JP5289224B2 - Inspection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus that eliminates problems that occur during a manual push inspection performed during a lighting inspection of an inspection target plate such as a liquid crystal panel.

  In the inspection apparatus, for example, during the lighting inspection of the liquid crystal panel, there is a step of inspecting the lighting state by pressing the liquid crystal panel by an operator by hand. In this inspection process, the probe at the tip of the probe block attached to the probe unit is brought into contact with each terminal of the liquid crystal panel so that the liquid crystal panel is lit. inspect. However, in this case, the liquid crystal panel is slightly bent by being manually pressed by the operator. Thereby, a probe and a terminal may shift mutually. And if a probe and a terminal shift | deviate mutually, a lighting test will become impossible, Therefore It is necessary to fix a liquid crystal panel reliably.

  As an example of fixing a liquid crystal panel in an inspection apparatus, there is a liquid crystal panel inspection stage described in Patent Document 1. The liquid crystal panel inspection stage includes first and second stopper means protruding from the panel receiving surface of the work table to receive and support two adjacent sides of the four sides of the rectangular liquid crystal panel; A pressing means is provided to face the stopper means and presses the liquid crystal panel so that each side of the liquid crystal panel comes into contact with both stopper means. Thus, the four sides of the liquid crystal panel can be pressed and supported by the stopper means and the pressing means on the panel receiving surface, and the liquid crystal panel can be accurately inspected in a stable state.

  Further, the liquid crystal display panel inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is provided with means for suppressing the inclination of the inspection stage. That is, when the probe touches the terminal of the liquid crystal display panel and is pressed against the inspection stage by this probe, the inclination of the inspection stage at that time is suppressed, and the liquid crystal display panel and the probe are There is provided a pressing means for minimizing the positional deviation. This pressing means is a means for applying the same load as the load caused by the probe to the opposite location. In other words, the pressing means applies the same load as the load caused by the probe to a position located opposite to the position where the probe is applied across the display area of the liquid crystal display panel. Thereby, the inclination of the inspection stage due to the load of the probe is suppressed by the uneven load by the pressing means, and the positional deviation between the liquid crystal display panel and the probe is reduced.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-14756 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-333111

  However, in the conventional inspection apparatus, the panel position shift due to the manual push inspection during the panel lighting inspection cannot be eliminated.

  The fixing by the fixing means of Patent Document 1 is a configuration in which the liquid crystal panel is pressed and supported from the opposite sides of the liquid crystal panel, and is fixed at portions other than the stopper means and the pressing means in the direction perpendicular to the panel surface. It has not been. For this reason, when a manual push inspection is performed by an operator, the panel is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the panel surface, affecting the contact between the panel terminal and the probe, and causing a lighting failure.

  Further, in the inspection apparatus of Patent Document 2, a means for suppressing the inclination of the inspection stage is provided. By this means, the same load as the load caused by the operator's hand pressing is applied to the opposite place during the hand pressing inspection by the operator. Although it is possible to act on it, it is not realistic. When an operator presses an arbitrary position by hand, it is difficult to specify a balanced position so that the terminal and the probe do not shift, and the device that moves to that position and presses it becomes complicated and large, making it realistic is not.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device that prevents a panel terminal and a probe from being misaligned during a manual push inspection by an operator.

In order to solve the above problems, an inspection apparatus according to the present invention is an inspection apparatus that inspects an inspection target plate, and includes a probe unit that contacts the inspection target plate and applies an inspection signal. A probe base that is fixed to the frame side, a probe block that is supported by the probe base, the probe block provided at the distal end facing each terminal of the inspection object plate, and the probe block that is accurately positioned and supported; An elastic support that supports a target plate and prevents a displacement of the inspection target plate, and the positional displacement prevention mechanism elastically supports the inspection target plate by contacting the inspection target plate A mechanism, a biasing mechanism that biases the elastic support mechanism to the inspection target plate with a set pressure, a suspension base that supports the whole, and the suspension base A fixing mechanism that is directly attached and fixed to an arbitrary position of the lobe base; and a sliding mechanism that is slidably supported by the suspension base and that supports the elastic supporting mechanism at a tip portion thereof. And a slide block that is brought into contact with a set pressure .

