Pin receptacle inspection apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for inspecting a hollow pin receptacle in a housing to determine whether or not a pin has been properly mounted in said receptacle, comprising:
- means for directing a collimated inspection light beam toward one surface of said housing so that said beam impinges on said receptacle;
photodetector means disposed to face the opposing surface of said housing to receive light, if any, which has passed through said receptacle; and
means responsive to said photodetector means for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not said pin has been properly mounted in said receptacle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method are disclosed for inspecting a row of hollow pin receptacles in a housing to determine whether or not pins have been properly mounted in the receptacles. A collimated inspection light beam is directed toward one surface of the housing as it passes through an inspection position, so that the inspection beam successively impinges on the receptacles. A photodetector is disposed to face the opposing surface of the housing to receive light, if any, which has passed through the receptacles. Means responsive to the photodetector are provided for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not the pin has been properly mounted in the receptacle. The output signal generating means preferably comprises a threshold detector for detecting when the output of the photodetector exceeds a predetermined threshold. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a collimated gating light beam is directed toward the inspection position so that a housing blocks the gating beam when a housing is at the inspection position. In this embodiment, a second photodetector is positioned to receive the gating beam when no housing is preset at the inspection position. Means responsive to the output of the second photodetector are provided for generating a gating signal that is used to gate the output signal generating means when a housing is present at the inspection position. A still further gating beam is used in conjunction with a third photodetector to determine when individual receptacles are at the inspection position.
27 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus for inspecting a hollow pin receptacle in a housing to determine whether or not a pin has been properly mounted in said receptacle, comprising:
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means for directing a collimated inspection light beam toward one surface of said housing so that said beam impinges on said receptacle; photodetector means disposed to face the opposing surface of said housing to receive light, if any, which has passed through said receptacle; and means responsive to said photodetector means for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not said pin has been properly mounted in said receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for inspecting a row of hollow pin receptacles in housings passing an inspection position to determine whether or not pins have been properly mounted in the receptacles, comprising:
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means for directing a collimated inspection light beam toward one surface of a housing at the inspection position so that said light beam successively impinges on each of said receptacles as said housing moves through the inspection position; photodetector means disposed to face the opposing surface of said housing to receive light, if any, which has passed through said receptacles; and means responsive to said photodetector means for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not pins have been properly mounted in said receptacles. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a system where integrated circuit socket housings are progressing along a surface of a track past an inspection position, an apparatus for inspecting parallel rows of hollow pin receptacles to determine whether or not pins have been properly mounted in the pin receptacles, comprising:
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means for directing a plurality of collimated inspection light beams toward a housing at the inspection position so that said light beams successively impinge on each of said receptacles of the respective rows as said housing moves through the inspection position, said track having a plurality of apertures therein at the inspection position in the respective paths of said plurality of beams; a plurality of photodetector means disposed to face the opposing surface of said track to receive light, if any, which has passed through said receptacles; and means responsive to said plurality of photodetector means for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not pins have been properly mounted in said receptacles. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for inspecting a row of hollow pin receptacles in housings passing an inspection position to determine whether or not pins have been properly mounted in the receptacles, comprising the steps of:
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directing a collimated inspection light beam toward one surface of a housing at the inspection position so that said light beam successively impinges on each of said receptacles as said housing moves through the inspection position; receiving light, if any, which has passed through said receptacles; and generating an output signal in response to the received light, said output signal being indicative of whether or not pins have been properly mounted in said receptacles. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification