JPS6332256B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a method in which the tip of a pin-shaped contact probe is
The present invention relates to an inspection device that measures and inspects conductivity, etc. by contacting test points of circuit boards such as ICs and LSIs, and particularly relates to an inspection device that can easily measure and inspect multiple types of circuit boards, etc. at the same time.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Conventionally, as a device for inspecting whether a proper conduction state is formed in a circuit board, etc., a large number of contact probes are arranged through a probe support plate in multiple probe groups, and the tip of each contact probe is There is generally known a device that is brought into contact with a land or the like of a corresponding circuit board (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7835/1983).

By the way, in this type of inspection apparatus, as circuit patterns become finer and denser, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of contact probes and increase their density. For this reason, high precision is required in the manufacturing of the device, and the manufacturing process is becoming increasingly time-consuming and costly. This trend is expected to become even more pronounced in the future.

However, in conventional inspection equipment, the probe array of each probe group arranged in multiple sets on the probe support plate is configured each time according to the circuit pattern to be inspected and measured. Even if it is necessary to change the probe arrangement of one probe group, a new probe support plate with only a different probe arrangement of one probe group must be manufactured, which leads to poor inspection efficiency and uneconomical problems. There's a problem.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention was made in view of the current situation, and even if it is necessary to change the probe arrangement of a required probe group, it is possible to easily change only the probe arrangement of the probe group without manufacturing a new probe support plate. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus for circuit boards, etc., which can significantly improve inspection efficiency and reduce inspection costs.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention, as a means for achieving the above object, consists of unitizing each probe group and attaching it to a probe support plate in a detachable and replaceable manner, and providing each unit with a positioning device and a retaining device to stabilize each unit in its correct position. It is characterized by being able to be installed quickly.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an IC circuit board as a circuit board to be inspected by the inspection device according to the present invention, and this IC circuit board B has an IC mounting part S formed in its center. Along with IC
Land L to which the legs of the IC are connected around the mounting part R
is formed in the required pattern. The tip of a pin-shaped contact probe of an inspection device, which will be described later, comes into contact with these lands L.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the circuit board inspection apparatus is equipped with a support plate 1 that is vertically movably supported by a guide device (not shown) above an IC circuit board B to be inspected. The support plate 1 is provided with a large number of probe holder mounting holes 2 arranged in a grid pattern, for example, as shown in FIG. There is. In each probe holder mounting hole 2, a probe unit 4 having a probe arrangement corresponding to the pattern of the land L of the IC circuit board B immediately below the probe holder mounting hole 2 is detachably mounted.

This probe unit 4 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
As shown in the figure, the flange portion 5a is approximately in the shape of an oblong plate.
and a cylindrical insertion portion 5 protruding from the center of its lower surface.
b, and this probe holder 5 has a probe holder mounting hole 2.
It is designed to be inserted from above.

In the flange portion 5a of the probe holder 5, positioning holes 6 are bored at both end positions in the longitudinal direction, and each positioning hole 6 has a hole formed in the support plate 1 as shown in FIG. A positioning pin 8 is inserted into the locking hole 7 by press-fitting through a concavo-convex strip 8a such as a serration. By inserting the positioning pin 8 into the positioning hole 6, the probe holder 5 is positioned.

Further, the circumferential surface of the insertion portion 5b of the probe holder 5 has an elastic hook-like shape that is snap-engaged with the lower end peripheral edge of the probe holder attachment hole 2 when the insertion portion 5b is inserted into the probe holder attachment hole 2. A retaining member 9 is provided, and by snap-engaging the retaining member 9 with the end of the probe holder mounting hole 2, the probe holder 5 is prevented from coming off upward, and the snap engagement is released. This allows the probe holder 5 to be removed.

A large number of pin-shaped contact probes 10, for example 44, are disposed through the central portion of the probe holder 5 configured in this way at positions corresponding to the lands L of the IC board B, and are arranged through the support plate. 1, the contact tip pin 10a at the tip of each contact probe 10 comes into contact with each land L.

As shown in FIG. 4, each contact probe 10 includes a cylindrical contact probe sheath 1 whose portion above the lower end of the probe holder 5 has an insulating property.
1, and the contact probe 1
The upper end of 0 is electrically connected to a measuring device (not shown).

Further, the tip pin 10a provided at the tip of each contact probe 10 is fitted into the tip of the main body of the contact probe 10 so as to be slidable up and down while being prevented from coming off downward as shown in FIG. The tip pin 10a is cut diagonally.
The inner end surface of the contact probe 10 is constantly pressed downward via the ball 12 by a coil spring 13 built into the main body of the contact probe 10, and the spring 13 absorbs the impact caused by the contact of the tip pin 10a with the land L. This allows the tip pin 10a to be absorbed by the land L and to press the tip pin 10a against the land L.

