JPH0619369B2 - Contact probe pin assembly device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a contact probe pin assembling apparatus used in a wiring board inspecting apparatus such as a so-called board tester.

[Conventional technology]

The wiring board inspection apparatus is an apparatus that mounts electronic components on a board on which a predetermined wiring pattern is formed, and solders the back surface of the electronic component to conduct a continuity inspection of the completed wiring board.

The operating principle of this wiring board inspection apparatus is to provide an inspection signal to at least two points of the conductive portion on the back surface of the board to check the conduction state, thereby making it possible to inspect the quality of the circuit formed on the board. Is.

Here, it is a contact probe pin that is used as a means for giving an inspection signal to the conductive portion on the back surface of the substrate,
An example of the structure is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a pipe which constitutes an outer cylinder of a contact probe pin having a narrowed portion 1a formed at one end thereof, and a ball 2 is inserted into the pipe 1 through an opening 1c on the other end side. The balls 2 are prevented from falling by the throttle portion 1a. Furthermore, with the spring 3 inserted,
A head portion 4a that comes into contact with the conductive portion of the substrate is formed at one end side, and a contact portion 4b that comes into contact with the spring 3 is formed at the other end side, and a plunger 4 whose central portion 4c is processed to have a smaller diameter than the contact portion 4b is inserted. Has been done. Then, with the contact portion 4b of the plunger 4 pressing the spring 3, the caulking portion 1b of the pipe 1 is crimped.
The plunger 4 is locked at a step between the contact portion 4b and the central portion 4c by the crimped portion 1b, and the plunger 4 is prevented from coming off due to the biasing force of the spring 3.

Conventionally, a lathe has been used as an assembly means for contact probe pins. That is, the pipe 1 is held by the chuck of the lathe, the ball 2, the spring 3 and the plunger 4 are inserted in order and the plunger 4 is pressed,
Was rotated and the caulked portion 1b was formed by squeezing with a cutting tool, and the whole was assembled.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional means for assembling the contact probe pin using the lathe described above, there is a large variation in the length of the assembled contact probe pin. There was a problem that the work was manual and not easy and the productivity was poor.

That is, the contact probe pin is used in the wiring board inspecting apparatus as described above, and what is important here is reliable contact between the conductive portion on the back surface of the substrate and the head 4a of the plunger 4. Therefore, the total length L of the contact probe pin shown in FIG. 3 is constant, that is, the caulking portion 1
The fact that b is formed at a fixed position leads to a constant amount of compression of the plunger 4 and a constant pressing force of the conducting portion.

However, in the case of a spatula squeezing by a lathe, gripping of the pipe 1 by the chuck and support of the plunger 4 inserted into the pipe 1 after gripping are performed by manual operation and adjustment. In some cases, the positions of the caulking portion 1b vary, which causes instability in quality and a decrease in yield.

As described above, since the operation and adjustment for gripping the pipe 1 and supporting the plunger 4 are performed manually, normally, handling of a fine component having a total length L of several cm is a fine work. There is a problem that the work is not easy and the production efficiency is low, such as requiring skill.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a contact probe pin assembling apparatus capable of efficiently and easily assembling contact probe pins of stable quality.

[Means for Solving Problems and Its Action] In order to achieve the above object, in the contact probe pin assembling apparatus according to the present invention, a spring and a plunger are assembled by a chuck provided on a lower jig. Hold and rotate one end of the attached pipe, and press the head of the plunger attached to the lower jig and assembled to the pipe by the pressing member provided on the upper jig facing the chuck. And swivel together with the pipe, and the caulking device provided in the caulking device capable of advancing and retracting in the direction orthogonal to the pipe is brought into contact with a predetermined narrowed portion of the pipe attached to the lower jig to perform the caulking. It is characterized by doing so.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a device for assembling a contact probe pin according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an upper jig, a lower jig and a caulking device in the assembling apparatus of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the entire assembling apparatus of this embodiment seen from above.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes an index table on which an assembling work is performed. The index table 11 performs indexing rotation of 6 divisions, and the 1st to 6th stations S.
A lower jig 21 whose details will be described later is provided at the position of each station while performing index rotation between T1 and ST6, and index rotation is performed counterclockwise by an intermittent drive device (not shown). ing. First to sixth stations ST1 to ST6 on the index table 11
Are assigned to a pipe supply station ST1, a ball supply station ST2, a spring supply station ST3, a plunger supply station ST4, a caulking station ST5, and a carry-out station ST6 in correspondence with a work table 12 to be described later. As the lower jig 21 thus obtained is sequentially indexed from the first station ST1 to the sixth station ST6, the parts are supplied and the assembly proceeds.

