KR100733276B1 - apparatus for inspecting panel display and method for inspecting panel display using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a display panel inspection equipment capable of continuously conducting lighting inspection of a small display panel. The display panel inspection equipment of the present invention is fixed to one side of the frame and the display panel is mounted on the first worktable, the other side of the frame fixed to the second worktable, the display panel is mounted on the first and second worktable upper surface It is movable in a predetermined distance apart, and comprises a movable probe unit for sequentially inspecting the display panel mounted on the first and second work table.

Work table, probe unit

Description

Apparatus for inspecting panel display and method for inspecting panel display using the same}

1 is a front view of a display panel inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a plan view of a display panel inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a side view of a display panel inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a view showing a movable probe unit moved to a second inspection position in FIG.

5 to 6 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the lighting signal controller of the display panel inspection equipment according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

110: frame

120a: first work table

120b: second work table

122: palette

130: movable probe unit

The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for a display panel and a display panel inspection method using the same, and more particularly, to an inspection apparatus for a display panel capable of continuously performing lighting inspection of a small display panel and a display panel inspection method using the same. will be.

In general, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) are rapidly progressing in size and resolution due to mass production technology and achievements in R & D, resulting in not only notebook computers but also large monitors. It is also developed as an application product and gradually replaces existing cathode ray tube (CRT) products, and its weight in the display industry is gradually increasing.

Such a flat panel display device performs a lighting test at the final stage of the manufacturing line. The lighting test uses the probe unit to perform disconnection inspection, color inspection, and visual inspection of each data line and gate line of a flat panel display (hereinafter referred to as a display panel).

In recent years, the demand for small display panels such as LCD panels used in mobile phones is increasing rapidly, and each time the small display panel is inspected, supply, alignment, connection, inspection and extraction are repeated every time. There is a problem that the inspection time is increased and productivity is lowered.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a new type of display panel inspection equipment and a display panel inspection method using the same that can minimize the size of the equipment. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new type of display panel inspection equipment capable of inspecting a plurality of display panels at once and a display panel inspection method using the same. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new type of display panel inspection equipment and a display panel inspection method using the same, which can inspect a stick type inspection object connected to a plurality of unit display panels.

Display panel inspection equipment of the present invention for achieving the above object is a first worktable fixed to one side of the frame and the display panel is mounted, the second worktable fixed to the other side of the frame, the display panel is mounted, the first and The mobile device may include a movable probe unit that is movable at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the second work table and sequentially inspects the display panels mounted on the first and second work tables.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the movable probe may include a moving plate installed on one surface of the frame to move to any one of the first and second worktables; Probe blocks mounted on the moving plate and having test tips electrically connected to display panels mounted on the first work table or display panels mounted on the second work table; And a driving unit for moving the moving plate to the first work table or the second work table.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the display panel inspection equipment may further include a backlight unit for illuminating the display panels installed on the front of the base plate on the back of the work table.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the display panel inspection equipment may further include a lighting signal controller for inputting lighting signals to the display panels.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting signal controller may include a lighting generator for generating a lighting signal to emit light of the display panel, and a lighting signal generated from the lighting generator to probe blocks electrically connected to the display panels. It may include a signal splitter.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting signal controller may further include a control switch for selectively shorting a line connected to the respective probe blocks from the signal splitter.

According to the display panel inspection method of the present invention, the first step of loading the display panel on the first worktable fixed on the frame, the second step of moving the movable probe unit to the first worktable, and the display panel Inspecting the display panel mounted on the first work table by the movable probe unit in electrical contact with the second work table, and simultaneously loading the display panel on the second work table; A fourth step of moving the unit, a fifth step of unloading the display panel on which the inspection is completed on the first work table while inspecting the display panel loaded into the second work table, and the first to fifth operations; It may include the step of sequentially repeating the inspection step of the steps.

For example, the embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiments described below. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shape of the elements in the drawings and the like are exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In addition, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are denoted together for components that perform the same function.

1 to 3 are front, plan and side views of the display panel inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, in order to simplify description and make it easy to understand, the left-right direction in the plane parallel to a display panel in inspection equipment is called X direction, and the direction perpendicular | vertical to this liquid crystal display panel is called Z direction.