In addition, the tip pin 1 of each contact probe 10
The lower end portion including 0a is a guide hole 1 provided in a probe protection plate 14 located below the probe holder 5, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
The contact probe 10 is always loosely fitted within the contact probe 5 to effectively prevent bending of the contact probe 10 and displacement of the tip due to external force.

The probe protection plate 14 has approximately the same diameter as the insertion portion 5b of the probe holder 5, as shown in FIG.
In other words, it has a disc shape with a slightly smaller diameter than the probe holder mounting hole 2, and each contact probe 1
The guide hole 15 is located at the position corresponding to 0, and the notch 1 is located at the position corresponding to the retaining member 9.
6 are provided respectively.

The probe protection plate 14 is provided with two fitting holes 18 corresponding to the two slide holes 17 bored in the probe holder 5. The lower end of the slide guide pin 19 inserted from above is fitted, and is connected and fixed by a set screw 20 threaded from the lower surface side. Then, the probe protection plate 14 is attached to the two slide guide pins 1.
9, it is adapted to be vertically displaced with respect to the probe holder 5.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the protection plate 14 also has two mounting holes 21 at positions offset by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction with respect to the two fitting holes 18.
are respectively provided in the mounting holes 21, and
A coil spring guide column 23 whose upper end is loosely fitted into two spring receiving holes 22 provided in the probe holder 5 corresponding to the mounting hole 21 is press-fitted and fixed, and the mounting hole 21 and the spring receiver A coil spring 24 is interposed between the probe protection plate 14 and the hole 22 to constantly bias the probe protection plate 14 downward. Then, the support plate 1 is lowered to bring the probe protection plate 14 into contact with the IC circuit board B, and the probe protection plate 14 is relatively raised against the biasing force of the coil spring 24, so that the tip pin 10a comes into contact with the land L by the force of the spring 13 behind it, and by raising the support plate 1, the probe protection plate 14 is lowered by the biasing force of the coil spring 24, and the tip pin 10a is securely placed in the guide hole 15. It's starting to hide.

Next, the effect will be explained.

For measurement and inspection, a probe unit 4 that matches the pattern of the land L of the IC circuit board B to be inspected is selected, and the probe unit 4 is attached to each holder attachment hole 2 of the support plate 1 from above.
Then, the positioning pin 8 on the support plate 1 is inserted into the positioning hole 6 provided in the flange portion 5a of the probe holder 5, and the probe unit 4 is positioned in the horizontal direction.
As shown in FIG. 4, a retaining member 9 provided on the insertion portion 5b of the probe holder 4 is engaged with the lower edge of the probe holder mounting hole 2 with a snap to position and fix the position of the probe unit 4 in the vertical direction. is completely fixed in position on the support plate 1.

After each probe unit 4 is fixed to the support plate 1 in this manner, the support plate 1 is lowered. Then, first, the bottom surface of the probe protection plate 14 is
Contact circuit board B. Then, by further lowering the support plate 1, the probe protection plate 1
4 relatively further rises against the urging force of the coil spring 24, and the tip pin 10a at the lower end of the contact probe 10 strongly contacts each land L due to the increase in the urging force due to the compression of the coil spring 13 behind it. become.

Next, the tip pin 10a is attached to the land L in this way.
A measurement test is carried out to determine whether a proper conduction state is established while the terminal is in contact with the terminal.

After the inspection is completed, when the support plate 1 is raised, the probe protection plate 14 is lowered by the biasing force of the coil spring 24 to the position regulated by the head of the slide guide pin 19, and the tip pin 10a protrudes by the force of the spring 13. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip pin 10a of the contact probe 10 remains completely hidden within the guide hole 15 of the probe protection plate 14.

Then, by one vertical movement operation of the support plate 1,
Measurement and inspection of a large number of IC circuit boards B corresponding to the number of probe units 4 is performed simultaneously.

In this way, a large number of measurements and inspections are performed simultaneously.
If the type of some of the IC circuit boards B has been changed and the arrangement of the lands L is different from the previous one, first insert the old probe unit 4 corresponding to the IC circuit board B into the holder mounting hole. A new probe unit 4 having the same probe arrangement as that of the land L is mounted in the holder mounting hole 2, and measurement and inspection are performed in the same manner.

In that case, first press the lower end of the retaining member 9 of the old probe unit 4 inward to release it from the support plate 1, as shown in FIG. 4, and then grasp the probe holder 5. and pull it upward.
Then, the probe unit 4 is pulled out from the holder mounting hole 2 as a whole.

