JPH05223534A - Inspecting method and apparatus of appearance of micro object - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently inspect the appearance of a micro object such as a to-be-inspected article or the like for a magnetic head without causing an accident, e.g. breakage, damage, or adhesion of a foreign matter, etc. CONSTITUTION:This apparatus is provided with a supporting means 10 having a rotatable supporter 12 for holding many to-be-inspected objects W, and a plurality of microscopes 21-26 for inspecting the outer appearance of the objects. After many objects W are fixed to the supporter, when the supporter is simply rotated, or the supporter is rotated, turned and rotated for every turn, or the supporter is rotated, the posture of the supporter is changed and then the supporter is reversed, the surface of each object W is arranged on the optical axis of the related microscope 21-26. Accordingly, the labor of the inspecting people is reduced and the preparing time for the observation of the objects is shortened, so that the outer appearance of the objects can be inspected highly accurately and efficiently. Since there is left little change for the inspecting people to touch the objects, the possibilities of the breakage, damage or contamination of the objects can be remarkably decreased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a visual inspection apparatus for microscopic objects, and more particularly to an inspection apparatus suitable for visual inspection of a slider of a magnetic head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The visual inspection of a slider of a magnetic head in a magnetic disk device is entirely done by hand. Specifically, with the air bearing surface facing up, several sliders are placed on a table, one of the sliders is moved to the microscope, the air bearing surface is inspected, and then one of the side surfaces of this slider is aimed at the microscope. Observe
Then, aim at the other side of the microscope one after another, observe each side, repeat these steps for each of the remaining sliders, place the new slider on the table, The surface is inspected.

[0003]

In this way, the visual inspection of the slider is carried out by the operator by hand, one by one, with the surface of the slider to be inspected facing the microscope, and the slider itself is considerably damaged. Because it is small
Not only does it take a considerable amount of time for one inspection, but it takes more time to direct the surface to be inspected to the microscope than to perform the visual inspection. In addition, the slider itself is quite small and must be grabbed by tweezers and pointed at the microscope, which makes it difficult to handle, and the slider body is made of a material such as ceramics that is weak against shock, and also constitutes the head. Since the elements are also thinned, they may be damaged or foreign matter may be attached during the inspection. Since the size of the magnetic head tends to become smaller and smaller with the increase in storage capacity, handling is becoming difficult accordingly, and the increase in inspection time and damage is unavoidable at present. is there.

The present invention can minimize accidents during inspection such as damage of an object to be inspected and adhesion of foreign matter, and moreover,
Visual inspection can be done easily and in a short time.
An object is to provide an appearance inspection method and an appearance inspection device for minute objects.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention comprises a support body in which objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and rotatable about the center of the array circle, and a support body. A microscope with its optical axis aligned with a first line orthogonal to the central axis of rotation of and oriented towards the support, a second one located on one side of the first line and associated with the radius of the array circle Of the microscope aligned with the optical axis of the third line, the microscope located on the opposite side of the first line and aligned with the optical axis of the third line separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle , A microscope that is arranged with its optical axis aligned with the fourth line that passes through the array circle and that is parallel to the rotation center axis and that is placed on one side of the support, and a fourth line that passes through the array circle and that is parallel to the rotation center axis Are placed with their optical axes aligned with each other and on the opposite side of the support Prepare an observing means including the placed microscope, place a plurality of objects to be inspected on the support positioned on the array circle, then rotate the support and place the objects to be inspected on the optical axis of each microscope. It is characterized in that the object to be inspected is observed by each microscope while being positioned at.

In the method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects of the present invention, the inspection objects are arranged on a circle and arranged, and the support is rotatable about the center of the array circle, and is orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support. A microscope with its optical axis aligned with the first line and oriented towards the support, aligned with the second line located on one side of the first line and separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle. And a viewing means including a microscope positioned opposite to the first line and positioned with the optical axis aligned with the third line located on the opposite side of the first line and spaced a distance related to the radius of the array circle. Then, a plurality of objects to be inspected are arranged on the array circle and arranged on the support, and then the support is rotated to position the objects to be inspected on the support on the optical axis of each microscope. The work of observing the inspected object and the rotation center axis The support is placed parallel to the optical axis of one of the microscopes, and the object to be inspected is aligned with the optical axis of one of the microscopes. Observing the inspected object by each of the microscopes while locating on the optical axis of the microscope, and then inverting the support, positioning the inspected object on the optical axis of either microscope, and rotating the support. The operation of observing the object to be inspected by the microscope is performed while the object to be inspected on the support is positioned on the optical axis of the microscope.

According to the method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects of the present invention, the objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and arranged, and the support is rotatable about the center of the array circle, and is orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support. A microscope with its optical axis aligned with the first line and oriented towards the support, aligned with the second line located on one side of the first line and separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle. A microscope arranged so that it is located opposite the first line and is arranged with its optical axis aligned with the optical axis of the third line, which is located on the opposite side of the first line and has a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and is rotated. Include a microscope with its optical axis aligned with the fourth line parallel to the central axis and sandwiching the support, and prepare observation means with these microscopes distributed and position them on the array circle. And place multiple inspection objects on the support, Move the support successively in the microscope, it is characterized by doing the observation of the object to be inspected while rotating the support in each of the microscope.

In the method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention, the objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and arranged, and the support is rotatable about the center of the array circle, and is orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support. A microscope with its optical axis aligned with the first line and oriented towards the support, aligned with the second line located on one side of the first line and separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle. And a viewing means including a microscope positioned opposite to the first line and positioned with the optical axis aligned with the third line located on the opposite side of the first line and spaced a distance related to the radius of the array circle. Then, arranging a plurality of objects to be inspected on the array circle, and then observing the object to be inspected by the former microscope while rotating the substrate,
It is characterized in that the support is intermittently swung around the first line, and the operation of observing the object to be inspected by the latter microscope is performed for each swivel.

Further, the apparatus for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention comprises means for supporting an object to be inspected, the object being inspected being arranged on a circle and having a support rotatable about the center of the array circle. A first microscope whose optical axis is arranged so as to pass through the center of the array circle, and a second microscope whose optical axis is arranged on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope at a distance related to the radius of the array circle. And a third microscope with the optical axis arranged on the opposite side of the optical axis of the first microscope at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and through the array circle on one side of the support and the center of rotation of the support A fourth microscope having an optical axis arranged parallel to the axis and a fifth microscope having an optical axis arranged on the opposite side of the support through the array circle and parallel to the rotation center axis of the support. Is characterized by.

The apparatus for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention is arranged such that the objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and arranged, and the object support means having a support rotatable about the center of the array circle, and the array circle. The first microscope is arranged so that the optical axes thereof coincide with each other so that the optical axis of the second microscope is arranged on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope. It comprises a microscope and a third microscope on the side opposite to the optical axis of the first microscope, the optical axis being arranged at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and the object supporting means has a rotation center axis of the first axis. The present invention is characterized in that the support is positioned parallel to the optical axis of one microscope, and the support is maintained while maintaining this positional relationship.

The apparatus for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention has an object support means for arranging objects to be inspected on a circle and having a support rotatable about the center of the array circle, and an array circle. A first microscope arranged with the optical axis aligned with the center of the, and a second microscope with the optical axis arranged on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, A third microscope having an optical axis arranged on the opposite side of the optical axis of the first microscope at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and passing through the array circle on one side of the support and a rotation center axis of the support. A fourth microscope having an optical axis arranged in parallel and a fifth microscope having an optical axis arranged on the opposite side of the support through the array circle and parallel to the central axis of rotation of the support. Each of them is arranged in a distributed manner, and the object support means for moving the support to each of the microscopes. It is characterized in that it comprises a configuration.

