JP2008201549A - Inline automatic inspection device and inline automatic inspection system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to save space and reduce costs around a production line.
An upstream transport unit that transports an inspection target and a downstream side of the upstream transport unit are arranged close to each other so as to support the inspection target on the transport path and lift upward. And an inspection unit that allows the inspection object to pass therethrough, and the inspection object that is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the inspection unit. A downstream conveyance unit that conveys the inspection object along the downstream side, an upstream transfer unit that transfers the inspection object from the upstream conveyance unit to the inspection unit, and the downstream conveyance of the inspection object from the inspection unit And a downstream transfer section that transfers to the section. The inspection unit includes a work table, an internal conveyance unit that forms a conveyance path in cooperation with the upstream conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit at a position where the work table is raised, and the work table and the internal conveyance unit. And an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-line automatic inspection apparatus and an in-line automatic inspection system that inspects an inspection object while it is being transported on a transport path such as a production line.

  As apparatuses for inspecting an inspection object such as a lighting inspection of a liquid crystal panel, there are apparatuses described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 is provided with a panel receiver that receives a liquid crystal panel, and inspects the liquid crystal panel by changing the size of the opening in accordance with the change in the type of the liquid crystal panel.

Patent Document 2 inspects liquid crystal panels having different sizes by jointly forming a rectangular opening with four plate-like bases and adjusting the dimensions thereof.
JP 2006-119031 A JP 2006-138634 A

  However, in the case of such a conventional inspection device, for example, it is installed beside the transport path, but a special space for the inspection device is required and becomes bulky. In particular, when various apparatuses are installed along the production line, there may be a case where a sufficient installation space for the inspection apparatus cannot be secured. Further, when the inspection apparatus is installed beside the conveyance path, a panel transfer apparatus such as a robot hand is required, and an installation space for this apparatus is also required.

  Further, since the inspection apparatus is located at a position away from the conveyance path such as a production line, it is necessary to take out each of the liquid crystal panels from the conveyance path, inspect with the inspection apparatus, and return the liquid crystal panel to the conveyance path. As a result, the liquid crystal panel can be inspected, but the inspection takes time and is not suitable when a large amount of inspection is required.

  Depending on the thing, it may be necessary to inspect the entire quantity, but in this case, taking out the liquid crystal panel from the transport path, inspecting one by one and returning it to the original, it takes too much time and the inspection efficiency is poor, An inspection apparatus that can efficiently inspect in a short time is desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the in-line automatic inspection apparatus of the present invention is provided on an upstream side transport unit that transports an inspection object along a transport path, and on the downstream side of the upstream side transport unit. Inspection that is arranged close to each other so as to be continuous, protrudes from the lower side to the transport path, supports the inspection object, lifts it upward, and inspects the inspection object while allowing the inspection object to pass therethrough A downstream conveyance unit that is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the inspection unit and conveys the inspection object after inspection to the downstream side along a conveyance path, and the inspection object An upstream transfer unit that transfers from the upstream transport unit to the inspection unit, and a downstream transfer unit that transfers the inspection object from the inspection unit to the downstream transfer unit. And

  The inspection unit is installed so as to be movable up and down and supports the inspection object, and the upstream conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit at a position where the work table is raised for inspection of the inspection object It is desirable that the apparatus includes an internal conveyance unit that forms a conveyance path in cooperation with the elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the work table and the internal conveyance unit. The operation of transferring the inspection object from the upstream transport unit to the inspection unit and the operation of transferring the inspection object from the inspection unit to the downstream transport unit include the upstream transfer unit and the downstream transfer unit. It is desirable to perform them simultaneously in conjunction. It is preferable that the upstream transport unit includes a rough alignment unit device that adjusts a rough position of the inspection object to be transferred to the work table of the inspection unit by the upstream transfer unit. The inspection unit is provided with a camera provided on the work table, and the camera is housed therein, and the inspection object supported by the work table is covered with the work table from the upper side. It is desirable to provide a housing that can be moved up and down and that constitutes a dark room for taking pictures.

  Further, the in-line automatic inspection system of the present invention is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the upstream side conveyance unit that conveys the inspection object along the conveyance route and the downstream side of the upstream side conveyance unit, and the conveyance route The inspection unit that protrudes from the lower side and supports the inspection object and lifts it upward to perform the inspection, and allows the inspection object to pass therethrough, and is connected to the downstream side of the inspection unit. A downstream conveyance unit that is arranged close to each other and conveys the inspection object after inspection to the downstream side along the conveyance path, and an upstream side that transfers the inspection object from the upstream conveyance unit to the inspection unit A workpiece that includes a transfer unit and a downstream transfer unit that transfers the inspection object from the inspection unit to the downstream transport unit, and the inspection unit is installed to be movable up and down to support the inspection object. Table and said inspection pair An internal conveyance unit that forms a conveyance path in cooperation with the upstream conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit at a position where the work table is raised for inspection of an object, and the work table and the internal conveyance unit are raised and lowered A plurality of in-line automatic inspection devices configured to include an elevating mechanism are arranged in the transport path.

  In the in-line automatic inspection apparatus, since the in-line automatic inspection apparatus is installed on the transport path, a special installation space for the in-line automatic inspection apparatus is not required, and a significant space saving can be achieved. In addition, since there is no need to provide a transfer device in particular, the cost can be reduced as a whole by effective use of space and reduction of running costs.

  Further, in the in-line automatic inspection system, when inspection of the inspection object is started by the first in-line automatic inspection apparatus among a plurality of in-line automatic inspection apparatuses arranged on the transport path, the next inspection object is the first The in-line automatic inspection apparatus passes through the internal conveyance section and flows to the next in-line automatic inspection apparatus, and the inspection of the inspection object is started by the in-line automatic inspection apparatus. The next inspection object passes through the internal conveyance part of the second inline automatic inspection apparatus and flows to the next inline automatic inspection apparatus, and inspection is started in the same manner as described above, thereby efficiently inspecting a large number of inspection objects. be able to.

  Hereinafter, an in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing an inline automatic inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an inline automatic inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an inline automatic according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the inline automatic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a front view showing the inline automatic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a front sectional view showing an inline automatic inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a rough alignment unit apparatus of the inline automatic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rough alignment unit device of the inline automatic inspection apparatus is incorporated in the upstream conveyance unit, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing that the coarse alignment unit device of the inline automatic inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in the upstream conveyance unit. It is a top view which shows a state.

  The in-line automatic inspection apparatus 1 is an apparatus that is incorporated into a conveyance path of an inspection object. The in-line automatic inspection apparatus 1 inspects the inspection object in various conveyance paths of the inspection object. Here, a liquid crystal panel production line will be described as an example of the conveyance path of the inspection object. Since the liquid crystal panel production line is usually composed of a conveyor, the in-line automatic inspection apparatus 1 is incorporated in the middle of the conveyor by removing a part of the conveyor.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 includes an upstream conveyance unit 2, an inspection unit 3, a downstream conveyance unit 4, an upstream transfer unit 5, and a downstream transfer unit 6. It is configured.

  The upstream transport unit 2 is a device for transporting the liquid crystal panel 8 that has been transported on the conveyor to the inspection unit 3 along the transport path. The upstream side conveyance unit 2 is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the upstream side of the conveyor at a position where a part of the conveyor is removed. This upstream side conveyance part 2 is comprised by the roller conveyor. Specifically, the upstream transport unit 2 includes a roller 9 arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, a side wall 10 that rotatably supports each roller 9 from both sides, and a rough position of the liquid crystal panel 8 ( A coarse alignment unit device 11 (see FIG. 5) for adjusting the coarse position) and a drive unit (not shown) for rotationally driving the roller 9 are configured. The side wall 10 is provided with legs (not shown) that match the height of the conveyor. The drive unit is controlled in conjunction with the drive unit of the downstream transfer unit 6 described later and the drive unit of the internal transport unit 47 of the inspection unit 3 described later, so that the liquid crystal panel 8 can be smoothly transported. .

  The coarse alignment unit device 11 is used to adjust the coarse position of the liquid crystal panel 8 when the liquid crystal panel 8 is transferred from the upstream transport unit 2 to the work table 45 of the inspection unit 3 described later by the upstream transfer unit 5. Device. The coarse alignment unit apparatus 11 is comprised from the vertical positioning part 13, the horizontal positioning part 14, and the raising / lowering part 15, as shown to FIGS. The overall configuration of the upstream transport unit 2 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is slightly different from the upstream transport unit 2 shown in FIG.