Next, a new probe unit 4 having a different arrangement of contact probes 10 is mounted in the holder mounting hole 2 in the same manner as described above, and is positioned and fixed. Thereafter, the support plate 1 is moved up and down to perform measurement and inspection of the IC circuit board B.

In this way, the contact probe group corresponding to each IC circuit board B is made into a unit, and each unit 4
Since it is removable and replaceable with respect to the support plate 1, even if the specification or type of the required IC circuit board B changes and it is necessary to change the arrangement of the probes 10 of the corresponding unit 4, the unit can be replaced. It is sufficient to replace only 4 with a unit having another probe sequence. Therefore, unlike the conventional method, there is no need to newly manufacture the support plate 1, and it is also possible to measure and inspect a plurality of types of IC circuit boards B at the same time.

Further, each probe unit 4 can be positioned by simply aligning the positioning hole 6 of the probe holder 5 with the positioning pin 8 and pushing it into the probe holder mounting hole 2. Moreover, it can be prevented from falling out by the snap engagement of the retaining member 9. Since the unit 4 can be easily attached to the support plate 1, and can be removed simply by disengaging the retaining member 9 and pulling it out from the holder attachment hole 2, the unit 4 can be easily replaced.

Furthermore, since the positioning of the probe unit 4 is performed by inserting the positioning pin 8 into the positioning hole 6 of the probe holder 5, it is possible to easily change the mounted state of the probe unit 4 from the state in which the upper end of the positioning pin 8 is protruding. Can be visually confirmed.

In the above embodiment, the positioning pin 8 of the support plate 1 is inserted into the positioning hole 6 of the probe holder 5.
Although positioning is performed by inserting the probe holder into the probe holder, it is also possible to provide a pin in the probe holder and insert the pin into the hole in the support plate 1. Alternatively, the positioning may be performed by other methods, such as by forming the probe holder mounting hole 2 and the insertion portion 5b into a non-perfect circular shape and performing positioning using this shape.

Further, the retaining member 9 is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings, and for example, a locking piece that protrudes and retracts in the radial direction is provided on the circumferential surface of the insertion portion 5b, and this locking piece is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the probe holder mounting hole 2. Other configurations may be used, such as a snap engagement in a provided recess.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, a plurality of probe groups arranged on a probe support plate corresponding to each circuit board etc. are made into a unit and can be attached to and detached from the probe support plate, so that different probe arrangements can be prepared in advance. By preparing multiple types of units, even if some circuit board patterns are changed,
This can be handled simply by replacing this part of the unit with another one.

Therefore, a wide variety of probe arrays can be easily and quickly obtained on the probe support plate as a whole, and multiple types of circuit boards and the like can be tested simultaneously without any problems.

In addition, each probe unit is equipped with a positioning device and a retaining device, so you can obtain the same accuracy as a conventional integrated type.Moreover, the retaining device only requires inserting the pin holder into the holder mounting hole. Since it is engaged with a snap, attachment/detachment and replacement operations are easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an IC circuit board as a circuit board inspected by the inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the main parts of Figure 2, and Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the main parts of Figure 2.
5 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4. 1...Support plate, 2...Probe holder mounting hole,
4... Probe unit, 5... Probe holder, 6... Positioning hole, 8... Positioning pin,
9... Retaining member, 10... Contact probe, B... IC circuit board, L... Land.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A large number of pin-shaped contact probes are arranged penetrating in parallel in parallel toward the circuit board on a supporting plate that is movably provided facing the circuit board to be inspected. In an inspection device for circuit boards, etc., which measures and inspects continuity by bringing the tip of each contact probe into contact with a test point on a circuit board, a plurality of probe holder mounting holes are bored in the support plate, and each probe holder mounting hole A probe holder is provided that is removably inserted into the probe holder, and a large number of contact probes are arranged through the probe holder, and the probe holder is attached to the support plate when the probe holder is inserted into the probe holder mounting hole. A positioning device is provided to position the
Furthermore, a probe holder retaining device is provided that snaps the support plate and probe holder into engagement when they are mutually positioned, and the probe holder and contact probe are integrated into a unit, making each unit detachable and replaceable from the support plate. An inspection device for circuit boards, etc., characterized by: 2. An inspection device for circuit boards, etc., as set forth in claim 1, wherein the positioning device is constituted by a positioning pin protruding from a support plate so as to be inserted into a positioning hole in a flange portion formed on a probe holder. . 3. Claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining device is formed by an elastic hook-like retaining member that is supported by the side of the probe holder and snap-engaged with the end of the probe holder mounting hole.
Inspection equipment for circuit boards, etc. as described in Section 1.