The apparatus for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects according to the present invention is arranged such that the objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle, and the object support means has a support rotatable about the center of the array circle, and the array circle. A first microscope whose optical axis is arranged so as to pass through the center of the second microscope, and a second optical axis which is orthogonal to the optical axis of the first microscope and is arranged in parallel with the central axis of rotation of the object supporting means. It is characterized in that the microscope and the object support means are provided with a mechanism for rotating the support about the optical axis of the first microscope.

These microscopic object visual inspection devices may be provided with a carrier member located between the inspection object and the support and wound around the support to carry the inspection object. This carrier member may be provided with an adhesive layer for fixing the object to be inspected on the surface, or may be formed with irregularities on the surface so that the support is fixed on any of these irregularities. Good. Further, in these appearance inspection devices, the carrier member is made transparent at least in the contact region with the inspection object to visible light, and the inspection is performed on the tunnel and the inspection object through which the carrier member and the inspection object pass. It is also possible to combine a guide having an opening connecting the tunnel and the external space at a position related to the target surface and a sixth microscope arranged in the opening of the guide.

[0014]

In the first method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects, the object to be inspected is arranged at and equidistant from the support, for example, equidistant from the center of rotation of the support and at regular angular intervals with respect to the center of rotation. .. The inspection work is performed by rotating the support and observing the inspection object sequentially located on the optical axis of each microscope. At this time, when an object to be inspected is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope, objects to be inspected at different positions on the support are respectively arranged on the optical axes of the remaining microscopes and different objects to be inspected are arranged. The surface area of the object is arranged, and the support is rotated by an angle related to the arrangement interval of the object to be inspected, so that the object adjacent to the object to be inspected, which has been arranged so far, is arranged on each of the optical axes of the microscope. The inspection object is placed, and the same inspected object surface portion as before is placed on these adjacent inspected objects. Therefore, by rotating the support and observing the inspected object by each of them until all of the inspected objects on the support are located on the optical axis of the microscope, the five objects on the surface of each inspected object are observed. Can inspect one part.
When the object to be inspected is, for example, a slider in a magnetic head, a surface fixed to a head arm or the like is fixed to a support, and a front surface and a back surface of the slider having the magnetic head are orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the support and both side surfaces are It is arranged so as to be parallel to the central axis of rotation. When the appearance of the air bearing surface of a slider is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the first line, one of the side surfaces of this slider is on the optical axis of the microscope related to the second line, and the remaining side surface is the third side. Are arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the line, and one of the front surface and the back surface of the other slider is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the fourth line and the front surface of the other slider. And the other surface of the back surface is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the fifth line, the support is rotated, and the adjacent slider is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the first line. By doing so, the planes involved in each of the adjacent sliders are sequentially arranged on the optical axis of each microscope, and by subsequently rotating the support and observing under the microscope, all slides on the support are The air bearing surface of both side surfaces, the front and rear of observation performed.

In the visual inspection method for the second surface, the object to be inspected is similarly mounted on the support. The inspection work is performed by rotating the support and observing the inspection object sequentially located on the optical axis of each microscope. At this time, when an object to be inspected is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope, objects to be inspected at different positions on the support are respectively arranged on the optical axes of the remaining microscopes and different objects to be inspected are arranged. The surface area of the object is arranged, and the support is rotated by an angle related to the arrangement interval of the object to be inspected, so that the object adjacent to the object to be inspected, which has been arranged so far, is arranged on each of the optical axes of the microscope. While the inspection object is placed, the same inspected object surface portion as that before in these adjacent inspected objects is placed, and all the inspected objects on the support object are placed on the optical axis of the microscope until the support object is reached. By observing the object to be inspected by rotating and, each of the three parts of the surface of the object to be inspected can be inspected. Then, the posture of the support is changed so that the central axis of rotation of the support is located parallel to the microscope associated with the first line, and the microscope is associated with any of the optical axes of the microscope, for example, the microscope associated with the second line. When the object to be inspected is placed on the optical axis of and the support is rotated, other parts on the surface of each object to be inspected are sequentially located on the optical axis of the microscope associated with the second line, In this state, when the support is turned over and the support is rotated, further portions on the surface of each object to be inspected are sequentially arranged on the optical axis of the microscope related to the second line, and the support is placed on the support. Appearance inspection of five surface parts of an object to be inspected can be performed with three microscopes.

In the third visual inspection method, the microscopes associated with each line are arranged, for example, on a straight line or a circle. When the object to be inspected is similarly mounted on the support body, the support body is conveyed to the microscope related to the first line, and the support body is rotated, a part of the surface of the object to be inspected is on the optical axis of this microscope. , The support is conveyed to the microscope related to the second line, and the support is rotated, other parts of the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of this microscope, Similarly, the support is conveyed to each of the microscopes related to the remaining line, and the support is rotated so that other parts of the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of each microscope. To do. By preparing a plurality of supports mounted with the object to be inspected, transporting these supports to the microscope in sequence, and by carrying out rotation of the support and observation with the microscope, each time it is transported to the microscope.
It is possible to continuously inspect five parts on all surfaces of the object to be inspected on each support.

In the fourth appearance inspection method, when the object to be inspected is mounted on the support in the same manner and the support is rotated, a portion on the surface of all the object to be inspected on the support is related to the first line. Sequentially located on the optical axis of the microscope, at the same time, a portion of all the surface of the object to be inspected on the support is located sequentially on the optical axis of the microscope related to the second line, and then, When the support is rotated by an arbitrary angle and the support is rotated each time the support is rotated, further different parts on the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the microscope related to the second line, Two microscopes can be used for visual inspection of the five parts on the surface of the object to be inspected.

Further, in the appearance inspection apparatus of the present invention, the object to be inspected is, for example, on a row of seating surfaces formed on a circle centered on the rotation center of the support, at a constant angle with respect to the rotation center of the support. Spaced and fixed to it.
At this time, the surface of the object to be inspected, which is fixed to a member or a device into which each support is incorporated, is fixed to the support. In the first appearance inspection apparatus, when a support is rotated and an object to be inspected is placed on the optical axis of a microscope, each of the remaining optical axes of the microscope has an object to be inspected at a different position on the support. The objects are respectively arranged and different parts on the surface of the inspection object are arranged. Further, when the support is rotated by an angle related to the arrangement interval of the objects to be inspected, the objects to be inspected adjacent to the objects to be inspected that have been arranged so far are arranged on each of the optical axes of the microscope. , The same part of the surface of the object to be inspected as before is arranged in these adjacent objects to be inspected. Therefore, every time the support is rotated, the appearance inspection of the five parts on the surface of all the inspection objects on the support can be performed up to the inspection object in front of the inspection object that was initially inspected. When the micro inspection object is, for example, a slider, the surface of the slider that is fixed to the head arm is fixed to the support, the front and back surfaces with the magnetic head are orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support, and both sides are the rotation center axis. When the support is rotated so that it is parallel to, the air bearing surface is observed by the first microscope, one of the side surfaces by the second microscope, the remaining side surface by the third microscope, and the front surface by the fourth microscope. With a microscope, the back side can be examined with a fifth microscope.