The lower jig 21 is shown in FIG. 1. A shaft 23 is rotatably provided on the index table 11 via a ball bearing 22, and a gear 24 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 23. ing. The shaft body 23 is hollow, and the upper end portion of the collet chuck 2 holds the pipe 1.
5 and a chuck sleeve 26 for opening and closing the collet chuck 25 are fitted in the collet chuck 25.
Is a bolt 27 inserted through the shaft body 23 from below.
The chuck sleeve 26 is urged upward by the urging force of the spring 28 so as to constantly close the collet chuck 25.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 is a work table concentrically arranged on the outer circumference of the index table 11. On the work table 12 or on the outer circumference thereof, the first to sixth stations ST1 to ST6 of the index table 11 are respectively provided. Correspondingly, the pipe supply device 13 and the ball supply device 1
4, spring supply device 15, plunger supply device 1
6, a caulking device 17, and a carry-out device 18 are arranged.
Further, each station other than the caulking station ST5 is provided with an automatic supply unit (not shown) so that parts can be gripped and supplied to the lower jig 21 or a finished product can be carried out from the lower jig 21. ing.

The pipe supply device 13 includes a parts feeder 31 for supplying the pipes 1 having a narrowed portion 1a formed at one end as shown in FIG. 3, and an opening 1c for the pipes 1 supplied by the parts feeder 31. A direction detection device 32 that detects and detects the orientation of the narrowed portion 1a side in the supply direction as it is, and inverts and outputs the orientation of the opening portion 1c that is oriented in the supply direction. A pipe chute 33 for supplying the supplied pipe 1 onto the work table 12, and an escapement 34 provided on the work table 12 for supplying the pipe 1 supplied from the pipe chute 33 to a supply position to the automatic supply unit. The opening 1c of the pipe 1 is directed upward to the lower jig 21 of the index table 11 by an automatic supply unit (not shown). It has become way.

The ball supply device 14 includes the opening 1 of the pipe 1 held by the lower jig 21 by the automatic supply unit (not shown) for the ball 2 supplied to the predetermined position by the parts feeder.
It is designed to be inserted into c.

The spring supply device 15 grips the spring 3 transferred by the parts feeder 35 and the chute 36 by an unillustrated automatic supply unit and inserts the ball 2 gripped by the lower jig 21 into the opening 1c of the pipe 1 into which the ball 2 has been inserted. It is like this.

The plunger supply device 16 includes the head 4 a of the plunger 4 transferred by the parts feeder 37 and the chute 38.
Is held by an automatic supply unit (not shown), and the contact portion 4b is held by the lower jig 21 so that the ball 2 and the spring 3 are inserted into the opening 1c of the inserted pipe 1.

The caulking device 17 is arranged in the fifth station ST5 together with the upper jig 20, and its details are as shown in FIG. In this station, the upper jig 20 is lowered to move the head 4a of the plunger 4 into the pipe 1 with respect to the pipe 1 in which the ball 2, the spring 3 and the plunger 4 are sequentially inserted in the previous station. By pressing so as to be inserted to a predetermined depth, the collet chuck 25 of the lower jig 21 is rotated, and a caulking tool provided in the caulking device 17 is brought into contact with a predetermined portion of the pipe 1 to form the caulking portion 1b. The plunger 4 is crimped to prevent it from being pulled out.

In FIG. 1, the upper jig 20 is provided so as to face the collet chuck 25 of the lower jig 21, and can move vertically.
1 is attached to the lower end of the rotary body 1, is provided on the jig body 42 via a ball bearing 43, and presses the head 4a of the plunger 4, and the outer circumference of the tip of the rotary press member 44. And a positioning ring 45 for positioning the head 4a of the plunger 4.

The caulking device 17 is mainly composed of a slider 52 arranged on a slide base 51 and a caulking tool 53 attached to the slider 52, and the slider 52 is rotated by a pivotal movement about a shaft 55 of a cam lever 54. The slider 52 slides in the direction of arrow A in the figure, and the reference numeral 56 designates a slider 52.
At the same time, the tension spring urges the caulking tool 53 in the backward direction.

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 57 is a motor provided in the main body 58, and the drive of this motor 57 can rotate the gear 62 via the pulley 59, the timing belt 60, and the pulley 61. The gear 62 is rotatably attached to the tip of the support arm 63 and meshes with the gear 24 of the lower jig 21 which has come to the crimping station ST5. The support arm 63 is rotatable about a support shaft 64, and is held in a fixed position by being abutted against a stopper (not shown) while being urged by a spring (not shown) in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. . With this structure, when the gear 24 that has been rotationally moved and the gear 62 attached to the support arm 63 mesh with each other, the support arm 63 slightly rotates against the urging force of a spring (not shown) to generate an impact. It is for the purpose of relaxation and the gears 24 and 62 mesh smoothly.