  In order to prevent the displacement of the inspection object plate by supporting the inspection object plate by the position displacement prevention mechanism, the displacement between the panel terminal and the probe is surely prevented during the manual push inspection by the operator, and the lighting inspection is performed. It can be carried out.

It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the position shift prevention mechanism which concerns on embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view which shows the inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the part of the probe unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and a work table. It is sectional drawing which shows the part of the probe unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and a work table. It is a top view which shows the part of the probe unit and worktable which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the position shift prevention mechanism which concerns on embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the position shift prevention mechanism which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the 1st modification of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the 2nd modification of this invention. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the 2nd modification of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, an example in which a liquid crystal panel is inspected as an inspection target plate in an inspection apparatus including an inspection apparatus and a transport apparatus will be described as an example.

  The inspection device 1 is a device for inspecting the liquid crystal panel 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection apparatus 1 mainly includes a monitor 4 on which an inspection status is displayed, a loader unit 5 that delivers the liquid crystal panel 2, and an inspection unit 6 that inspects the liquid crystal panel 2. Yes.

  The monitor 4 is a device for displaying the overall operation status of the inspection apparatus 1 and the progress of the inspection. The monitor 4 is installed in the vicinity of the inspection unit 6 at a position that is easy for the operator to see.

  The loader unit 5 is a device for transferring the liquid crystal panel 2 between the inspection unit 6 and an external device. The loader unit 5 includes a set stage (not shown). This set stage is a device that receives the liquid crystal panel 2 carried in from the outside, sends it to the inspection unit 6, and receives the liquid crystal panel 2 from the inspection unit 6 that has been inspected, and carries it out to the outside. The set stage includes a mechanism that supports the liquid crystal panel 2 and moves in the XYZθ directions to adjust the position of the liquid crystal panel 2. The set stage adjusts the position of the liquid crystal panel 2 and transports the liquid crystal panel 2 to the inspection unit 6 or transfers it to / from an external device.

  The inspection unit 6 is a device for directly inspecting the liquid crystal panel 2 delivered from the loader unit 5. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the inspection unit 6 includes an XYZθ stage 8, a work table 9, and a probe unit 10.

  The XYZθ stage 8 is an apparatus for aligning the liquid crystal panel 2 and aligning and contacting each terminal (not shown) of the liquid crystal panel 2 and each probe 18 described later. The XYZθ stage 8 has a function of moving the work table 9 in the XYZ direction and a function of rotating the work table 9 in the θ direction. A backlight 11 that illuminates the liquid crystal panel 2 from below is provided in the XYZθ stage 8.

  The work table 9 is a table for directly supporting the liquid crystal panel 2. The work table 9 is attached to the XYZθ stage 8 via a work table base 12. Thus, the liquid crystal panel 2 placed on the work table 9 is moved in the XYZ axis direction by the XYZθ stage 8 and rotated in the θ direction.

  The probe unit 10 is a device for applying an inspection signal in contact with the liquid crystal panel 2. The probe unit 10 mainly includes a probe base 14, a probe block 15, and a positional deviation prevention mechanism 16.

  The probe base 14 is a member that is fixed to the frame (not shown) side of the inspection apparatus 1. The probe base 14 is fixed to the frame side of the inspection apparatus 1 and firmly supports the probe block 15 and the like.

  The probe block 15 is a member for accurately positioning and supporting the probe 18 provided at the tip (lower end) of the probe block 15 so as to face each terminal of the liquid crystal panel 2 placed on the work table 9. The probe blocks 15 are attached in the number corresponding to the terminal arrangement of the liquid crystal panel 2. Although many probe blocks 15 are attached in FIG. 2, only two are attached in FIG. The present invention is particularly effective when the number of attached probe blocks 15 is small.