In the visual inspection apparatus for the second surface, when the support is rotated and an object to be inspected is placed on the optical axis of a microscope, the support is placed on the optical axes of the remaining two microscopes. Of the microscope are arranged at different positions on the surface of the object to be inspected, and the support is rotated by an angle related to the arrangement interval of the object to be inspected. Since the inspected object adjacent to the inspected object that has been disposed up to now is disposed in each of the above, and the same surface portion as before in these adjacent inspected objects is disposed, the inspected object on the support is inspected. By rotating the support and observing the surface of the support until all of the objects are located on the optical axis of the microscope, it is possible to inspect three sites on each surface of the object to be inspected. Then, the posture of the support is changed so that the rotation center axis of the support is positioned parallel to the first microscope, and the object to be inspected is placed on one of the optical axes of the microscope, for example, the optical axis of the second microscope. When the support is rotated, other parts on the surface of each object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the second microscope,
When the support is inverted and the support is rotated in this state, the other parts on the surface of each object to be inspected are sequentially arranged on the optical axis of the second microscope. In the reversal, it is possible to inspect two parts on the surface of each object to be inspected, which are different from each other and are different from each other. If the object to be inspected is, for example, a slider, the surface on which the slider is fixed to the head arm is fixed to the support, the front and back surfaces with the magnetic head are orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support, and both sides are the rotation center axis. When the support is rotated so that it is parallel to, the air bearing surface can be inspected by the first microscope, one side by the second microscope, and the other side by the third microscope. After the posture of the support is changed, the front can be inspected when the support is rotated, and the back can be inspected when the support is inverted and rotated.

In the third appearance inspection apparatus, the object to be inspected is mounted on the support, and certain parts of the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of this microscope, and the support is the second microscope. When the support is rotated and the support is rotated, other parts on the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the microscope, and the support is transferred to each of the remaining microscopes, and the support is transferred each time. By rotating the other parts, different parts on the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of each microscope. By preparing a plurality of supports to which the object to be inspected is mounted, these supports are sequentially transferred to the microscope, and by rotating each time they are transferred, all surfaces of the object to be inspected on the support are rotated. Inspection of the five sites can be performed sequentially with each of the microscopes. When the object to be inspected is, for example, a slider, the surface on which the slider is fixed to the head arm or the like is fixed to the support, and the front and back surfaces having the magnetic head are orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support,
Both sides are arranged parallel to the rotation center axis, and when the support is transferred to the first microscope and rotated, the front surface can be inspected, the support is transferred to the second microscope, and the support rotates. Then, one side can be inspected, the support is transported to the third microscope, and the support is rotated,
The other side can be inspected, the support can be transferred to the fourth microscope and rotated, the front can be inspected, and the back can be transferred to the fifth microscope and the back can be inspected. You can do it.

In the fourth appearance inspection apparatus, when the support is rotated, all the parts of the surface of the object to be inspected on the support are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the first microscope, and at the same time, the support is supported. When a part of all the surface of the object to be inspected on the body is sequentially located on the optical axis of the second microscope, and then the support is rotated by an arbitrary angle and rotated at each rotation, Since other different parts on the surface of the object to be inspected are sequentially located on the optical axis of the second microscope, by observing the object to be inspected with each microscope, the five parts of the surface of the object to be inspected Visual inspection can be performed with two microscopes. If the object to be inspected is, for example, a slider, the surface on which the slider is fixed to the head arm is fixed to the support, the front and back surfaces with the magnetic head are orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support, and both sides are the rotation center axis. When the support is rotated and the support is rotated, the first microscope can inspect the air bearing surface and at the same time, for example, the front surface can be inspected by the second microscope, and then the support is angled. By swiveling 90 °, one side, back and other side can be inspected.

In these appearance inspection devices, the inspection device is located between the object to be inspected and the support, and is wound around the support.
If a carrier member having a tape shape, for example, is provided to carry the object to be inspected, the object to be inspected is mounted on the support by simply fixing the object to be inspected to the carrier member and then winding it around the support. Since it is possible to separate the work of mounting the inspection object on the support from the appearance observation work and streamline it, each work is also simple and mechanized easily, and the appearance inspection is more efficient. You can do it. In this case, when the carrier member is provided with the adhesive layer for fixing the inspection object on the surface, the inspection object can be fixed to the carrier member more easily and quickly. Furthermore, if the carrier member has irregularities formed on the surface, fixing the object to be inspected to any of the irregularities changes the position of the object to be inspected on the support by a height related to the irregularities. Even when the presence of obstacles between the upper inspection object and the microscope cannot be avoided, the appearance inspection of the inspection object can be performed regardless of the shape and size of the inspection object, like the third inspection device. It is useful in devices where the support must be inverted, and in devices where the support is pivoted, such as the fourth visual inspection device.

Further, in these appearance inspection apparatuses, a carrier member to which an object to be inspected is fixed is made transparent at least in a contact region with the object to be inspected for visible light, and a tunnel for penetrating the carrier member and the object to be inspected is provided. A guide having an opening connecting the tunnel and the external space at a position related to the surface of the inspection object that is in contact with the carrier member, and a sixth microscope arranged in the opening of the guide, Before or after the above-mentioned inspection, the carrier member is moved in the tunnel of the guide, and each inspected object is positioned in the opening of the guide,
By observing through the carrier member with the sixth microscope, the surface of the inspection object fixed to the carrier member can be inspected.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the method for inspecting minute objects and the appearance inspection apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following examples, the object to be inspected is a slider which constitutes a magnetic head of a magnetic disk device.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the method for inspecting the appearance of small objects of the present invention arranges a plurality of sliders w rotatably on one circle, and the central axis C of this array circle. the passing first line L _1, the second line L ₂ distance related to the radius of the position to and arranged circularly on one side of the first line L ₁ is disposed familiar, first passing through the central axis of the array circle A third line L ₃ , located on the opposite side of the line L ₁ and spaced by a distance related to the radius of the array circle, passing through the array circle on one side of the support 12 and the rotation center axis C of the support 12. Each of the slider surfaces is observed from a fourth line L ₄ parallel to and a fifth line L ₅ passing through the array circle on the opposite side of the support 12 and parallel to the rotation center axis C of the support 12, Then, rotate the slider row around the central axis C to Together to position the da w on each line, observing the slider w, and repeating these later, are performed visual inspection of the slider w.

The object support means 10 comprises a support 12 on which the slider w is mounted and a base 11 for rotatably holding the support. The base 11 is made of a member having a substantially U shape. The shaft 13 is held at its end by a bearing on the base 11. Shaft 1
3 has one end held by a bearing in the base 11, a retaining ring 14 is attached to a portion of the base which is pulled out from the outside, and a knob 15 is engaged and fixed to an end located inside the base. There is. The support 12 is detachably attached to the shaft 13. Installation is
The support 12 is fitted into the shaft 13 until it comes into contact with the retaining ring 14, and the screw shaft of the retainer 16 is screwed into the screw hole in the shaft. The support itself is
It is in the form of a disk or a thin cylinder, has a through hole that fits in the shaft 13, and has a seating surface 17 for mounting the slider w located on a circle centered on the central axis of rotation. It is provided on the surface. In this case, the support 12 is in the form of a disk or a thin cylinder, but it is made of a member having a thin regular polygonal cross section, and the seating surface is formed on each of the side surfaces. Good.

