KR20100064216A - An aging test apparatus of display module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An aging test apparatus of a display module is provided to improve the test efficiency thereof by carrying out the test at a test unit while rotating a rotation supporting unit. CONSTITUTION: A rotation supporting unit(130) is installed at two or more than two frames(110) and allows the rotation thereof. A test unit(120) is supported by the rotation supporting unit, and a display module is coupled to the test unit. A power transmission unit(140) transmits rotation power to the rotation supports unit, and a first connection unit is placed at the central axis of the rotation support unit. The first connection unit is electrically connected to a power supply unit(150) and the test unit.

Description

Display module aging test device {AN AGING TEST APPARATUS OF DISPLAY MODULE}

The present invention relates to a display module aging inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to a display module aging inspection apparatus capable of simultaneously performing aging and inspection of the display module.

During the manufacturing process of the display module, a voltage and a signal are applied to each module for a predetermined time to check the operation state and durability of the module. This is called an aging test.

In the display module, such an aging test has been performed by a mother substrate unit in which the module is mounted before cutting each module. Such a mother board unit inspection is convenient because it is easy to inspect, and there is an advantage in that it is easy to grasp the defect through mapping of the point where the defect occurs. However, because a large number of modules are connected in series and in parallel for inspection, a series and parallel loop of wiring is formed. These loops generate noise in the applied signal and create leakage currents that affect nearby modules. Therefore, there was a problem that a close inspection is difficult. In addition, when there is a problem in some modules of the mother substrate may affect the peripheral module and the wiring, the aging test of the entire mother substrate may not be smoothly performed.

On the other hand, in recent years, the size of the module is also increasing in accordance with the trend of larger display. However, when the size of each module increases as described above, the conventional method of inspecting the entire mother substrate becomes more disadvantageous. As each module increases in size, the number of modules included in one mother substrate decreases. Therefore, productivity falls. In addition, as the module becomes larger and larger, the inspection apparatus needs to be changed according to a change in the model, such as a change in the size of the module, but the conventional mother substrate unit inspection method has a problem that it is difficult to change the inspection apparatus according to the change of the model.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of simultaneously performing an aging test for each display module unit.

The display module aging inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, two or more frames arranged at regular intervals; A rotary support rotatably mounted to the frame; An inspection unit supported by the rotation support unit and inspecting the module by coupling one display module to each other; A power transmission unit for transmitting rotational power to the rotation support unit; A power supply unit supplying power to the power transmission unit and the inspection unit; A first connection part disposed on a central axis of the rotation support part and electrically connected to the power supply part and the inspection part; And a control unit controlling the power transmission unit and the power supply unit and analyzing the data measured by the inspection unit.

The display module aging inspection apparatus may further include a chamber surrounding the display module aging inspection apparatus.

The chamber may include an opening to mount or detach the display module to the inspection unit.

The inspection unit may include a central axis at the center for the rotational movement relative to the rotation support.

The display module aging test apparatus may include a second connection part electrically connected to the first connection part and positioned on the rotation support part to correspond to the central axis of the test part.

The display module aging inspection apparatus may include an auxiliary power transmission unit for transmitting power for maintaining the horizontal state of the inspection unit.

The rotary support is circular or oval.

The modules are each electrically connected to a power supply or first connection.

The inspection unit includes a coupling unit in which the display module is installed, a power supply unit supplying power to the display module, a signal supply unit supplying a signal to the display module, and a signal transmission unit transferring data generated from the display module to the controller. It may include.

The inspection part may be located on a rotation radius of a predetermined size of the rotation support part.

The inspection unit may be located at regular intervals on the rotary support.

The first connection part may be positioned at a rotation center of the rotation support part, and may include an input part of an electrical signal and an output part of the electrical signal capable of transmitting an electrical signal through the rotating shaft.

The electrical signal generated by the controller and the power supplied from the power supply unit are transmitted to the inspection unit through the first connection unit, and the data generated by the display module is transferred to the controller through the first connection unit.

The aging inspection system according to the embodiment of the present invention may include two or more such display module aging inspection devices.

In the display module aging inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the inspection proceeds while the rotary support unit provided with the inspection unit rotates, the inspection may be continuously performed. Therefore, the inspection efficiency can be improved.

In addition, since no complicated wiring is required, noise and interference caused by the wiring can be reduced, and signal delay can be reduced. Therefore, accurate inspection is possible.

In addition, since inspection is performed for each module, even if there is an error in some modules, other modules are not affected. Thus, faster and more efficient inspections are possible.