1 to 3, the display panel inspecting apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a stick type inspection object (hereinafter, a display panel) in which three small unit display panels 10a are connected to each other by using a probe unit 130. This equipment is for visual inspection using disconnection inspection and color inspection of each data line and gate line. Here, the inspection object may be configured as a single unit display panel in addition to the stick type display panels 10 in which the unit display panels 10a are connected to each other.

The basic intention of the present invention is to enable the continuous inspection of the small display panels 10 to increase the production, in order to achieve this, the inspection equipment 100 of the present invention is the first inspection position (A; Work table 120a, 120b at the second inspection position B (shown in FIG. 2), and the probe unit is moved to the first inspection position A and the second inspection position B, respectively. It is characterized by having a structure that allows continuous inspection to be performed over time.

The display panel inspection apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a frame 110, first and second work tables 120a and 120b, and a movable probe unit 130.

Frame 110 has an inclined surface portion 112 inclined at an approximately 60 degree angle in front. The first work table 120a and the second work table 120b are symmetrically installed on both left and right sides of the inclined surface portion 112. Each of the first work table 120a and the second work table 120b is provided with 12 pallets 122 on which the display panel 10 for lighting inspection is placed. Although not shown, pallets 122 are provided. The vacuum suction unit for stably fixing the display panel 10 and a guide member for guiding a position where the display panel is placed may be installed. For example, in the present invention, the number of pallets 122 installed on the first work table 120a and the second work table 120b is not limited to the present embodiment, but is limited to the size of the display panel 10 as an inspection object. As such, more or less pallets 122 may be disposed. Meanwhile, a known backlight unit that is lit to illuminate behind the display panel 10 placed on each of the first and second work tables 120a and 120b behind the first work table 120a and the second work table 120b. Not shown), which is omitted for convenience of drawing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the movable probe unit 130 may have a first inspection position A in electrical contact with display panels 10 mounted on the first work table 120a (see FIG. 2). And the first work table 120a or the second inspection position B (see FIG. 2), which is in electrical contact with the display panels 10 mounted on the second work table 120b, alternately (in turn). The display panels 10 mounted on the second work table 120b are continuously inspected.

Looking at the movable probe unit 130 in detail, the movable plate 132 is provided with probe blocks 134 having test tips electrically connected to the display panels 10. The moving plate 132 is installed on the inclined surface portion 112 of the frame 110 to move to the first inspection position A or the second inspection position B. FIG. The moving plate 132 is slidably moved in the X-axis direction by the driving unit 136 along the guide rail 114 provided in the X direction at the top and bottom of the inclined surface portion 112. In the present exemplary embodiment, the driving unit 136 is illustrated as being installed at the bottom of the frame 110 for convenience of drawing. For example, in this embodiment, the air cylinder as the driving unit 136 for the movement of the moving plate 132 is described and illustrated as an example, but this is only one example, and various driving such as a ball screw or a linear motor depending on the precision The device can be used.

On the other hand, the movable probe unit 130 moves up and down in the z-axis direction perpendicular to the display panel 10 in a state where the inspection tips of the probe blocks 134 are moved to a position in electrical contact with the display panel 10. By this movement, the display panel 10 is electrically contacted or non-contacted.

Briefly looking at the continuous inspection process in the inspection equipment having a mobile probe unit 130, as shown in Figure 1, the mobile probe unit 130 performs a lighting test at the first inspection position (A) In the meantime, in the second work table 120b of the second inspection position B, the display panel 10 is replaced by the operator. The mobile probe unit 130, which has been inspected at the first inspection position A, moves to the second inspection position B in which the display panels 10 have been replaced, and is placed on the second work table 120b. During the lighting inspection of the), the work of replacing the display panels 10 by the operator is performed in the first work table 120a at the first inspection position A. FIG. That is, the display panels mounted on the first and second work tables are sequentially inspected by the mobile probe unit. In more detail, after the inspection of the display panel mounted on one of the first and second worktables is finished, the probe unit moves to the other worktable to inspect the display panel (FIG. 4).

As such, the inspection apparatus 100 of the present invention is a mobile probe unit 130 having the probe blocks 134 installed with the inspection tips electrically connected to the display panels 10. Since the lighting inspection is carried out while moving the inspection position (B), the occupied space can be significantly reduced compared to the method of moving the work tables 120a and 120b.