  The probe block 15 mainly includes a support portion 20 and a probe assembly 21. The support portion 20 supports the probe assembly 21 on the distal end side in a state where the proximal end side is supported by the probe base 14. The probe assembly 21 supports the probe 18 on the distal end side while being supported by the support portion 20. The probe assembly 21 accurately supports each probe 18 and electrically contacts each terminal of the liquid crystal panel 2 to apply an inspection signal to a circuit (not shown) of the liquid crystal panel 2. As the probe block 15, those having various configurations can be used. Further, the support unit 20 is provided with a slide mechanism so that the probe assembly 21 can be slid up and down, and the probe 18 at the lower end of the probe assembly 21 can be arbitrarily moved up and down. Thereby, the position of the probe 18 can be adjusted between the plurality of probe blocks 15 and the like.

  The probe 18 is a member that directly contacts a terminal of a circuit of the liquid crystal panel 2. A plurality of probes 18 are arranged in parallel and are integrally supported by the probe assembly 21.

  The misalignment prevention mechanism 16 is a device for supporting the liquid crystal panel 2 and preventing the misalignment of the liquid crystal panel 2. The misalignment prevention mechanism 16 is provided on both side positions with the probe block 15 in between. One or a plurality of misalignment prevention mechanisms 16 are provided at any position where the liquid crystal panel 2 is not displaced. Since the attachment position of the displacement prevention mechanism 16 varies depending on various conditions such as the size of the liquid crystal panel 2, the installation position is specified individually.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the positional deviation prevention mechanism 16 includes a suspension base 23, a fixing mechanism 24, a suspension plate 25, a slide mechanism 26, a slide block 27, an urging mechanism 28, An elastic support mechanism 29 is provided.

  The suspension base 23 is a member for supporting the entire misalignment prevention mechanism 16. The suspension base 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a fixing mechanism 24 is fixed to the lower side, and a suspension plate 25 is fixed to the upper side.

  The fixing mechanism 24 is a mechanism for directly attaching and fixing the suspension base 23 to an arbitrary position of the probe base 14. The fixing mechanism 24 includes a lower plate portion 31, an upper plate portion 32, and a fixing screw 33.

  The lower plate portion 31 is a plate material for contacting the probe base 14 from below. The lower plate portion 31 is integrally formed on the suspension base 23 side with a certain gap between the lower plate portion 31 and the suspension base 23 by the spacer portion 35. Thus, the lower plate portion 31 is integrally formed on the suspension base 23 side with a certain gap between the lower plate portion 31 and the suspension base 23 by the spacer portion 35.

  The upper plate portion 32 is a plate material for contacting the probe base 14 from the upper side. The upper plate portion 32 is supported on the suspension base 23 side and is pressed against the upper side surface of the probe base 14.

  The fixing screw 33 is a member for pressing the upper plate portion 32 against the probe base 14 and fixing the suspension base 23 to the probe base 14. The suspension base 23 is provided with a screw hole 36. The fixing screw 33 is screwed into the screw hole 36. The tip of the fixing screw 33 is rotatably connected to the upper plate portion 32. As a result, the fixing screw 33 is screwed into the screw hole 36, whereby the upper plate portion 32 is pushed down by the fixing screw 33, and the probe base 14 is sandwiched between and fixed to the lower plate portion 31. Yes. The contact surfaces of the lower plate portion 31 and the upper plate portion 32 are formed in a flat shape. Thus, the upper and lower side surfaces of the planar probe base 14 and the planar contact surfaces of the lower plate portion 31 and the upper plate portion 32 are brought into contact with each other and pressed against each other. As a result, the suspension base 23 can be fixed at an arbitrary position of the probe base 14.

  The suspension plate 25 is a member for supporting the slide block 27 in a suspended state. The suspension plate 25 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the base end side thereof is fixed to the upper side surface of the suspension base 23. Thereby, the front end side of the suspension plate 25 is in a state of protruding from the suspension base 23. The slide block 27 is supported by the projecting portion of the suspension plate 25.

  The slide mechanism 26 is a mechanism for slidably supporting the slide block 27 with respect to the suspension base 23. The slide mechanism 26 includes a linear guide rail 38 that is fixed to the suspension base 23 in the vertical direction, and a slider 39 that is slidably supported by the linear guide rail 38. The slider 39 is fixed to the slide block 27. Thus, the slide block 27 is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

  The slide block 27 is a member for supporting an elastic support mechanism 29 at its tip (lower end) and bringing the elastic support mechanism 29 into contact with the liquid crystal panel 2 with a set pressure. The slide block 27 is supported by the slide mechanism 26 so as to be slidable up and down.

  The urging mechanism 28 is a mechanism for urging the slide block 27 downward with a set pressure. The urging mechanism 28 includes an adjustment screw 41 and a support spring 42.

  The adjustment screw 41 is a height adjustment unit that adjusts the height (position) of the slide block 27. The adjustment screw 41 is inserted into the screw hole 43 of the suspension plate 25. The screw hole 43 is not provided with a thread. Thereby, the adjustment screw 41 is rotatably inserted into the screw hole 43. The tip (lower end) of the adjustment screw 41 is screwed into the slide block 27. Thereby, the adjustment screw 41 supports the slide block 27 at the set position. Furthermore, the position of the slide block 27 can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment screw 41.

  Two supporting springs 42 are provided on both sides of the adjusting screw 41. The support springs 42 are respectively inserted into spring holes 45 provided in the slide block 27. When the support spring 42 is inserted into the spring hole 45, the upper end of the support spring 42 is brought into contact with the suspension plate 25, and the slide block 27 is urged downward with a set pressure. On the suspension plate 25 side, a spring hole 46 is provided at a position corresponding to the spring hole 45. A spring receiver 47 is inserted into the spring hole 46, and the support spring 42 abuts against the spring receiver 47 to urge the slide block 27 downward. The spring receiver 47 is fixed by a spring pressing plate 48.

  Thereby, the position of the slide block 27 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 41, and the slide block 27 is pressed downward by the set pressure by the two support springs 42. Further, the biasing force can be freely set by changing the dimension of the support spring 42 by moving the position of the slide block 27 up and down with the adjusting screw 41. Specifically, when the adjustment screw 41 is screwed in to raise the slide block 27 and the support spring 42 is contracted, the urging force becomes stronger, the adjustment screw 41 is loosened and the slide block 27 is lowered to lower the support spring 42. When stretched, the biasing force becomes weaker. Thereby, the pressing force to the liquid crystal panel 2 of the elastic support mechanism 29 can be freely set. At this time, the lower end of the elastic support mechanism 29 and the lower end of the probe 18 are adjusted in position. Specifically, the vertical position of the probe 18 is adjusted by the probe block 15 so that the lower end of the elastic support mechanism 29 and the lower end of the probe 18 are adjusted. At this time, the lower end portion of the elastic support mechanism 29 is set to be positioned below the lower end portion of the probe 18. Thus, when the liquid crystal panel 2 supported by the work table 9 is raised, the elastic support mechanism 29 first contacts the liquid crystal panel 2 and deforms to support the liquid crystal panel 2 so as not to be displaced. Next, the probe 18 is in contact with each terminal of the liquid crystal panel 2 for inspection.

  The elastic support mechanism 29 is a member for supporting the liquid crystal panel 2. The elastic support mechanism 29 includes a support plate portion 50 and an elastic member 51. The support plate portion 50 is a plate material for supporting the elastic member 51. The support plate portion 50 is integrally attached to the lower end portion of the slide block 27 with a screw 52. An elastic member 51 that is elastically deformed is attached to the tip of the support plate 50 that does not flex.