Since a complicated jig is not required for the inspection apparatus, the apparatus can be simplified. Therefore, it is easy to automate the inspection process, and the maintenance of the device is simple.

In particular, when a plurality of inspection units are provided, the entire inspection apparatus can be easily automated by a method of automatically loading an inspection unit equipped with a module.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts not directly related to the description of the present invention are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is connected to another part, this includes not only the case where it is directly connected, but also the case where it is electrically connected with another element in between. In addition, when a part includes a certain component, it may further include other components unless otherwise stated.

First, a detailed configuration of a display module aging test apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

1 to 3 show a display module aging inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a display module aging test apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a portion excluding the chamber 190. In FIG. 1, the chamber 190 is shown transparently to explain the internal device. 3 is a schematic side view illustrating the structures of the first slip part 160 and the second slip part 180.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display module aging test apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a frame 110, a plurality of test units 120, a rotation support unit 130, a power transmission unit 140, a power supply unit 150, and a first unit. 3 includes a first connection unit 160 (the same as described below with reference to FIG. 3), a controller 170, a second connection unit 180 (the same as described below with reference to FIG. 3), and a chamber 190.

Frame 110 is a configuration in which each component of the invention is installed, and serves to fix and support each component. Two or more frames 110 may be arranged at regular intervals from each other to simultaneously perform aging and inspection of the module. Frame 110 should be able to withstand the weight of each component, it is good to manufacture using high-strength metal-based material or high-strength polymer material. In addition, the structure filled with the inside of the rectangular parallelepiped shape in order to stably support each component is good, but if there is no problem in its function, the shape of pyramid, square pyramid, etc. is also possible, and the inside of the frame does not necessarily need to be filled.

The rotation support unit 130 is connected to the frame 110 through the first connection unit 160 in a structure for rotating while supporting the plurality of inspection units 120. Unlike this, however, the rotary support 130 may be connected while the frame surrounds the outer portion of the support like the connection of the chain and the gearwheel, and the connection method is not limited. Since the rotatable support 130 is a component necessary for the circular movement of the inspection unit 120, it is preferable to have the same center as the central axis of the first connection unit 160, and in particular, a circular or oval shape is preferable. However, the rotation support 130 may have a variety of other structures as long as it can serve to rotate while supporting the inspection unit 120. The rotary support 130 may have, for example, an octahedron or a cube, and may have a structure having only a skeleton such as a chain directly connected to the frame. The rotary support 130 receives the power from the power transmission unit 140 and rotates about the axis of the first connector 160. The power transmission unit 140 and the rotation support unit 130 are preferable because the rotational surface of the power transmission unit 140 directly contacts one surface of the rotation support unit 130 to transmit power, thereby simplifying the structure. However, if the relative position of the power transmission unit 140 and the rotary support 130 is difficult to direct contact, such as when the situation is necessary, auxiliary devices for power transmission such as chains, gears, belts can be additionally used. have.

The inspection unit 120 is a display module is installed where the inspection is in progress is connected to the rotary support 130 through the central axis and the circular movement for the time necessary for the aging inspection. The inspection unit 120 may be provided in plural at regular intervals or at arbitrary intervals in the rotation support unit 130, and may have a size capable of combining a plurality of modules having a predetermined size. The inspection unit 120 may be provided in plural at regular intervals on a predetermined radius of rotation with respect to the center of the rotation support unit 130.

Detailed configuration of the inspection unit 120 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The inspection unit 120 may rotate about the central axis of the rotary support 130 in order to keep itself horizontal. The inspection unit 120 may be directly connected to the rotation support 130, connected to the rotation shaft 130 through the connection member 111, or connected to the rotation support 130 to be rotatable with the rotation support 130. . In addition, the inspection unit 120 may include an auxiliary power transmission unit (not shown) to transmit power for maintaining the horizontal state.

The first connector 160 is electrically connected to the inspection unit 120 through the second connector 180, and includes an input unit 161 of the electrical signal and an output unit 163 of the electrical signal. The first connection unit 160 is installed on the frame 110 to connect the rotation support unit 130 to the frame 110 while sharing the central axis with the rotation support unit 130. In addition, the first connection unit 160 receives the signal generated by the control unit 170 and the power supplied from the power supply unit 150 through the input unit 161 of the electrical signal, and checks the inspection unit through the output unit 163 of the electrical signal. 120). On the other hand, the signal generated by the inspection unit 120 is also transmitted to the control unit 170 through the input unit 161 and the output unit 163 of the first connection unit.