5 to 6 is a configuration diagram by the lighting signal controller of the display panel inspection equipment according to the present invention.

The display panel inspection apparatus 100 described above is a device capable of simultaneously inspecting 12 stick-type display panels 10 (total 36 unit display panels) in which three unit display panels 10a are connected to each other. To this end, the inspection equipment 100 of the present invention includes a lighting signal controller 140 for inputting a lighting signal to each display panel 10, as shown in FIG. When the light source emitted by the backlight (not shown) is transmitted to the display panels 10, the lighting signal controller 140 generates a lighting signal corresponding to the images so that the images are formed on the display panels 10. And a signal distributor 144 for distributing the lighting signal generated by the lighting signal generator 142 to the respective probe blocks 134 through a plurality of lines. Here, the lighting signal generator 142 may simultaneously generate a lighting signal to the data terminal of the display panel 10 connected to the test tips of the probe blocks 134, or excessively due to a large lighting signal In order to prevent the load, the lighting signal generator 142 may be used to sequentially turn on the display panel 10. Meanwhile, the lighting signal controller 140 may include a control switch 146 for selectively supplying the lighting signal generated by the lighting signal generator 142 to the display panels 10. In the lighting signal generator 142, the lighting signals generated are provided to the respective probe blocks 134 through the signal distributor 144, and the lighting signals are selectively three (or three) by a short circuit of the control switch 146. One by one). That is, the inspection equipment 100 according to the present invention can adjust the output of the lighting signal generator 142 through the control switch 146, the use of a small amount of the lighting signal generator 142, the lighting signal generator ( The load due to excessive output of 142 can be reduced.

On the other hand, the present invention can be variously modified in the display panel inspection equipment having the above configuration and may take various forms. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the specific forms referred to in the above description, but rather includes all modifications, equivalents and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood to do.

As described above, the display panel inspection equipment of the present invention can continuously inspect 12 stick-type inspection objects formed by combining a plurality of unit display panels, and has a special effect of remarkably improving throughput.

In addition, the present invention has a special effect that can reduce the size of the equipment by using a mobile probe unit.

In addition, the present invention can adjust the output of the light signal generator, it is possible to use a small amount of the light signal generator, has a special effect that can reduce the load due to excessive output of the light signal generator.

Claims (7)

For display panel inspection equipment: A first work table installed at one side of the frame and having a display panel mounted thereon; A second work table installed on the other side of the frame in parallel with the first work table and on which a display panel is mounted; And A mobile probe unit for inspecting display panels mounted to the first and second worktables; The movable probe unit Inspecting a first inspection position for inspecting a display panel mounted on the first water table and a display panel mounted on the second work table, the first and second worktables being movable at a predetermined distance apart from each other; Display panel inspection equipment, characterized in that for continuously inspecting the display panel mounted on the first and second worktable while moving alternately to the second inspection position. The method of claim 1, The movable probe unit A moving plate installed on one surface of the frame to move to any one of the first and second work tables; Probe blocks mounted on the moving plate and having test tips electrically connected to display panels mounted on the first work table or display panels mounted on the second work table; And And a driving unit to move the moving plate to the first work table or the second work table. The method of claim 1, The display panel inspection equipment And a backlight unit configured to illuminate display panels installed in front of the base plate at a rear surface of the first and second work tables. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The display panel inspection equipment And a lighting signal controller for inputting lighting signals to the display panels. The method of claim 4, wherein The lighting signal controller is Display panel inspection equipment characterized in that it comprises a light generator for generating a light signal for the display panel to emit light, and a signal distributor for distributing the light signal generated from the light generator to probe blocks electrically connected to the display panels. . The method of claim 5, The lighting signal controller is And a control switch for selectively shorting a line connected to each of the probe blocks from the signal splitter. A first step of loading the display panel on the first worktable fixed on the frame; A second step of moving the movable probe unit to the first work table; Inspecting the display panel mounted on the first worktable by the mobile probe unit in electrical contact with the display panel and simultaneously loading the display panel on the second worktable; A fourth step of moving the movable probe unit to the second work table; Inspecting the display panel loaded into the second work table and unloading the display panel on which the inspection is completed on the first work table; Display panel inspection method comprising the step of sequentially repeating the inspection step of the first to fifth steps.

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