The microscope 21 is arranged so that the objective lens is directed to the bearing surface 17 of the support and the optical axis thereof coincides with the line L ₁ passing through the central axis of the circle in which the slider w is arranged.
The microscope 22 directs the objective lens toward the seat surface 17 of the support,
The optical axis is located on one side of the line L ₁ and is arranged such that the distance associated with the radius of the array circle coincides with the line L ₂ arranged at a distance. The microscope 23 is arranged so that the objective lens is directed towards the bearing surface 17 of the support, opposite the line L ₁ and corresponding to a line L ₃ arranged at a distance which is related to the radius of the array circle. The microscope 24 is arranged so that the objective lens is directed to the bearing surface 17 of the support body and is on one side of the support body 12 and passes through the array circle and coincides with a line L ₄ parallel to the rotation center axis of the support body 12. .. The microscope 25
The objective lens is directed toward the bearing surface 17 of the support body, and is arranged on the opposite side of the support body 12 so that the optical axis coincides with the line L ₅ which is an extension line of the line L ₄ .

The slider w is attached to the support body 12 by arranging and fixing the slider w on the seat surface 17 of the support body 12 at a constant angular interval with respect to the rotation center axis of the support body 12. At this time, each of the sliders w has a surface f fixed to a load arm or the like.
Is fixed to the support 12, and the front surface b on which the magnetic head is mounted and the back surface c located on the side opposite to this surface are orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the support 12, and both side surfaces d and e are rotation centers. It is arranged so as to be parallel to the axis C. At this time, the number of sliders w attached to the support body 12 is, for example, a number related to a processing unit in the slider fabrication performed before this. In other words, sliders are usually manufactured by forming a large number of rows of sliders on one substrate, cutting out each row from the substrate, and performing grinding, polishing, etc. on a row-by-row basis. This is done by separating the sliders one by one from the row, but the support 12 is attached with the number of sliders included in the row that is a processing unit, and the visual inspection is performed using this number as a unit.

The slider 1 is observed with a microscope by using the support 1
This is done by rotating 2 and sequentially moving the slider w on the support to each microscope. When the slider w is fixed to the support body 12 and the support body 12 is rotated, a certain slider w has an air bearing surface a on the optical axis of the microscope 21 and a front surface b.
Is located on the optical axis of the microscope 24, the back surface c is located on the optical axis of the microscope 25, and the side surface d of the other slider w is located on the microscope 2 side.
The side surface e of the other slider w is located on the optical axis of the microscope 23. In this state, the relevant surface of the slider w is observed by each of the microscopes 21 to 25. Next, the support 12 is rotated by an angle related to the arrangement angle of the sliders w, and the adjacent sliders w are arranged on the optical axis of the microscope 21.
The relevant surface of each adjacent slider w is located on the optical axis of each microscope 21-25. In this state,
The relevant surface of the slider w is observed by each of the microscopes 21 to 25. Thereafter, the support 12 is similarly rotated, and the slider w is sequentially moved to the microscope 21 every time the support 12 is rotated.
Observe by ~ 25. After the appearance inspection of all the sliders w, the slider w is removed from the support 12 and a new slider w is attached to the support 12 or a new support w in which an uninspected slider w is attached in advance. Will be exchanged for. In addition, when the diameter of the support 12 is small, the support 12 and the microscopes 21 to 25 are rotated together so that the eyepieces of the microscopes 21 to 25 face the observer, or the observation by the microscope is performed. This is done by displaying the image of each microscope on a display placed by the side.

Further, the appearance inspection of the slider is performed by rotating the support 12 and rotating the slider w in FIGS.
After observing the air bearing surface a, the front surface b and the back surface c of the microscopes 21 to 23, the rotation center axis C is changed to the microscopes 21 to 23.
The posture of the support 12 is changed so as to be parallel to one of the optical axes, and the slider is moved to one of the microscopes 2.
1 to 23, the support 12 is rotated while keeping the changed posture, and one side surface d of the slider w is sequentially positioned on the optical axis of any of the microscopes 21 to 23. After performing the visual inspection while doing, the support 12 is turned upside down so that the other side surface e of the slider w coincides with the optical axis of one of the microscopes 21-23.
By performing the visual inspection while rotating the support 12, it can be performed with a smaller microscope.

In this case, the object support means 10 has the same structure as that of FIGS. 1 and 2. The microscope has a microscope 21 in which the objective lens is directed toward the support 12 and the optical axis is aligned with a line L ₁ passing through the center of the circle. The microscope is directed toward the support 12 and is located on one side of the line L _1. And a microscope 22 arranged with its optical axis aligned with a line L ₂ arranged at a distance related to the radius of the circle, and an objective lens directed toward the support 12 and located on the opposite side of the line L _1. The distance is related to the radius of the circle, and the microscope 23 is arranged so that its optical axis coincides with the line L ₃ which is arranged at a distance.

The slider w is fixed to the support 12 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the support 12 is attached to the shaft 13 of the base 11. To observe the appearance, first, the support 12 is rotated and the air bearing surface a of a slider w is attached to the microscope 2.
It is arranged on the optical axis of 1. At this time, the side surface d of the other slider w is located on the optical axis of the microscope 22, and the side surface e of the other slider w is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope 23. In this state, each slider w is observed with the microscopes 21 to 23, and then the slider w
The support 12 is caused to rotate at an angle related to the arrangement interval, and the air bearing surfaces a, side surfaces d and e of the adjacent sliders are arranged on the optical axes of the microscopes 21 to 23, and these surfaces are observed. After that, the appearance of the slider w is similarly inspected. Next, the rotation center axis C of the support 12 is
23, the posture of the support 12 is changed so as to be parallel to any one of the optical axes of the microscopes 23, for example, to be parallel to the line L ₃ related to the optical axis of the microscope 23. The front surface b of the slider w is positioned on the optical axis of.
At this time, since the microscopes 22 and 23 are separated from each other by the distance related to the diameter of the array circle of the slider w, another slider w with an angle of 180 ° is positioned on the optical axis of the microscope 22. While rotating the support 12 in this state, the front surface b or the rear surface c of each slider is observed by the microscopes 22 and 23. When the observation of all the sliders is completed, the support 12 is inverted by 180 °, that is, in FIG. 3, the support 12 is removed from the shaft 13, the support 12 is turned over, and the support 13 is reattached in this state. The support 12 is rotated to position a slider w on the optical axes of the microscopes 22 and 23. As a result, since the back surface c of the head slider is located on the optical axes of the microscopes 22 and 23, the support 12 is rotated and the head slider w is sequentially moved onto the optical axes of the microscopes 22 and 23, thereby The rear surface c of the slider w can be observed.

1 and 2, the slider 12 is swung about the line L _{1 so} that the slider w can be visually inspected by two microscopes, for example, the microscopes 21 and 24. You can do it.

The object support means 10 is shown in FIGS.
, For example, the optical axis of the microscope 21 or the line L
A mechanism for turning the support 12 together with the base 11 around ₁ is provided.

The slider w is attached to the support 12 in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment. The microscope 21 is arranged so that the objective lens faces the seat surface 17 of the support and the optical axis coincides with a line L ₁ passing through the center of the array circle of the slider w. The microscope 24 is arranged such that the objective lens faces the bearing surface 17 of the support, the optical axis thereof is orthogonal to the line L ₁ and is aligned with the line L ₂ parallel to the rotation center axis C of the slider w support means.