  The elastic member 51 is a member for fixing and supporting the liquid crystal panel 2. The elastic member 51 is formed in a rectangular shape and is attached to the distal end portion of the support plate portion 50. The elastic member 51 is composed of a member having elasticity and a high friction coefficient. Specifically, it is composed of an elastic body such as silicon rubber. As a result, the elastic member 51 comes into contact with the surface of the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2 and deforms, so that the elastic member 51 comes into contact with the liquid crystal panel 2 in a wide area, and supports the liquid crystal panel 2 while suppressing the displacement. ing.

  The operation of the inspection apparatus 1 configured as described above is as follows. The overall operation of the inspection apparatus 1 is the same as that of a normal inspection apparatus, and therefore, here, the description will focus on the features of the present invention.

  First, the displacement prevention mechanism 16 is attached to an arbitrary position of the probe base 14. Specifically, the fixing screw 33 is loosened, the upper plate portion 32 of the fixing mechanism 24 is raised, and the fixing to the probe base 14 is released. Next, the displacement prevention mechanism 16 is moved to an arbitrary position, and the fixing screw 33 is screwed. As a result, the upper plate portion 32 is moved downward, and the probe base 14 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper plate portion 32 and the lower plate portion 31 from both the upper and lower sides.

  In the inspection process, the liquid crystal panel 2 is placed on the work table 9, the work table 9 is raised by the XYZθ stage 8, and the probe unit 10 is brought into contact with the liquid crystal panel 2.

  At this time, the position of the probe 18 of the probe unit 10 and each terminal of the liquid crystal panel 2 are adjusted so as to be aligned with each other and contact each other. At this time, the elastic support mechanism 29 is almost simultaneously with the contact with the terminal of the probe 18. The elastic member 51 is brought into contact with the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2. Thereby, the elastic member 51 contacts the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2 over a wide area while deforming, and the elastic member 51 supports the liquid crystal panel 2. At this time, the pressing force of the supporting spring 42 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 41, and the elastic member 51 is pressed by the set pressure to support the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2 with a large frictional force. At the same time, since the elastic member 51 is pressed downward at a set pressure by the support spring 42 via the slide block 27, the elastic member 51 reliably supports the liquid crystal panel 2 with a large frictional force, The liquid crystal panel 2 is prevented from shifting.

  In this state, the operator pushes the liquid crystal panel 2 by hand. As a result, the liquid crystal panel 2 is displaced in the direction perpendicular to the surface thereof, but the portion of the terminal in contact with the probe 18 is securely supported by the misalignment prevention mechanism 16 so that it does not shift. This prevents the terminals of the liquid crystal panel 2 from being displaced.

  Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent a lighting failure caused by the operator pressing the liquid crystal panel 2 by hand. As a result, the reliability with respect to the lighting inspection can be improved.

  In addition, since any number of the misalignment prevention mechanisms 16 can be easily attached to any position, the liquid crystal panel 2 can be reliably supported.

  Furthermore, since the misalignment prevention mechanism 16 can be easily attached to the probe base 14, it can be used as it is for an existing inspection apparatus.

  In the embodiment, the fixing screw 33 is used as means for pressing the upper plate portion 32 of the fixing mechanism 24 of the positional deviation prevention mechanism 16 downward. However, a lever may be used instead of the screw. That is, a simple fixing mechanism that can be simply fixed by pressing the upper plate portion 32 downward by only one operation of tilting the lever and can be easily released by only one operation of raising the lever may be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the simple fixing mechanism 49 includes a lever 55, a cam 56, a presser bar 57, and a spring 58.

  The lever 55 is a bar for rotating the cam 56. The lever 55 is integrally attached to the cam 56. The cam 56 is a member for pushing down the presser bar 57. The cam 56 is rotatably supported on the support plate 59 together with the lever 55. Two support plates 59 are integrally attached to the suspension base 23 with the cam 56 interposed therebetween. The lever 55 and the cam 56 are connected to each other at a set angle, and are fixed in a state in which the lever 55 is rotated and is in contact with the suspension base 23. That is, the cam 56 is rotated freely in the right direction in FIG. 8 by the force by which the spring 58 pushes up the presser bar 57 (solid line state), and leftward in FIG. 8 by the force by which the presser bar 57 is pushed up. In this state, the lever 55 comes into contact with the suspension base 23 and the cam 56 cannot be rotated leftward and is fixed.

  Further, the size of the cam 56 and the angle between the lever 55 and the cam 56 are set so that the upper plate portion 32 is pressed against the probe base 14 with a strong force when the lever 55 comes into contact with the suspension base 23. Yes. As a result, when the lever 55 is rotated and comes into contact with the suspension base 23, the cam 56 pushes the presser bar 57 and presses the upper plate portion 32 against the probe base 14 with a strong force, thereby pushing the suspension base 23 to the probe base 14. In addition, the cam 56 is rotated in the left direction in FIG. 8, and the lever 55 is fixed in a state where the lever 55 is in contact with the suspension base 23.

  The presser bar 57 is a member that is passed through the screw hole 36 of the suspension base 23 so as to be movable up and down and supports the upper plate part 32. The presser bar 57 is moved up and down while being passed through the screw hole 36 to move the upper plate part 32 up and down. A flange portion 57 </ b> A is formed at the upper end of the presser bar 57. The flange portion 57 </ b> A abuts on the cam 56 while being biased upward by the spring 58, and is pushed down by the cam 56. The spring 58 is a member for urging the flange portion 57 </ b> A upward from the lower side surface in a state where the spring 58 is inserted into the screw hole 36. The spring 58 urges the flange portion 57 </ b> A upward to lift the upper plate portion 32 connected to the presser bar 57 at the lower end portion upward.

  With this configuration, when the lever 55 is raised (the state of the solid line in FIG. 8), the flange portion 57A is pushed upward by the spring 58, and the upper plate portion 32 at the lower end of the presser bar 57 is pushed upward. Thereby, the fixing of the misalignment prevention mechanism 16 is released.

  Subsequently, the cam 56 pushes down the flange portion 57A and moves the presser bar by simply moving the position prevention mechanism 16 with respect to the probe base 14 and moving it to an arbitrary position, and tilting the lever 55 to contact the suspension base 23. The upper plate portion 32 at the lower end of 57 is pressed against the upper surface of the probe base 14.

  At the same time, the cam 56 is urged counterclockwise in FIG. 8 by the repulsive force when the upper plate portion 32 is pressed against the upper side surface of the probe base 14 and the urging force of the spring 58 and locked. .

  As a result, the misalignment prevention mechanism 16 can be easily attached to the probe base 14 and can be easily fixed.

  Furthermore, since the misalignment prevention mechanism 16 can be easily attached to the probe base 14, the number of misalignment prevention mechanisms 16 required by the operator at the site can be easily installed. Further, even when it is necessary to readjust the force for supporting the liquid crystal panel 2 when the inspection object is changed, that is, when the liquid crystal panel 2 has a different size, the displacement prevention mechanism 16 is removed. Since it can be added easily, the operator can easily cope with the situation on site.

  Note that the spring 58 may not be provided in the simple fixing mechanism 49. The spring 58 is for lifting the presser bar 57 and the upper plate 32 when the displacement prevention mechanism 16 is replaced with respect to the probe base 14, and there is a mode in which the spring 58 is not provided if there is no problem. obtain. In this case, the depth of the recess into which the flange portion 57A of the presser bar 57 is inserted is set so that the vertical movement of the presser bar 57 is reduced, and the outer end portion of the upper plate portion 32 (the right end portion in FIG. 8). ) So that the probe base 14 can be easily fitted between the upper plate portion 32 and the lower plate portion 31.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the adjustment screw 41 was used as a height adjustment means of the slide block 27, you may make it adjust with a lever. That is, simple height adjusting means 54 that can easily adjust the height of the slide block 27 by simply tilting or raising the lever may be provided. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the simple height adjusting means 54 includes a lever 61, a cam 62, a cylindrical body 63, and a spring 64. Here, the lever 61 and the cam 62 have the same functions as the lever 55 and the cam 56. The cylindrical body 63 is a member for moving the adjustment screw 41 up and down. The cylindrical body 63 is mounted in the screw hole 43 so as to be movable up and down and supports the adjustment screw 41. The spring 64 is a member for biasing the cylindrical body 63 upward. The spring 64 is mounted between the bottom of the screw hole 43 and the cylindrical body 63 and urges the cylindrical body 63 upward.