Next, a case where the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above is applied to the contact probe pin shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

In the pipe supply station ST1, the pipe supply device 1
Pipe 1 supplied with the opening 1c facing upward by 3
Is gripped and lifted by an automatic supply unit (not shown). When this automatic supply unit descends, the lower jig 2
The chuck sleeve 26 of No. 1 is pressed to open the collet chuck 25, the pipe 1 is inserted into the collet chuck 25, and then the pressing of the chuck sleeve 26 is released. Pipe 1
The squeezed portion 1a is held in a state where the squeezed portion 1a abuts the end of the bolt 27 and is set at a fixed position. Then, the index table 11 rotates 60 °. The pipe 1 held by the lower jig 21 by this rotation is transferred to the ball supply station ST2.

At the ball supply station ST2, the ball supply device 14
The balls 2 supplied by the above are inserted into the pipe 1 by an automatic supply unit (not shown). Then, the index table 11 is further rotated by 60 °, and the lower jig 21 is moved to the spring supply station ST3. At the spring supply station ST3, the spring 3 supplied by the spring supply device 15 is gripped by an automatic supply unit (not shown) and inserted into the pipe 1. And
The index table 11 rotates 60 ° and the lower jig 2
1 is transferred to the plunger supply station ST4.

At the plunger supply station ST4, the plunger 4 supplied by the plunger supply device 16 with the head 4a facing upward is gripped by an automatic supply unit (not shown), and the contact portion 4b side is inserted into the pipe 1. Then, the index table 11 is rotated by 60 °, and the lower jig 21 is moved to the crimping station ST5.

The caulking station ST5 operates as shown in FIG. That is, the upper jig 20 attached to the shaft 41 is located above the pipe 1 or the like held by the lower jig 21, and the rotary pushing member 44 moves down while pressing the head 4a of the plunger 4. It stops at a position where the total length from the throttle portion 1a of the pipe 1 to the head portion 4a of the plunger 4 is L.
Further, the gear 62 meshes with the gear 24 of the lower jig 21.
As a result, the rotation of the motor 57 is transmitted from the gear 62 to the gear 24 of the lower jig 21 via the pulley 59, the timing belt 60, and the pulley 61, and the shaft 23 integrally formed with the gear 24 is rotated. As a result, the pipe 1 is rotated. Then, the caulking tool 53 moves forward together with the slider 52 of the caulking device 17 to perform the caulking work on the pipe 1, and the caulking portion 1b at a predetermined position of the pipe 1.
The assembly of the contact probe pins is completed by forming the. After that, the slider 52 retracts and the motor 5
7 stops and the upper jig 20 rises. Then, the index table 11 rotates 60 °, which causes the gear 2 to rotate.
4 is disengaged from the gear 62, and the lower jig 21 is moved to the carry-out station ST6.

At the carry-out station ST6, the chuck sleeve 26 of the lower jig 21 is pressed again by an unillustrated automatic feeder to open the collet chuck 25, hold the completed contact probe pin, and take it out to the carry-out device 18.

According to this embodiment described above, the following operational effects are obtained.

The index table 11 is used, a work station is allocated to the index table 11, and contact probe pins can be sequentially assembled by a flow work, which enables mass production and improves work efficiency.

In the crimping station ST5, the lower jig 21 and the upper jig 20 are used, and the lower jig 21 and the upper jig 20 can hold the pipe 1 at a fixed position and set a fixed length. The quality is stable and contributes to the quality improvement of the finished product.

The present invention is not limited to the contact probe pin of the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a caulking tool 70 having an arc portion r at its end is used and the pipe 1
The opening may be narrowed down to form a caulked portion.

Besides this, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the contact probe pin assembling apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to continuously assemble a large quantity of contact probe pins of stable quality, and the assembly work is automated and easy. In the assembling, it has an extremely great effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a contact probe pin assembling apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a partially sectional front view showing details of a caulking apparatus and an upper jig and a lower jig, 2 is a plan view showing the overall structure of the present apparatus, FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing an example of a contact probe pin to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 is a contact probe having another shape of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the crimping tool for a pin. 11 ... Index table, 12 ... Workbench, 13 ... Pipe supply device, 14 ... Ball supply device, 15 ... Spring supply device, 16 ... Plunger supply device, 17 ... Caulking device, 20 ... Top part Jig, 21 ... Lower jig, 53, 70 ... Caulking tool.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An assembly device for assembling a contact probe pin, comprising a plunger inserted in a pipe and urged by a spring in a projecting direction, the chuck being capable of gripping one end of the pipe and rotating about the axis thereof. And a lower jig having a lower jig and a head of a plunger assembled to the lower jig, which is assembled to the lower jig, is pressed and supported against the biasing force of a spring. The pipe has an upper jig having a rotatable pushing member around the shaft and a caulking tool that comes into contact with a predetermined portion of the pipe gripped by the lower jig and performs caulking to prevent the plunger from being pulled out. An apparatus for assembling a contact probe pin, comprising: a caulking device capable of advancing and retracting in a direction orthogonal to each other.