For microscopic observation, first, the support 12 is rotated in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, a slider w is arranged on the optical axis of the microscope 21, and the air bearing surface a of the slider w is set to the microscope 2.
1, the front surface b is observed by the microscope 24, and then the support 12 is rotated so that the adjacent sliders w are sequentially positioned on the optical axes of the microscopes 21 and 24. Perform a visual inspection of.
Then, the support 12 and the base 11 are turned by 90 °, and then the support 12 is rotated on the base to position a slider w on the optical axis of the microscope 24.
One side surface d of the slider w is observed by the microscope 24, and then the support 12 is swiveled by 90 ° on the base so that the rear surface c of the slider w and the remaining side surface e are sequentially on the optical axis of the microscope 24. And observe these surfaces, and the front surface b of the slider w is placed under the microscope 2.
After returning to the optical axis of 4, the support 12 is caused to rotate in relation to the arrangement angle of the slider w, and the adjacent slider w
The front surface a of the slider w is faced to the microscope 24, the front surface a, the back surface b, and both side surfaces d and e of the slider w are observed in the same manner, and the subsequent steps are repeated.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a slider w appearance inspecting apparatus based on such an inspecting method, which can inspect more efficiently. In this appearance inspection apparatus, five surfaces other than the surface fixed to the support body 12 in the slider are simultaneously and automatically inspected to improve not only the work efficiency but also the downsizing of the entire apparatus to reduce the equipment cost. We are also trying to reduce the installation space.

The object support means 10 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 3, the base 11 and the support 12 are provided. The base 11 has a substantially L-shaped form.
One end of the shaft 13 is rotatably held by the base 11, and a receiving plate 18 is engaged and fixed to the free end.
The support 12 is inserted into the shaft 13 while being positioned inside the recess 18A on the receiving plate 18 on one side.
The holes 18 are engaged with the pins 18B of the receiving plate 18, and are pressed to the receiving plate 18 by the retainer 16 so as to be connected to the receiving plate 18. Presser foot 16
Is a member 16A and a member 1 that engage with the boss of the support 12.
A member 16B inserted in 6A and a coil spring 16C arranged between these members,
The shaft member of the member 16B is screwed into the end portion of the shaft 13 and the member 16A is pressed against the support member 12, thereby crimping the support member 12 to the receiving plate 18.

The support 12 is in the form of a cylinder having a low height, and a seat surface 17 for mounting the slider w is provided on the peripheral surface. The seat surface 17 is provided so as to project to the center of the peripheral surface of the support 12. The slider w is shown in FIGS.
In the same manner as the device described in connection with the above, the air bearing surface a is directed outward, and the air bearing surface a is arranged on the seat surface 17 at an equal angular interval with respect to the rotation center axis C of the support 12 and at the same time as the head arm. The fixed surface f is fixed to the seat surface 17.

This inspection object supporting means 10 is provided with a turning mechanism 31.
And it is installed in the main body 33 with the transport mechanism 32 interposed. The transport mechanism 31 is composed of, for example, a moving table, a guide rail for guiding the moving table, a feed screw whose nut is fixed to the moving table and whose screw shaft is held by the main body 33 of the apparatus, and a step motor which rotates the feed screw. ing. The turning mechanism 32 is installed on the moving base of the transport mechanism. The swivel mechanism itself holds the inspected object supporting means 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, is located in a plane in which the slider w on the support is arranged, and is perpendicular to the rotation center axis C of the support 12. support the turning around the L ₁ 12 and base 1
And a drive source for the swivel base. In addition, a mechanism 34 for rotating the support 12 of the inspection object support means 10 is incorporated in the main body 33. The rotary drive mechanism 34 is attached to the main body 33 with a slide mechanism 35 interposed. The slide mechanism 35 is, for example,
It has a guide rail for guiding the rotary drive mechanism 34, a feed screw having a nut fixed to the main body and a screw shaft held by a base, and a step motor for rotating the feed screw. The rotary drive mechanism 34 has a shaft which is connected to and separated from the support 12 of the object support means 10 in association with the horizontal movement by the slide mechanism 35, and a step motor which rotates this shaft. The step motors in the transport mechanism 31 and the slide mechanism 35 are the driver 4
1 to the controller 43, and the step motors in the turning mechanism 32 and the rotation driving mechanism 34 are connected to the driver 42.
Are respectively connected to the controller 43 via.

The microscope comprises a microscope 21 which is vertically arranged above the inspection object supporting means 10 and a microscope 24 which is also horizontally arranged above the inspection object supporting means 10. The microscope 21 is arranged so that its optical axis coincides with the center axis C of rotation of the turntable, and the microscope 24 is arranged so that its optical axis is at right angles to that of the microscope 21.
It is supported by 3. Focusing of the microscopes 21 and 24 is performed by an autofocus mechanism incorporated in each of the microscopes. The autofocus is performed, for example, by moving the optical system of the microscope so that the sensor in each of the microscopes detects the microscope image and the focus controller 44 maximizes the contrast of the image detected by the sensor. .. In addition, each microscope incorporates an image sensor that converts the image into an electrical signal. These image sensors are connected to the image processing device 45.

The slider w is arranged on the seat surface 17 at equal angular intervals with respect to the rotation center axis C of the support 12 with the air bearing surface a facing outward, and has a surface fixed to a head arm or the like. Fixed to the seat 17 but front b, back c
And both side surfaces d and e are arranged so as to project from the peripheral surface of the receiving plate 18.

In this appearance inspection apparatus, when the inspection object supporting means 10 is installed on the swivel base of the swivel mechanism 32, the controller 43 operates the transport mechanism 31 to move the inspection object supporting means 10 to the inspection position of this apparatus. Transport to. When the inspection object supporting means 10 is conveyed, the controller 43 operates the slide mechanism 35 to move the rotation driving mechanism 34 toward the inspection object supporting means 10, and the shaft of the rotation driving mechanism 34 to the support body 12. The support 12 is rotated by the step motor of the rotary drive mechanism 34, and one of the sliders w on the support is moved to the inspection position. When the slider w coincides with the optical axis of the microscope 21, the focus controller 44 is operated to focus the microscopes 21 and 24 on the air bearing surface a and the back surface c of the slider. Then, the controller 43 causes the image processing device 45 to capture the signals from the image sensors in the microscopes 21 and 24. When these video signals are taken into the image processing device 45, the controller 43 controls the step motor of the turning mechanism 32 to make the turning base turn, and then controls the rotation drive mechanism 34 to dispose the slider w. The support 12 is caused to rotate at an angle related to the spacing so that each of the front surface b, the side surface d, the rear surface c, and the side surface e of the slider w faces the microscope 24 in sequence. Each time these surfaces of the slider w face the microscope 24, the controller 43 causes the image processing device 45 to capture a signal from an image sensor in the microscope 24. Thus, the air bearing surface a, the front surface b, and
The microscope images of the back surface c and the side surfaces d and e are image processing devices 45.
When the image data is captured, the image processing device 45 outputs a signal for causing the printer included in the output device 46 to print the inspection result of the slider w, and a signal for causing the display included in the output device 46 to display each inspection surface. Output.

In this way, when the appearance inspection of a slider w is completed, the controller 43 retracts the rotary drive mechanism 34 and operates the turning mechanism 32, and then causes the rotary drive mechanism 34 to rotate the support 12. , The adjacent sliders w are arranged on the optical axes of the microscopes 21 and 24, and the microscope images of the air bearing surface a, the front surface b, the back surface b, and both side surfaces d and e of these adjacent sliders w are taken into the image processing device 45. Then, similarly, the third slider w is placed at the optical axis position of the microscopes 21 and 24, and the images of the air bearing surface a, the front surface b, the back surface c, and the both side surfaces d and e are taken into the image processing device 45. Let After that, these are sequentially repeated for each of the remaining sliders w, the microscope image of each slider w is displayed on the output device 46, and the inspection result is output by the output device 46 in the form of paper or the like. Then, when the appearance inspection of all the sliders w on the support body 12 is over, the controller 43 retracts the slide mechanism 35, disengages the shaft from the support body 12, and then operates the transport mechanism 32 to complete the inspection. Object support means 10
Is carried out of the appearance inspection apparatus, and the appearance inspection apparatus is kept in a standby state until the new inspection object supporting means 10 is loaded on the swivel mechanism 32.