  With this configuration, when the lever 61 is rotated upward, the cam 62 is in the state of the solid line in FIG. 9, the cylindrical body 63 is pushed up by the spring 64, and the slide block 27 is moved upward. Further, when the lever 61 is rotated downward and brought into contact with the suspension plate 25, the cam 62 is in the state of the dotted line in FIG. 9, the cylindrical body 63 is pushed down, and the slide block 27 is moved downward. .

  At this time, the size and shape of the cam 62 are set in accordance with the amount of movement of the slide block 27.

  Thereby, the height of the slide block 27 can be easily adjusted.

  Furthermore, since the height of the slide block 27 can be easily adjusted, the slide block 27 can be raised to the working state and lowered to the working state for supporting the liquid crystal panel 2. Since these two states can be easily switched, a plurality of positional deviation prevention mechanisms 16 are respectively attached to arbitrary positions of the probe base 14, and the positional deviation prevention mechanisms 16 at arbitrary positions are selectively used. The liquid crystal panel 2 may be supported. Thereby, the force which supports the liquid crystal panel 2 can be adjusted easily. Moreover, even if the dimensions of the liquid crystal panel 2 change, it can be easily handled. A plurality of action states and positions of action states may be set. That is, the angle of the lever 61 may be adjusted in a plurality of stages to set a plurality of heights of the slide block 27, and the position of the slide block 27 may be adjusted in a plurality of stages.

  Here, the simple height adjusting means 54 is configured by the lever 61, the cam 62, the cylindrical body 63, and the spring 64, but may be configured by a link mechanism. That is, the lever 61 may be connected to the slide block 27 by a link mechanism. In this case, if the lever 61 is raised, the slide block 27 that is directly connected by the link mechanism is lifted in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 61 and enters a standby state. If the lever 61 is tilted, the slide block 27 is lowered. It becomes a state. The angle in a state where the lever 61 is tilted is accurately controlled, and is set so that the elastic member 51 is surely brought into contact with the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2. Normally, the lever 61 is fixed and the elastic member 51 is set to contact the edge of the liquid crystal panel 2 in a state where the lever 61 is in contact with the upper side surface of the suspension plate 25. Further, an existing lever fixing means may be incorporated so that the lever 61 can be reliably fixed at a set angle where the lever 61 is tilted. Also in this case, the angle of the lever 61 may be adjusted in a plurality of steps to set a plurality of heights of the slide block 27, and the standby state and the action state of the slide block 27 may be adjusted in a plurality of steps.

  Moreover, although the said each modification demonstrated the example which provided the said lever 55 and the lever 61 separately, it cannot be overemphasized that both may be provided simultaneously.

  The present invention is characterized in that it includes a misalignment prevention mechanism 16 for preventing displacement of the liquid crystal panel 2 when the probe 18 of the probe block 15 is in contact with each terminal of the liquid crystal panel 2 for inspection. The structure and shape of the probe block 15 and the probe 18 are not limited. The misalignment prevention mechanism 16 can be applied to various inspection apparatuses 1 including various probe blocks 15 and probes 18.

