and fixed on the second jig. A check sheet made of a light-transmitting film is placed on the
Then, the first jig is lowered together with the first adapter on the check sheet, and a plurality of first jigs provided on the first jig are provided.
The contact pin is pressed against the check sheet, leaving a pressing mark on the film. Then, the second jig is moved horizontally with respect to the second adapter, and the plurality of reference plates on the second jig are moved. A positioning method comprising: matching the positions of a reference point and a plurality of pressing marks on the film; and then fixing the second jig and the second adapter at the positions. 2. The alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the check sheet comprises a translucent film and a transfer sheet such as carbon paper placed thereon. 3. A first adapter to which a first jig is fixed, a second adapter to which a second jig is horizontally movably arranged, and a first jig and a second jig. , Fixed to the second adapter and peelable on the upper surface of the translucent film
A sheet holding member having a check sheet to which a functional pressure-sensitive transfer sheet is attached, a base for detachably fixing the second adapter,
An adjustment table capable of moving the second jig in the horizontal direction with respect to the second adapter, wherein the first jig has a plurality of first contact pins for abutting and pressing on the check sheet; Characteristic alignment device.