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System for inspecting pin grid arrays

  • US 5,648,853 A
  • Filed: 05/18/1995
  • Issued: 07/15/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for inspecting straightness of an array of pins comprising:

  • means for illuminating said array of pins with an encompassing thin beam of light;

    photo sensitive surface means for reporting the locations of images incident thereon;

    means for collecting diffuse illumination reflected from said pins at a plane of intersection of said thin beam of light with said pins without obscuration of any pin by any of the other pins;

    means for imaging surfaces of said array of pins illuminated by said beam of light onto said photosensitive surface means;

    means for moving said array of pins relative to said beam of light and means for imaging; and

    means for moving said means for imaging and photo sensitive means relative to said array of pins for producing a full contour image of each entire pin;

    images of said pins being obtained in three dimensions along the entire length of the pin;

    optical elements for intercepting said thin beam of light and diverging said beam of light to provide an effect that said beam of light emanates from an array of contiguous light sources located adjacent said optical elements for reducing shadowing effects of adjacent pins, each of said pins having a tip, said diffuse illumination only being radiated at substantially 90 degrees to said beam of light and being directed at said photo sensitive means when said plane intersects a pin below the tip of the pin, said diffuse illumination having a substantially lower intensity than the light intensity reflected from the tip;

    unobscured images of pins in inner rows of pins being obtainable from said diffuse reflected intensity.

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