Patent Publication Number: US-2012026513-A1

Title: Coplanarity-testing machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a testing device, and more particularly to a coplanarity-testing machine. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     At recent years, production scale of connectors is becoming larger and larger with the development of electrical products. Each connector generally comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts. The coplanarity of contacting surfaces or welded surfaces of the contacts can directly affect the quality of the connector. Therefore, it is needed to strictly test the coplanarity of the connector before leaving factory. 
     A traditional method for testing the coplanarity of contacting surfaces or welded surfaces of the contacts of the connector is mainly employing a microscope, by which user can observe the product one by one. But because the size of each connector is small and the quantity of the connectors is great, the loading of the prior testing work done by human check is very heavy and rather time-consuming. And this prior testing work is so subjective that the exact degree of testing cannot be ensured. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a coplanarity-testing machine, which can fast display the testing result for being observed, is easily operated, and has a high testing efficiency and a high exact degree of testing. 
     To achieve the above object, in accordance with the present invention, a coplanarity-testing machine is provided, comprising a working stage, an illuminant, an image picking-up processor, a frequency converter, a double-cross lines generator, a linear module and a display. The linear module includes a linear drive mechanism, a test vehicle and a regulating block. The working stage has a horizontal bearing surface. The test vehicle is slidably mounted on the bearing surface of the working stage. The linear drive mechanism is mounted on the bearing surface of the working stage for driving the test vehicle to linearly move to and fro on the bearing surface. The test vehicle has a horizontal supporting surface for carrying at least one test-waiting product. The regulating block, which is corresponding to the test-waiting product and has a horizontal top surface and a horizontal bottom surface, is placed on the supporting surface of the test vehicle. By adjusting the double-cross lines generator, horizontal lines generated by the double-cross lines generator can coincide with a projecting line of the bottom surface of the regulating block, and vertical lines generated by the double-cross lines generator can measure the height of the regulating block, and the height of the regulating block can be displayed on the display. The test-waiting product illuminated by illuminant can be imaged on the display by the image picking-up processor and the frequency converter. 
     Based on the above description, the coplanarity-testing machine as provided by the present invention can timely and exactly display the testing result of product on the display by the image picking-up processor cooperated with the light source. The coplanarity-testing machine is easy to be operated, and has a high testing efficiency and a high exact degree of testing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic view of a coplanarity-testing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is an enlarged view of part A in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic view of the coplanarity-testing machine when testing products; 
         FIG. 2B  is an enlarged view of part B in  FIG. 2A ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a testing image of a qualified product, which is displayed on a display when the coplanarity-testing machine of  FIG. 2A  tests products. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings now has been given for detail describing the technology, the feature, the object and the effect of the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1A , a coplanarity-testing machine at least comprises a working stage  10 , an illuminant  11 , an image picking-up processor  12 , a frequency converter  13 , a double-cross lines generator  14 , an image separator  15 , a linear module  16  and a display  17 . The illuminant  11 , the image picking-up processor  12 , the frequency converter  13 , the double-cross lines generator  14  and the image separator  15  are positioned on the working stage  10 . 
     Specifically, the linear module  16  includes a linear drive mechanism  161 , a test vehicle  162  and a regulating block  163 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , the working stage  10  has a horizontal bearing surface  101 , on which the test vehicle  162  is slidably mounted. The linear drive mechanism  161  is also mounted on the bearing surface  101  of the working stage  10  for driving the test vehicle  162  to linearly move to and fro on the bearing surface  101 . As shown in  FIGS. 1B and 2B , the test vehicle  162  has a horizontal supporting surface  162   a  for carrying at least one test-waiting product  18 , which is a connector in this embodiment. Two screw holes  162   b  are formed on the test vehicle  162 . The regulating block  163 , which is corresponding to the test-waiting product  18  and top and bottom surfaces of which are horizontal, is placed on the supporting surface  162   a  of the test vehicle  162 . Adjusting the double-cross lines generator  14  can make horizontal lines generated by the generator  14  coincide with a projecting line of the bottom surface of the regulating block  163 , so that vertical lines generated by the generator  14  can measure the height of the regulating block  163  and the height of the regulating block  163  can be displayed on the display  17 . Similarly, the test-waiting product  18  illuminated by illuminant  11  can be imaged on the display  17  by the image picking-up processor  12  and the frequency converter  13 . 