  1: inspection device, 2: liquid crystal panel, 4: monitor, 5: loader unit, 6: inspection unit, 8: XYZθ stage, 9: work table, 10: probe unit, 11: backlight, 12: work table base, 14: Probe base, 15: Probe block, 16: Position shift prevention mechanism, 18: Probe, 20: Support part, 21: Probe assembly, 23: Suspension base, 24: Fixing mechanism, 25: Suspension plate, 26: Slide Mechanism: 27: Slide block, 28: Biasing mechanism, 29: Elastic support mechanism, 31: Lower plate part, 32: Upper plate part, 33: Fixing screw, 35: Spacer part, 36: Screw hole, 38: Linear guide Rail, 39: Slider, 41: Adjustment screw, 42: Spring for support, 43: Screw hole, 45: Spring hole, 46: Spring Hole: 47: spring support, 48: spring pressing plate, 49: simple fixing mechanism, 50: support plate, 51: elastic member, 54: simple height adjusting means, 55: lever, 56: cam, 57: presser Rod, 57A: flange portion, 58: spring, 59: support plate, 61: lever, 62: cam, 63: cylindrical body, 64: spring.

Claims (9)

In the inspection device that inspects the inspection target plate,
A probe unit that applies an inspection signal in contact with the inspection object plate,
The probe unit is fixed to the frame side of the device, and the base end is supported by the probe base, and the probe provided at the tip faces each terminal of the inspection object plate and is accurately positioned and supported. A probe block, and a displacement prevention mechanism that supports the inspection object plate and prevents displacement of the inspection object plate,
An elastic support mechanism for elastically supporting the inspection target plate by abutting on the inspection target plate, and a biasing mechanism for urging the elastic support mechanism to the inspection target plate with a set pressure; A suspension base that supports the whole, a fixing mechanism that directly attaches and fixes the suspension base to an arbitrary position of the probe base, and a slide mechanism that is slidably supported by the suspension base and that is elastically supported at the distal end. An inspection apparatus comprising: a slide block that supports the mechanism and causes the elastic support mechanism to abut against the inspection object plate with a set pressure . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging mechanism includes an adjustment screw that adjusts the position of the slide block and a support spring that urges the slide block with a set pressure. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The fixing mechanism includes a lower plate portion that comes into contact with the probe base from below, an upper plate portion that comes into contact with the probe base from above, and the upper plate portion that presses the probe base against the probe base so that the suspension base is moved to the probe base. An inspection apparatus comprising a fixing screw for fixing to an inspection device. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The inspection apparatus, wherein the fixing mechanism is constituted by a simple fixing mechanism capable of easily fixing and releasing the suspension base to and from the probe base. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4 ,
The simple fixing mechanism includes a lower plate portion that comes into contact with the probe base from the lower side, an upper plate portion that comes into contact with the probe base from the upper side, and presses the upper plate portion against the probe base so that the suspension base is moved to the probe base. An inspection apparatus comprising a cam fixed to a base and a lever for rotating the cam. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
An inspection apparatus further comprising a simple height adjusting means connected to the slide block for adjusting the height of the slide block. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The biasing mechanism includes a cam that adjusts the position of the slide block, a lever that rotates the cam, and a support spring that biases the slide block with a set pressure. Inspection device to do. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1,
The misalignment prevention mechanism is supported by the suspension base by a suspension base that supports the whole, a fixing mechanism that directly attaches and fixes the suspension base to an arbitrary position of the probe base, and a slide mechanism that is slidable. A slide block that supports the elastic support mechanism at the front end portion and makes the elastic support mechanism contact the inspection target plate with a set pressure, and is supported by the front end portion of the slide block and contacts the inspection target plate. An elastic support mechanism that elastically supports the inspection target plate; and a simple height adjustment unit that is connected to the slide block by a link mechanism and adjusts the height to at least two positions of a standby state and an action state. An inspection apparatus characterized by being configured. The inspection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
The inspection apparatus, wherein the simple height adjusting means includes a lever that rotates to adjust the height of the slide block, and a link mechanism that connects the lever to the slide block.

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