1 and 2, the microscopes 21 to 25 are arranged in a distributed manner, the support 12 and the base 11 are moved to the respective microscopes, and the support 12 is removed in each microscope. By microscopically observing the appearance of the slider w while rotating, a larger amount of slider w can be inspected efficiently.

In this, the support 12 is constructed identically to that described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. Microscope 21 to 25, the slider line L ₁ passing through the central axis C of the array circle w, the line L ₁ of located on one side and the distance related to the radius of the array circle accustomed to arranged the line L _2, the line L ₁ Line L ₃ located on the opposite side of and spaced apart by a distance related to the radius of the array circle, line L ₄ passing through the array circle and parallel to the central axis C of rotation of the support 12 and the opposite side of the support 12 The optical axes of the lines are aligned with the line L ₅ which is an extension of the line L ₄ located at, and the lines are dispersed on one straight line or one array circle.

For microscopic observation, first, the support 12 is conveyed to the microscope 21, the support 12 is rotated, the air bearing surfaces a of the sliders w are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the microscope 21, and the air bearing surfaces of all the sliders w are moved. Check a. Next, the support 12 is conveyed to the microscope 22, the support 12 is rotated,
A side surface d of each slider w is sequentially positioned on the optical axis of this microscope, and the side surfaces d of all sliders w are checked. Then, the support 12 is attached to the microscope 2
3, the support 12 is rotated to sequentially position the other side surface e of each slider w on the optical axis of this microscope, and the side surfaces e of all sliders w are checked. Then, the support 12 is conveyed to the microscope 24, the support 12 is rotated, the front surface b of each slider w is sequentially positioned on the optical axis of this microscope, and the front surfaces b of all the sliders w are checked. Do it. Then, the support 12 is conveyed to the microscope 25, the support 12 is rotated, the back surfaces c of the respective sliders w are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of this microscope, and the back surfaces c of all the sliders w are checked. Do it.

FIG. 7 shows an appearance inspection apparatus for the slider w based on the inspection method as described above. In this appearance inspection apparatus, the inspection object support means 10 is moved in the horizontal direction, and the microscopes 21 arranged at the respective stop positions.
The inspectors placed at 25 to 25 inspect only the specific surface of the slider w. explain in detail.

This appearance inspection apparatus is provided with the inspection object supporting means 1
0, the microscopes 21 to 25, and a mechanism 51 that conveys the object support means 10.

The object support means 10 has the same structure as the object support means described with reference to FIG. Similarly to the device described with reference to the drawings, the slider w is arranged on the seat surface 17 with the air bearing surface a facing outward and at an equal angular interval with respect to the rotation center axis C of the support body 12, and The surface fixed to the head arm or the like is fixed to the seat surface 17, and the seat surface 17 is arranged so that the front surface b, the back surface c, and both side surfaces d and e project from the peripheral surface of the receiving plate 18.

The transport mechanism 51 is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor that intermittently moves an endless belt. The microscope 21 is at one end of the transport mechanism 51, and the microscope 25 is at the transport mechanism 5.
At the other end of 1, the microscopes 22 to 24 are located between the microscopes 21 and 25, respectively, and are arranged in a line. Of the microscopes, the microscope 21 is a line in which the optical axis passes through the rotation center of the support 12 of the inspection object supporting means 10, that is, FIG. 1 and FIG. 1 when the inspection object supporting means 10 is arranged on the inspection table. It is arranged so as to coincide with the line related to the line L ₁ in FIG. In the microscope 22, when the inspection object supporting means 10 is arranged on the inspection table located here, the optical axis is on one side of the optical axis of the microscope 21, and the distance related to the radius of the circle in which the sliders w are arranged is long. It is arranged to be. The microscope 23 has its optical axis located on the opposite side of the optical axis of the microscope 21 when the inspection object supporting means 10 is arranged on the inspection table, and the distance related to the radius of the array circle of the slider w is different. Are arranged as follows. The microscope 24 has a line that passes through the array circle and is parallel to the rotation center axis C of the support body 12, that is, the line L ₄ in FIGS. Are arranged on one side of the conveyance path of the support 12 so as to coincide with the line related to. The microscope 25 is located on the opposite side of the carrier path of the support 12 when the inspection object supporting means 10 is arranged on the inspection table, and is arranged with its optical axis aligned with the extension of the optical axis of the microscope 24. There is.

A large number of means 10 for supporting the object to be inspected are prepared, and sliders w are attached to the respective supports 12. As described above, the support 12 is detached from the base 11 and the sliders w are arranged on the seating surfaces 17 of the respective supports 12 at equal angular intervals, with the air bearing surface a facing upward, as described above.
This is done by fixing the support surface f, which is fixed to the support means for the head arm or the like on the opposite side of the air bearing surface a, to the seat surface 17, and then mounting the support body 12 on the base 11.

The inspection is performed by an inspector who is placed in each of the microscopes 21 to 25. The inspected object supporting means 10 to which the slider w is attached and which has not been inspected is carried into the transport mechanism 51 by the loader arranged on the right side of the microscope 21,
The inspected object supporting means 10 placed on the transfer mechanism 51 is transferred to each inspector by intermittently moving the transfer mechanism 51, and the inspected object support means 1 after the inspection is completed.
0 is unloaded from the transport mechanism 51 by an unloader arranged on the left side of the microscope 25.

When the inspection object supporting means 10 having the uninspected slider w is conveyed to the microscope 21 by the conveying mechanism 51, the inspector takes out the inspection object supporting means 10 from the conveyance mechanism 51 and mounts it on the inspection table. , The support 12 is rotated, the sliders w are sequentially positioned on the optical axis of the microscope 21, and the air bearing surfaces a of all the sliders w on the object supporting means 10 are inspected.
Visual inspection is performed. When the inspection is over, the inspector places the inspected object supporting means 10 on the transport mechanism 51, mounts the next inspected object supporting means 10 on the inspection table, and the appearance of the slider w on the new inspected object supporting means. Perform an inspection. After the inspection of the air bearing surface a, the object support means is the transport mechanism 51.
Is transported to the microscope 22. The inspector placed on the microscope 22 takes out the inspected object supporting means 10 inspected by the microscope 21 from the transport mechanism 51, mounts it on the inspection table, rotates the support 12, and uses the microscope 22 to move the side surface d of the slider w. When the inspection is over, the inspection device is placed on the transport mechanism 51, and the inspection object supporting means 10 that has been inspected by the microscope 21 is mounted on the inspection table, and the slider w on the inspection object supporting means is attached. Perform a visual inspection of. The inspector arranged on the microscope 23 takes out the inspected object supporting means inspected by the microscope 22 from the transport mechanism 51, mounts it on the inspection table, rotates the support 12, and the remaining side surface of the slider w by the microscope 23. The appearance inspection of e is sequentially performed, and when the inspection is completed, the inspection device is placed on the transport mechanism 51, and the inspection object supporting means 10 that has been inspected by the microscope 22 is mounted on the inspection table. Perform a visual inspection of w. The inspector arranged on the microscope 24 takes out the inspected object supporting means 10 inspected by the microscope 23 from the transport mechanism 51, mounts it on the inspection table, rotates the support 12, and causes the microscope 24 to rotate the front surface b of the slider w. When the inspection is over, the external inspection is sequentially carried out, and when the inspection is finished, the inspection device supporting means 10 that has been inspected by the microscope 23 is mounted on the inspection table, and the slider of the inspection object supporting means is attached. Perform a visual inspection. The inspector placed on the microscope 25 takes out the inspecting object supporting means 10 inspected by the microscope 24 from the transport mechanism 51, then removes the support 12 from the shaft 13, and removes the support 12 from the support 12.
After being inverted, the base 11 is held and then mounted on an inspection table, the support 12 is rotated, and the microscope 25 sequentially inspects the rear surface c of the slider w for visual inspection. And place it on the microscope 2
The inspected object supporting means 10 which has been inspected in 4 is mounted on the inspection table, and the appearance of the slider w having the inspected object supporting means is inspected.