     In this embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A , the coplanarity-testing machine comprises two illuminants  11  and two image picking-up processors  12  separately corresponding to the two illuminants  11 . The test-waiting product  18  or the regulating block  163  is positioned between the two image picking-up processors  12  for assuring the exact degree of testing. The illuminant  11  is an LED source. The linear drive mechanism  161  comprises a motor  161   a , a threaded rod  161   b  and a controller  161   c . The motor  161   a  is connected to the threaded rod  161   b  to drive it rotate. The screw thread of the threaded rod  161   b  can mesh with a screw hole formed on a bottom surface of the test vehicle  162  for driving the test vehicle  162  to linearly move to and fro. The controller  161   c  is connected to the motor  161   a  for controlling the test vehicle  162  to linearly move to and fro. The image separator  15  is connected to the two image picking-up processors  12  and the double-cross lines generator  14  and is corresponding to the two image picking-up processors  12  for dividing the displaying picture into two pictures consisting of an upper picture and a lower picture. 
     Wherein, the image picking-up processor  12  includes a charge-coupled device, an extension tube and a lens. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  3 , the following is the process of testing the test-waiting product  18  by the coplanarity-testing machine. Firstly, the regulating block  163  is mounted on the supporting surface  162   a  of the test vehicle  162  and located between the two image picking-up processors  12 . Then the double-cross lines generator  14  is adjusted on the base of the two pictures displayed on the display  17  for making the horizontal lines generated by the generator  14  coincide with the projecting line of the bottom surface of the regulating block  163 , and for making the vertical lines generated by the generator  14  measure the height H of the regulating block  163 . The height H will be regarded as a qualified range of the coplanarity height of the test-waiting product  18 , and the horizontal lines generated by the generator  14  will be used as a base line  19  for measuring the coplanarity height. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the regulating block  163  is taken down, and several test-waiting products  18  are mounted onto the supporting surface  162   a  of the test vehicle  162  and located between the two image picking-up processors  12 . The display  17  will directly display the relative location between the coplanarity height of the test-waiting product  18  and the height H of the regulating block  163 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the testing picture of a qualified product is displayed on the display  17 . The test-waiting product  18  is non-qualified if the coplanarity height of the contacts  181  thereof are not within the range of the height H. 
     During the above testing process, the controller  161   c  is connected to the motor  161   a  for controlling the test vehicle  162  to linearly move to and fro whereby the test-waiting product  18  can be carried to linearly move to and fro on the working stage  10 . Specifically, the test vehicle  162  is controlled by the way of operating the button  161   c   1  of the controller  161   c . The button  161   c   1  is mounted on the bearing surface  101  of the working stage  10 . After the first test-waiting product  18  is tested, the test vehicle  162  can carry the next test-waiting product  18  to the testing location by pressing the button  161   c   1 . The test vehicle  162  can carry one new test-waiting product  18  to the testing location every time the button  161   c   1  is pressed. When the test vehicle  162  moving to the leftmost location, the button  161   c   1  is pressed again to make the test vehicle  162  return to the original location. After all the test-waiting products  18  on the test vehicle  162  are tested, the worker can replace the tested products  18  as new products waiting tested. After the same-style products being tested, the test vehicle  162  may be replaced as new test vehicle for carrying the different-style products. 
     As described above, the coplanarity-testing machine of the present invention can timely and exactly display the testing result of product on the display  17  by the image picking-up processor  12  cooperated with the illuminant  11 . Because only the test vehicle  162  needs to be replaced, the coplanarity of the product can be fast tested and the coplanarity-testing machine is easy to be operated. The coplanarity-testing machine of the present invention has a high testing efficiency and a high exact degree of testing. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.