  The vertical positioning unit 13 is a device for adjusting the vertical position of the liquid crystal panel 8 when the liquid crystal panel 8 transported to the downstream end of the upstream transport unit 2 is transferred to the inspection unit 3. The vertical positioning unit 13 includes a rail 17, a slider 18, a cylinder 19, a support member 20, and a panel detection sensor 21. The rail 17 is disposed along the transport path, and supports the slider 18 so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the transport path. The rail 17 is fixed to the upstream side transport unit 2 side. The slider 18 is slidably fitted to the rail 17 and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the conveyance path. The cylinder 19 is a device for supporting the support member 20 and moving it up and down. The cylinder 19 can be an existing cylinder such as an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. A device (not shown) for supplying air pressure or hydraulic pressure is connected to the cylinder 19. The cylinder 19 is attached to the slider 18 and can move in the vertical direction along the conveyance path. The support member 20 is a member for directly contacting and supporting the liquid crystal panel 8 from below. The support member 20 is made of silicon rubber or the like. The panel detection sensor 21 is a sensor for detecting that the liquid crystal panel 8 is located immediately above the rough alignment unit device 11. In addition to this, sensors for detecting the vertical and horizontal positions of the liquid crystal panel 8 are appropriately provided.

  This is a device for adjusting the horizontal position of the liquid crystal panel 8 when the horizontal positioning unit 14 and the liquid crystal panel 8 transported to the downstream end of the upstream transport unit 2 are transferred to the inspection unit 3. The lateral positioning unit 14 includes a rail 23, a slider 24, a cylinder 25, and a support member 26. The rail 23 is disposed in a lateral direction perpendicular to the transport path, and supports the slider 24 so as to be movable in the lateral direction. The rail 23 is fixed to the upstream conveying unit 2 side integrally with the rail 17 of the vertical positioning unit 13. The slider 24 is slidably fitted to the rail 23 and supported so as to be movable in the lateral direction. Two cylinders 25 are provided on the slider 24. Each cylinder 25 is a device for supporting the support member 26 and moving it up and down. Each cylinder 25 may be an existing cylinder such as an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. A device (not shown) for supplying air pressure or hydraulic pressure is connected to the cylinder 25. The cylinder 25 is attached to the slider 24 and can move in the lateral direction. The support member 26 is a member for directly contacting and supporting the liquid crystal panel 8 from below. The support member 26 is made of silicon rubber or the like.

  The elevating unit 15 is a device for elevating and lowering the liquid crystal panel 8 after the coarse position is adjusted by the vertical positioning unit 13 and the horizontal positioning unit 14. The elevating unit 15 includes a panel lifter 28 and a cylinder 29.

  The panel lifter 28 is a member for directly contacting the back surface of the liquid crystal panel 8 to lift the liquid crystal panel 8. The panel lifter 28 includes a support plate 31, four guide bars 32 disposed below the support plate 31, four support bars 33 disposed above the support plate 31, and each support bar 33. It is comprised from the supporting member 34 provided in the upper end part. The four guide bars 32 are inserted into the four guide holes 36 of the guide plate 35 and supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The guide plate 35 is fixed to the frame 37 of the upstream transport unit 2.

  The cylinder 29 is a member for moving the panel lifter 28 up and down. The cylinder 29 is fixed to the back surface of the guide plate 35, and a cylinder rod (not shown) is connected to the support plate 31. As a result, the cylinder 29 extends the cylinder rod, so that the panel lifter 28 rises, and the liquid crystal panel 8 supported by the support member 34 at the upper end of the support bar 33 is lifted upward. The lifted liquid crystal panel 8 is transferred to the upstream transfer unit 5 and transferred to the inspection unit 3.

  The inspection unit 3 is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the upstream side conveyance unit 2, protrudes from the lower side to the conveyance path, supports the liquid crystal panel 8, and lifts it upward to perform the inspection. This is a device for allowing passage of the liquid crystal panel 8 on the lower side. The inspection unit 3 mainly includes an XYZθ stage 40, an inspection stage 41, and an image processing unit 42.

  The XYZθ stage 40 is a device for finely adjusting the inspection stage 41 in the XYZ axial direction and the rotation direction. The XYZθ stage 40 incorporates an elevating mechanism for largely elevating the inspection stage 41 separately from the Z stage portion. By this lifting mechanism, the inspection stage 41 is greatly raised upward, and inspection is performed.

  The inspection stage 41 is a device for accurately supporting the liquid crystal panel 8 and illuminating it from the back. The inspection stage 41 includes a work table 45, a backlight 46, and an internal transport unit 47.