In this appearance inspection apparatus, the respective microscopes are separately arranged and the inspection object supporting means is moved to construct the flow line L divided for each inspection object surface of the slider w or each inspection item. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of the inspection and the work efficiency, and it is possible to perform the inspection corresponding to the mass production. In this visual inspection apparatus, the slider w can be arranged on the support 12 higher than the peripheral surface of the receiving plate 18, and the microscope 25
In order to omit the reversing work of the support body 12 or to arrange the drive mechanism for rotating the support body 12 at each of the positions of the microscopes 21 to 25 so that the inspection object support means 10 can be used as an inspection table. When mounted, the drive mechanism may be rotated by the angle at which the slider w is arranged on the support 12.

In these appearance inspection methods and apparatuses, the object to be inspected is previously fixed to a carrier member having a length related to the circumferential length of the seat surface on which the object to be inspected is fixed. By wrapping around the support, the inspection object can be easily fixed to the support and mechanized, so the appearance inspection can be performed more efficiently, and further, the inspection person's damage, damage, Opportunities such as pollution can be further reduced.

FIG. 8 shows a carrier member suitable for the appearance inspection method described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG. 3, and a part of a device for fixing a slider to the carrier member. ..

The carrier member is a tape 61. This tape is made of, for example, a transparent synthetic resin, has an adhesive layer 62 formed on one surface, and is wound around, for example, a reel. The device 63 for mounting the slider on the tape 61 comprises an arm 64. Arm 6
An end (not shown) of the unit 4 is supported by a rotary drive mechanism and an elevating mechanism, and can rotate and elevate at each position between a position on the tape and a position off the tape. At the free end of the arm 64, a slider holder 65 such as a vacuum suction tool is attached. Although not shown, the device 63 includes a mechanism for pulling the tape 61 out of the reel, a mechanism for cutting the tape 61 by a length related to the circumference of the bearing surface 17 of the support, and a slider w. It is equipped with a transport mechanism.

When the slider w is mounted on the tape 61, the arm 64 rotates and descends on the slider mounted on the transport mechanism outside the tape 61, and the air bearing surface a of the slider w is attracted to the holder 65. After that, it is raised, rotated on the tape and lowered to press the slider w against the adhesive layer 62, release the suction, and raise. When the arm 64 rises, the tape 61 moves, and the device 63 similarly moves the slider w to the tape 61.
Paste it on. The distance between the sliders w on the tape is related to the length obtained by equally dividing the circumferential length of the bearing surface 17 of the support. These operations are repeated, and when the slider w is adhered to the tape 61 by a predetermined number, the tape 61 is cut. The tape length is a length related to the circumferential length of the bearing surface 17 of the support 12. After that, the tape 61 is again pulled out from the reel, and the slider is repeatedly mounted on the tape.

As shown in FIG. 9, one end of the tape 61 is fixed to the support 12 with a double-sided adhesive tape or the like, and an appropriate tension is applied to the tape 61 while the seating surface of the support 12 is attached. It is made by winding around 17 and fixing the other end with double-sided adhesive tape or the like.

FIG. 10 shows a tape suitable for the visual inspection apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7.
In this tape, the tape 61 is formed with irregularities at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction, and the adhesive layer 62 is provided on the surface of the convex portion 66. Height h of the convex portion 66
Is related to the difference between the bearing surface 17 of the support 12 and the peripheral surface of the receiving plate 18 in FIG. The slider w is bonded to the convex portion 66 with the air bearing surface a outside. The slider can be mounted on the tape by a device similar to the device shown in FIG. For attachment to the support, the recess or valley is brought into contact with the seat surface 17 of the support 12,
The tape 61 is wound around the support 12 and both ends of the tape 61 are fixed to the support 12. When the tape is attached to the support 12 in this way, the slider w projects from the peripheral surface of the receiving plate 18 of the object support means, and both side surfaces b, c, the front surface d and the rear surface e are exposed to the outside of the support. Therefore, like the appearance inspection device described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7, when the appearance inspection of the slider w is performed while rotating the inspection object supporting means 10, the slider is fixed to the support body 12. Can be done easily and quickly. If such a tape is adopted in the appearance inspection apparatus described with reference to the drawings, the work of reversing the support 12 can be omitted when inspecting the back surface e of the slider w in the microscope 25, and each of the microscopes can be omitted. The inspection work time is uniform and the inspection can be carried out smoothly and in a short time.

Further, by adopting these carrier members, it is possible to easily perform a visual inspection of the surface of the slider fixed to the support or the tape. 11
And FIG. 12 shows an example of means used in the above-described appearance inspection method and appearance inspection apparatus.

The tape has a structure similar to that described with reference to FIG. 7, and an adhesive layer is provided on one surface of the tape 61. However, the tape 61 is made of a material that is transparent to light, such as synthetic resin. The sliders w are arranged at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the tape 61 with the air bearing surface a as the outside, and the surface f fixed to the load arm that constitutes the head assembly.
Is adhered to an adhesive layer provided on the surface of the tape.

The tape guide 70 has a rail member 71 and a cover member 73. The rail member 71 is provided with a long groove 72 along the longitudinal direction for engaging the slider w. A cover member 73 is arranged on the upper surface of the long groove 72 with a space therebetween, and is supported by the rail member 71 by a plate member 74. The distance between the rail member 71 and the cover member 73 is slightly larger than the total height of the tape 61 and the slider w adhered thereto. The microscope 26 is arranged in an opening formed between the cover member 73 and the cover member 73.

The inspection is performed prior to or after the visual inspection of the air bearing surface a, both side surfaces b and c, the front surface d and the rear surface e of the slider w. The inspection itself
The slider w is positioned inside the recess 72 of the rail member 71, the tape 61 is brought into contact with the cover member 73, and the tape is inserted into the tunnel formed between the rail member 71 and the cover member 73, and the tape 61 is tensioned. While pulling one end, the slider w is sequentially moved below the microscope 26, and the fixed surface f of the head arm or the like adhered to the tape 61 on the slider w is observed through the tape 61 by the microscope 26. It is done by In this case, the microscope employs the new microscope 26 indicated by the reference numeral, but it may be replaced with the microscope in the above-described appearance inspection method and appearance inspection device.