The second connection unit 180 is installed on the rotation support unit 130 to share the central axis with the inspection unit 120 to connect the inspection unit 120 to the rotation support unit more firmly, and electrically connect the first connection unit 160 and the inspection unit 120 to each other. Connect with

The first and second connectors 160 and 180 may be formed as slip rings that transmit electrical signals through the rotating shaft. In addition, in the present invention, the slip ring may be made of a material in which silver (Ag) is plated on copper (Cu) so as to be suitable for power supply.

The power supply unit 150 supplies power to the inspection unit 120, the power transmission unit 140, and the control unit 170, and may use a general power supply device according to the capacitance of the inspection apparatus.

The controller 170 supplies a signal for inspection supplied to the inspection unit 120 and controls the power transmission unit 140. In addition, the control unit 170 receives data measured by the inspection unit 120 and also checks whether the inspection is proceeding correctly. The controller 170 may include a separate display device (not shown) so that an operator can immediately check the progress of the inspection.

The power transmission unit 140 is for supplying the power required for the circular movement (or rotational movement) of the rotary support, and means for transmitting power with a DC motor or an AC motor, for example, a belt, a chain, a gear or a tooth Wheels and the like. The power transmission means is appropriately selected and applied according to the relative position and shape of the power transmission unit 140 and the rotary support 130.

The chamber 190 is formed to surround the frame 110 and each component, and has an opening 191 for mounting and detaching the display module from the inspection unit. The chamber 190 may have a variety of shapes, as needed, as long as it protects each component and may serve the same role.

4 is a schematic perspective view showing the inspection unit 120 in more detail. The inspection unit 120 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a coupling unit 123, a terminal unit 121, a power supply unit (not shown), a signal supply unit (not shown), and a signal transmission unit (not shown).

The coupling unit 123 is a place where the display module is coupled to the inspection unit, and may be variously formed according to the shape of the module to be inspected. Since the inspection target module is most of a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the coupling part 123 may be formed of a coupling groove formed as shown in FIG. 4, and the module may be located in the coupling groove.

The terminal unit 121 is a first terminal 1211 for connecting the module and the power transmission unit, a second terminal 1213 for connecting the module and the signal supply unit, and a third terminal 1215 for connecting the module and the signal transmission unit. It consists of Each of the terminals 1211, 1213, and 1215 may use pads made of a conductive material, but various interfaces such as pins and conductive rubbers may be used depending on the structure of the module.

The power supply unit and the signal supply unit are configured as circuits for signal processing and rectification, respectively, and reprocess and rectify signals and power supplied from the control unit 170 and the power supply unit 150 to supply to each module. The signal transmission unit is composed of a signal processing circuit and serves to transmit data generated in the module to the control unit 170 according to the inspection.

In this way, power and signals can be supplied separately for each module, thereby minimizing unnecessary noise generated in the input signal. Therefore, more accurate inspection is possible. In addition, unlike the mother board unit inspection, even if some modules are defective, only the module in which the defect occurs can be accurately selected, thereby further improving the efficiency of the inspection.

Next, an operation method and related advantages of the display module aging inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

First, the inspection target module is sequentially mounted on the inspection unit 120 through the opening 191 of the chamber 190. Then, when power is supplied to the power supply unit 150 through the control unit 170, the rotary support unit 130 is rotated at a constant speed through the power transmission unit 140 and inputs power and signals to the module. The module that passes the aging test for a set time is taken out through the opening 191 and then transported to the next manufacturing step, and a new module is mounted on the inspection unit 120 through the opening 191. Since the time for mounting the module in each inspection unit 120 is different, the time for completing the inspection is also different. Therefore, except in the case of mounting the module for the first time in all the inspection unit 120, it is possible to transport the module is completed the inspection, and to mount a new module, it is possible to greatly improve the module inspection efficiency. In addition, the module, not the original plate is aging and inspected while circulating, and since the size of each module is not large compared to the original plate, the module can be circulated in the vertical direction, so that the inspection apparatus according to the present invention can be sufficiently installed even in a narrow place.

Next, a system composed of the display module aging inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an aging inspection system 200 according to the present invention configured as a minimum unit.