  The work table 45 is a member for directly supporting the liquid crystal panel 8. The work table 45 is supported by the XYZθ stage 40 so as to be movable up and down, and supports the liquid crystal panel 8 at an accurate position. The backlight 46 is a member for illuminating the liquid crystal panel 8 supported by the work table 45 from the back surface (lower surface) thereof. The backlight 46 illuminates the liquid crystal panel 8 from the back, and the lighting inspection of the liquid crystal panel 8 is performed.

  The internal transport unit 47 is a device for configuring the transport path in cooperation with the upstream transport unit 2 and the downstream transport unit 4 when the work table 45 is raised for the inspection of the liquid crystal panel 8. is there. The internal conveyance unit 47 is configured by a roller conveyor provided between the XYZθ stage 40 and the backlight 46. This roller conveyor is set so that the height thereof coincides with that of the upstream side conveyance unit 2 and the downstream side conveyance unit 4 in a state where the inspection stage 41 is raised by the lifting mechanism of the XYZθ stage 40. The internal transport unit 47 is provided with a drive unit (not shown) for driving the rollers 9 inside. The drive unit drives each roller 9 in synchronization with the drive units of the upstream transport unit 2 and the downstream transport unit 4.

  A probe unit (not shown) is provided on the work table 45. In this probe unit, the probe contacts an electrode of the liquid crystal panel 8 and applies an inspection signal to display a test pattern or the like on the liquid crystal panel 8.

  The image processing unit 42 is an apparatus for inspecting a defect or the like of the liquid crystal panel 8 by photographing the surface of the liquid crystal panel 8 and performing image processing. The image processing unit 42 mainly includes a camera 51, a camera drive mechanism 52, a processing device 53, and a dark room casing 54.

  The camera 51 is provided as desired on the work table 45. With this camera 51, the liquid crystal panel 8 is photographed and the video data is transmitted to the processing device 53. The camera drive mechanism 52 is a device for supporting the camera 51 and adjusting its position. This camera drive mechanism 52 moves the camera 51 up and down, back and forth, and left and right to perform alignment. The processing device 53 is a device for processing an image captured by the camera 51.

  The dark room housing 54 is a housing for housing the camera 51 together with the camera drive mechanism 52 and forming a dark room by covering the work table 45 from above. The dark room casing 54 is provided so as to be movable up and down, and constitutes a dark room by appropriately covering the work table 45 from above. As a result, the liquid crystal panel 8 supported by the work table 45 is illuminated by the backlight 46 and photographed by the camera 51, the image processing is performed by the processing device 53, and the liquid crystal panel 8 is inspected.

  The downstream transport unit 4 is a device for transporting the liquid crystal panel 8 after inspection to the downstream side along the transport path. The downstream side transport unit 4 is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the inspection unit 3. The overall configuration of the downstream transport unit 4 is configured symmetrically with the upstream transport unit 2 except that the rough alignment unit device 11 is not provided.

  The upstream transfer unit 5 is a device for transferring the liquid crystal panel 8 from the upstream transport unit 2 to the inspection unit 3. The upstream transfer unit 5 includes a panel suction unit 57, a panel transfer arm 58, and a panel transfer mechanism 59.

  The panel suction portion 57 is a member for sucking and supporting the liquid crystal panel 8. The panel suction portion 57 includes a suction pad 61 that sucks on the surface of the liquid crystal panel 8 and a panel lifting mechanism 62. The suction pad 61 is connected to a suction device (not shown). The panel lifting mechanism 62 supports the suction pad 61 and lifts the liquid crystal panel 8 sucked by the suction pad 61 while being fixed to the panel transport arm 58.

  The panel transfer arm 58 is a bar for supporting the liquid crystal panel 8 from the side of the upstream transfer unit 2. A panel suction portion 57 is attached to the tip of the panel transport arm 58, and the liquid crystal panel 8 sucked by the panel suction portion 57 is supported from the side of the upstream transport portion 2 by the panel transport arm 58. The panel transport mechanism 59 is a device for moving the liquid crystal panel 8 from the upstream transport unit 2 to the inspection unit 3. The panel transport mechanism 59 directly supports the panel transport arm 58 to support the liquid crystal panel 8 via the panel transport arm 58 and the panel suction unit 57, and from the upstream transport unit 2 to the inspection unit 3. To move to.

  The downstream transfer unit 6 is an apparatus for transferring the liquid crystal panel 8 from the inspection unit 3 to the downstream transport unit 4. Similar to the upstream transfer unit 5, the downstream transfer unit 6 includes a panel suction unit 65, a panel transfer arm 66, and a panel transfer mechanism 67. The functions of these parts are the same as the mechanisms of the parts of the upstream transfer part 5 except for the difference in being symmetrical.