[0067]

As described above, the method and apparatus for inspecting the appearance of minute objects of the present invention can fix a large number of objects to be inspected to a support and simply rotate the support, or can rotate and swivel. Each object to be inspected can be arranged on the optical axis of the microscope by causing the support to rotate and rotate for each turn, or to perform the rotation, the posture change, and the inversion. Therefore, compared to conventional inspection methods, it is possible to arrange a large number of inspected objects on the optical axis of the related microscope in a shorter time, and handle the inspected objects in the entire appearance inspection. Since it is possible to significantly reduce the time spent, the appearance inspection can be performed efficiently, and the labor burden on the inspector can be reduced, so that the inspection accuracy can be improved. However, since the inspector touches the inspected object only when the inspected object is attached to and detached from the support, the chances of damage, damage, contamination, etc. of the inspected object can be significantly reduced, and these accidents It does not require the production of inspected products.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the appearance inspection apparatus for microscopic objects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an inspection state.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the appearance inspection apparatus for minute objects of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view in which a part of the object support means in the apparatus of FIG. 4 is cut away.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing still another embodiment of the appearance inspection apparatus for microscopic objects of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing means for attaching an inspection object to the inspection object supporting means in the microscopic object appearance inspection device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a mounting state of the means of FIG. 9 for the object support means.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing another configuration of means for attaching the inspection object to the inspection object supporting means.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing a part of the inspection means used with the appearance inspection apparatus for microscopic objects of the present invention.

12 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 10 ... Inspected object supporting means, 12 ... Support, 21-26 ...
Microscope, 42 ... Rotating mechanism, 61 ... Carrier member, 71-
74 ... Guide, w ... Inspected object.

Front page continuation (72) Izumi Furuya 4-6 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Hitachi, Ltd.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A support body in which objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and rotatable about a center of the array circle, and an optical axis is provided on a first line orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the support body. A microscope aligned and oriented towards the support, a microscope located on one side of the first line and aligned with its optical axis on a second line spaced a distance related to the radius of the array circle, A microscope located on the opposite side of one line and aligned with its optical axis on a third line distant by a distance related to the radius of the array circle, a fourth through the array circle and parallel to the central axis of rotation. A microscope arranged in line with the optical axis and arranged on one side of the support and arranged through the array circle and aligned with the optical axis in the fourth line parallel to the center axis of rotation and on the opposite side of the support. Prepare the observation means including the arranged microscope and place it on the array circle. Position multiple objects to be inspected on the support, rotate the support, and observe the objects with each microscope while positioning the objects on the optical axis of each microscope. A method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects, which is characterized in that 2. A support body in which objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and rotatable about a center of the array circle, and an optical axis is provided on a first line orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the support body. A microscope aligned and positioned facing the support, a microscope positioned on one side of the first line and aligned with its optical axis on a second line that is separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle and An observation means including a microscope, which is located on the opposite side of one line and which is arranged with its optical axis aligned with the third line located at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, is provided on the array circle. Multiple microscopes to be inspected by the microscope while arranging multiple inspected objects on the support, rotating the support, and positioning the inspected object on the support on the optical axis of each microscope. Perform the work and support the rotation center axis parallel to the optical axis of one of the microscopes. While arranging the holding body and aligning the inspected object with the optical axis of one of the microscopes, rotate the support and position the inspected object on the support on the optical axis of each microscope. Observe the inspected object by each of the microscopes, then turn over the support, position the inspected object on the optical axis of one of the microscopes, and rotate the support to move the inspected object on the support. A method for inspecting the appearance of a microscopic object, which comprises observing an object to be inspected with a microscope while being positioned on the optical axis of the microscope. 3. A support body in which objects to be inspected are arranged on a circle and rotatable about a center of the array circle, and an optical axis is provided on a first line orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the support body. A microscope aligned and oriented towards the support, a microscope located on one side of the first line and aligned with its optical axis on a second line spaced a distance related to the radius of the array circle, A microscope located on the opposite side of one line and aligned with the optical axis to a third line distant by a distance related to the radius of the array circle and a fourth through the array circle and parallel to the central axis of rotation. Including a microscope arranged with the optical axis aligned with the line and sandwiching a support, prepare an observation means in which these microscopes are distributed and arranged, and place a plurality of inspected objects on the array circle. Place on the support and move the support to each microscope in sequence. A method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects, characterized in that the inspection object is observed while rotating the support in each microscope. 4. An object to be inspected is arranged on a circle and arranged and rotatable about a center of the array circle, and an optical axis is arranged on a first line orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the holder. A microscope aligned and positioned facing the support, a microscope positioned on one side of the first line and aligned with its optical axis on a second line that is separated by a distance related to the radius of the array circle and An observation means including a microscope, which is located on the opposite side of one line and which is arranged with its optical axis aligned with the third line located at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, is provided on the array circle. A plurality of objects to be inspected on the support, then, while rotating the support, the work of observing the object to be inspected by the former microscope, and the support is intermittently turned around the first line, Observe the inspected object with the latter microscope each time you turn. A method for inspecting the appearance of microscopic objects, which is characterized in that 5. An object support means for supporting an object to be inspected which is arranged on a circle and rotatable about the center of the array circle, and an optical axis which passes through the center of the array circle. Of the optical axis of the first microscope and the second microscope in which the optical axis is arranged at a distance related to the radius of the array circle on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope. A third microscope with the optical axis placed on the opposite side at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and the optical axis placed on one side of the support through the array circle and parallel to the center of rotation of the support. Appearance inspection device for microscopic objects, comprising a fourth microscope and a fifth microscope having an array circle on the opposite side of the support and having an optical axis parallel to the rotation center axis of the support. .. 6. An object support means for arranging the objects to be inspected on a circle and having a support rotatable about the center of the array circle, and an optical axis so as to pass through the center of the array circle. Of the first microscope and the second microscope in which the optical axis is arranged at a distance related to the radius of the array circle on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope, A third microscope in which the optical axis is arranged on the opposite side of the optical axis at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and the object supporting means has a rotation center axis parallel to the optical axis of the first microscope. A visual inspection apparatus for microscopic objects, characterized in that it has a mechanism for arranging a support on the base and maintaining this arrangement relationship to invert the support. 7. An object support means for arranging the objects to be inspected on a circle and having a support rotatable around the center of the array circle, and an optical axis aligned with the center of the array circle. Of the optical axis of the first microscope and the second microscope in which the optical axis is arranged at a distance related to the radius of the array circle on one side of the optical axis of the first microscope. A third microscope with the optical axis placed on the opposite side at a distance related to the radius of the array circle, and the optical axis placed on one side of the support through the array circle and parallel to the center of rotation of the support. A fourth microscope and a fifth microscope having an optical axis arranged on the opposite side of the support through the array circle and parallel to the rotation center axis of the support, and each of the microscopes is arranged in a dispersed manner. The object support means includes a mechanism for moving the support to each of the microscopes. Appearance inspection device for small objects. 8. An object support means for arranging and arranging objects to be inspected on a circle and having a rotatable body around the center of the array circle, and an optical axis so as to pass through the center of the array circle. And a second microscope having an optical axis that is orthogonal to the optical axis of the first microscope and is parallel to the center axis of rotation of the object support means, and the object support means. Is equipped with a mechanism for rotating the support about the optical axis of the first microscope. 9. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a carrier member which is located between the inspection object and the support and is wound around the support and carries the inspection object. 10. An object to be inspected is fixed, and at least a contact region with the object to be inspected is made transparent to visible light,
It has a carrier member located between the inspection object and the support body and wound around the support body, and a tunnel for penetrating the carrier member and the inspection object, and the tunnel and the outside at a position related to the inspection target site in the inspection object. 9. A guide having an opening communicating with the space, and a sixth microscope arranged in the opening of the guide.
The device according to any one of 1.