The aging inspection system 200 according to the present invention is composed of two or more display module aging inspection apparatus 100. Each display module aging test apparatus 100 is installed to overlap at an angle so that the opening 191 is opened to the outside. Since the module can be mounted and detached through the opening 191, all of the modules can be installed in an overlapping state except for the opening. Thus, many inspection devices can be installed even in a narrow space. Therefore, the aging inspection can be carried out more efficiently at the same time.

Experimental Example

Comparing the efficiency of the conventional mother substrate unit inspection method and the inspection method using the device according to the present invention are as follows.

First, in the case of the conventional mother board unit inspection method, it takes 2.5 hours on average to age one mother board, and 0.5 hours on average to inspect the completed mother board. Therefore, it takes a total of three hours to aging inspection of one mother substrate, it is possible to inspect eight mother substrates in one inspection device if the inspection is carried out 24 hours a day. With 85% equipment utilization and a 30-day working day, 204 mosquito boards can be aged per month per device.

Next, a case of an aging inspection method using an aging inspection apparatus for each module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be examined. It takes 30 minutes on average for a module mounted on one inspection unit to take 10 minutes to inspect and replace a module mounted on one inspection unit. Therefore, it takes 40 minutes to inspect the first inspection part, but since the inspection part is subsequently inspected and mounted on the first inspection part, only 10 minutes, which is the time required for inspection and mounting, need to be considered. Although a slight difference may occur depending on the number of inspection units and the number of modules included in one inspection unit, it will be based on modules of 1.6 inches to 4 inches that are widely used in mobile devices. In general, since it can have seven inspection parts and one mother substrate module can be installed in one inspection part, it takes 1.67 hours to process. Thus, when the equipment utilization rate is 85%, and calculated based on 30 working days, about 500 mother boards can be processed per month per device. In particular, since the display module aging inspection apparatus according to the present invention does not take much space for installation as compared to the unit substrate inspection method, when the system is formed by connecting multiple devices, the display module aging inspection apparatus is more efficiently inspected than the conventional unit inspection method. You can do

On the other hand, although not directly considered in the calculation, when using the apparatus according to the present invention, since the power and signals can be supplied to each module individually, the inspection is not performed because it is affected by the peripheral module as in the conventional method There is no problem of delays or delays.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims and the detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. Naturally, it belongs to the range of.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a display module aging inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic front view of a display module aging inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic side view of the display module aging inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a schematic perspective view of the inspection unit.

5 is a schematic perspective view of an aging inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (14)

Two or more frames arranged at regular intervals; A rotary support rotatably mounted to the frame; An inspection unit supported by the rotation support unit and inspecting the module by coupling one display module to each other; A power transmission unit for transmitting rotational power to the rotation support unit; A power supply unit supplying power to the power transmission unit and the inspection unit; A first connection part disposed on a central axis of the rotation support part and electrically connected to the power supply part and the inspection part; And Control unit for controlling the power transmission unit and the power supply and analyzing the data measured by the inspection unit Display module aging inspection device comprising a. The method of claim 1, And a chamber surrounding the display module aging test device. The method of claim 2, And the chamber includes an opening for attaching or detaching the display module to the inspection unit. The method of claim 2, The inspection unit aging inspection apparatus including a central axis for the rotational movement relative to the rotation support in the center thereof. The method of claim 4, wherein And a second connection part electrically connected to the first connection part and positioned on the rotation support part to correspond to the central axis of the test part. The method of claim 4, wherein And an auxiliary power transmission unit configured to transmit power for maintaining the horizontal state of the inspection unit. The method of claim 1, Display module aging inspection device of the rotating support is made of a circular or oval. The method of claim 1, And each module is electrically connected to a power supply unit or a first connection unit, respectively. The method of claim 1, The at least one inspection unit, Coupling unit in which the display module is installed, A power supply unit supplying power to the display module; A signal supply unit supplying a signal to the display module; Signal transmission unit for transmitting the data generated from the display module to the controller Display module aging inspection device comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the inspection unit is positioned on a rotation radius of a predetermined size of the rotation support unit. The method of claim 10, And the inspection unit is positioned at regular intervals on the rotatable support. The method of claim 2, The first connection portion is located at the center of rotation of the rotary support, Display module aging inspection apparatus comprising an input portion of the electrical signal and the output portion of the electrical signal capable of transmitting the electrical signal through the rotating axis. The method of claim 12, The electrical signal generated by the controller and the power supplied from the power supply unit are transmitted to the inspection unit through the first connection unit, The display module aging inspection apparatus for transmitting the data generated by the display module to the controller through the first connection. An aging inspection system comprising two or more aging inspection apparatuses according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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