  The upstream transfer unit 5 and the downstream transfer unit 6 are controlled in conjunction with each other to move the liquid crystal panel 8 from the upstream transport unit 2 to the inspection unit 3, and from the inspection unit 3 to the downstream transport unit. 4 is set to be performed simultaneously.

[Operation]
The inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 configured as described above operates as follows.

  In the production line of the liquid crystal panel 8, the liquid crystal panel 8 is produced through various processing steps from the state of the glass substrate.

  An inspection process may be incorporated in the manufacturing process of this manufacturing line. In this case, the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 is installed in the middle of the production line. In this inline automatic inspection apparatus 1, the liquid crystal panel 8 that has been transported along the production line is carried into the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 while flowing along the transport path, and is returned to the transport path after the inspection is completed. The operation of this inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 will be described below.

  The liquid crystal panel 8 that has been transported through the production line first flows into the upstream transport section 2. In the upstream conveyance unit 2, the liquid crystal panel 8 is roughly aligned by the coarse alignment unit device 11. Specifically, the vertical direction of the liquid crystal panel 8 is aligned by the vertical positioning unit 13 of the coarse alignment unit device 11, and the horizontal direction is aligned by the horizontal positioning unit 14. When the liquid crystal panel 8 is detected by the slider 18, the support member 20 is raised by the cylinder 19 to lift the liquid crystal panel 8, and the slider 18 slides on the rail 17, whereby the vertical direction of the liquid crystal panel 8 is aligned. Next, the support member 26 is raised by the cylinder 25, the liquid crystal panel 8 is lifted, and the slider 24 slides on the rail 23, whereby the horizontal direction of the liquid crystal panel 8 is aligned.

  Next, the support member 34 of the elevating unit 15 is raised to lift the liquid crystal panel 8 and transfer it to the panel suction unit 57 of the upstream transfer unit 5. In the upstream transfer unit 5, the panel suction unit 57 sucks the liquid crystal panel 8 to support the liquid crystal panel 8, and is transported to the work table 45 of the inspection unit 3 by the panel transport mechanism 59. At this time, if the liquid crystal panel 8 already exists on the work table 45, the conveyance is performed after the inspection is completed. At this time, the upstream transfer unit 5 and the downstream transfer unit 6 are simultaneously moved from the state of FIG. 4 to the state of FIG.

  Next, the liquid crystal panel 8 is raised by the lifting mechanism in the XYZθ stage 40 and approaches the camera 51. Next, the image processing unit 42 performs image processing. Specifically, the image data of the surface of the liquid crystal panel 8 photographed by the camera 51 is transmitted to the processing device 53, the image processing is performed by the processing device 53, and the lighting inspection of the liquid crystal panel 8 is performed.

  At this time, the next liquid crystal panel 8 flows from the upstream transport unit 2 to the downstream transport unit 4 through the internal transport unit 47. When a plurality of inline automatic inspection apparatuses 1 are installed, the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 is flowed to the rear.

  When the inspection is completed, the upstream transfer unit 5 and the downstream transfer unit 6 work together to simultaneously shift from the state of FIG. 4 to the state of FIG.

[effect]
As described above, in the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1, since the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 is installed on the conveyance path, a special installation space for the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 is not required, and the periphery of the production line It is possible to achieve a significant space saving.

  Further, it is not necessary to provide a transfer device in particular, and the cost can be reduced as a whole by effectively using the space and reducing the running cost.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, one inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 has been described. However, a plurality of inline automatic inspection apparatuses 1 may be provided on the production line. In this case, the plurality of in-line automatic inspection apparatuses 1 cooperate with each other to inspect the liquid crystal panel 8. Specifically, among the plurality of inline automatic inspection apparatuses 1 arranged in the transport path, when the inspection of the liquid crystal panel 8 is started by the leading inline automatic inspection apparatus 1, the next liquid crystal panel 8 is in the leading inline. The flow passes through the internal conveyance unit 47 of the automatic inspection apparatus 1 and flows to the next inline automatic inspection apparatus 1, and the inspection of the liquid crystal panel 8 is started by the inline automatic inspection apparatus 1. The next liquid crystal panel 8 passes through the internal transfer section 47 of the second inline automatic inspection apparatus 1 and flows to the next inline automatic inspection apparatus 1, and inspection is started in the same manner as described above, so that a large number of liquid crystal panels 8 can be efficiently used. Can be inspected.

  In the above embodiment, the liquid crystal panel 8 is described as an example of the inspection object. However, the inspection object other than the liquid crystal panel 8 can be applied, and the same operation and effect as described above can be achieved.

It is a perspective view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5) showing the inline automatic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front sectional view showing an in-line automatic inspection device concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the rough alignment unit apparatus of the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which incorporated the rough alignment unit apparatus of the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention in the upstream conveyance part. It is a top view which shows the state which incorporated the rough alignment unit apparatus of the in-line automatic inspection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention in the upstream conveyance part.

Explanation of symbols

  1: In-line automatic inspection device, 2: upstream transport section, 3: inspection section. 4: Downstream transport unit, 5: Upstream transfer unit, 6: Downstream transfer unit, 8: Liquid crystal panel, 9: Roller, 10: Side wall, 11: Coarse alignment unit device, 13: Vertical positioning unit, 14 : Lateral positioning part, 15: lifting part, 17: rail, 18: slider, 19: cylinder, 20: support member, 21: panel detection sensor, 23: rail, 24: slider, 25: cylinder, 26: support member, 28: Panel lifter, 29: Cylinder, 31: Support plate, 32: Guide rod, 33: Support rod, 34: Support member, 35: Guide plate, 36: Guide hole, 37: Frame, 40XYZθ stage, 41: Inspection stage, 42: Image processing unit, 45: Work table, 46: Backlight, 47: Internal transfer unit, 51: Camera, 52: Camera drive mechanism, 54: Dark room casing, 57: Panel suction unit 58: Panel transfer arm, 59: panel transport mechanism, 61: suction pad, 62: panel lifting mechanism, 65: panel suction unit, 66: panel transfer arm 67: panel transport mechanism.

Claims (6)

An upstream conveyance unit that conveys the inspection object along the conveyance path;
It is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the upstream transport unit, protrudes from the lower side to the transport path, supports the inspection object, lifts it upward, and performs an inspection. An inspection section that allows passage of an inspection object; and
A downstream transport unit that is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the inspection unit and that transports the inspection object after the inspection to the downstream side along the transport path;
An upstream transfer section for transferring the inspection object from the upstream transport section to the inspection section;
An in-line automatic inspection apparatus comprising: a downstream transfer unit that transfers the inspection object from the inspection unit to the downstream transport unit. In the in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to claim 1,
A work table that is installed so as to be movable up and down and supports the inspection object, and the upstream conveyance section and the downstream conveyance section at a position where the work table is raised for inspection of the inspection object An in-line automatic inspection apparatus comprising: an internal conveyance unit that forms a conveyance path in cooperation with the elevating mechanism and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the work table and the internal conveyance unit. In the in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An operation of transferring the inspection object from the upstream transport unit to the inspection unit, and an operation of transferring the inspection object from the inspection unit to the downstream transport unit include the upstream transfer unit and the downstream transfer unit. An in-line automatic inspection device characterized by being performed simultaneously in conjunction. In the in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
An in-line automatic inspection apparatus comprising a rough alignment unit device for adjusting a rough position of the inspection object to be transferred to the work table of the inspection unit by the upstream transfer unit in the upstream transport unit. The in-line automatic inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The inspection unit accommodates the camera provided on the work table and the camera inside, and covers the work table from above and supports the inspection object supported by the work table. An in-line automatic inspection apparatus comprising a casing that can be moved up and down to constitute a dark room for photographing with a camera.   The upstream conveyance unit that conveys the inspection object along the conveyance path and the upstream conveyance unit that are arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the upstream conveyance unit, and protrudes from the lower side of the conveyance path to the inspection object And inspecting the substrate by lifting it upward and allowing the inspection object to pass therethrough, and the inspection portion that is arranged close to each other so as to be connected to the downstream side of the inspection portion. A downstream transport unit that transports the inspection object downstream along the transport path, an upstream transfer unit that transfers the inspection object from the upstream transport unit to the inspection unit, and the inspection object A downstream transfer section that transfers from the inspection section to the downstream transport section, the inspection section is installed so as to be movable up and down, and supports the inspection object; and for inspection of the inspection object The work table is raised to In-line automatic inspection comprising an internal conveyance unit that forms a conveyance path in cooperation with the upstream conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit, and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the work table and the internal conveyance unit. An in-line automatic inspection system, wherein a plurality of apparatuses are arranged in the transport path.

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