Alignment apparatus and alignment detection method

• US 9,939,248 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing BOE Display Technology Co Ltd (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.), BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beijing BOE Display Technology Co Ltd (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.), BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Ji, Bian, Zheng, Xin, Shuai
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/538,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20170370695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 3405454, 340562, 340611, 340614, 340626, 340657, 340665, 3406862, 3406865, 340954
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/22 using change in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/31 for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0008 for aligning or positioning of tools relative to the circuit board H05K3/4638, H05K3/4679 take precedence; for manufacturing assemblages of components H05K13/0015

Abstract

An alignment apparatus and an alignment detection method, which fall within a field of display technology, are disclosed herein. The alignment apparatus includes: a work table; a plurality of alignment rods provided on the work table, wherein a capacitor element is provided inside the alignment rod, and a capacitance of the capacitor element is changeable as the alignment rod deforms; and an alarm element connected to the capacitor element for giving an alarm when it receives a capacitance change value which exceeds a preset threshold value.

Claims

1. An alignment apparatus, comprising:

a work table;

a plurality of alignment rods provided on the work table, wherein a capacitor element is provided inside the alignment rod, and a capacitance of the capacitor element is changeable as the alignment rod deforms; and

an alarm element connected to the capacitor element for giving an alarm when it receives a capacitance change value which exceeds a preset threshold value.

2. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gain element connected to the capacitor element for amplifying or reducing the capacitance change value of the capacitor element and sending the amplified or reduced capacitance change value to the alarm element,

wherein the alarm element is configured for giving the alarm when it receives a capacitance change value from the gain element which exceeds the preset threshold value.

3. The alignment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gain element comprises a slide rheostat, a first resistor, a transistor, a second resistor and a third resistor connected to the capacitor element;

one end of the slide rheostat is connected to the capacitor element and another end is connected to a low level;

one end of the first resistor is connected to a high level and another end of the first resistor is connected to the capacitor element;

one end of the second resistor is connected to the high level and another end of the second resistor is connected to a collector of the transistor;

one end of the third resistor is connected to the collector of the transistor and another end of the third resistor is connected to the low level;

a base of the transistor is connected to the capacitor element, and the collector is connected to the second resistor and the third resistor respectively, and an emitter of the transistor is connected to the low level.

4. The alignment apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a voltage transformation circuit and an alternating current-to-direct current converter circuit connected to the capacitor element, wherein the voltage transformation circuit is configured for transforming a voltage of an electric signal applied to the capacitor element, and the alternating current-to-direct current converter circuit is configured for converting the electric signal applied to the capacitor element from an alternating current to a direct current.

5. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment rod comprises a housing and the capacitor element provided in the housing, the housing being made of soft rubber.

6. The alignment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion cooperating with the first portion, the first portion is of a cylindrical structure, an end face of the cylindrical structure is recessed inwardly to form a groove, and the second portion comprises a base portion fixed to the work table and a projection provided on the base portion and cooperating with the groove;

wherein the projection is located in the groove and a gap is formed between the projection and the groove when the first portion and the second portion cooperate with each other to form the housing.

7. The alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the capacitor element comprises an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate, the upper electrode plate being located in a bottom of the groove and the lower electrode plate being located on a top of the projection.

8. The alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the groove is a cylindrical groove, the projection is a cylindrical projection, the base portion is a circular base portion, and an outer diameter of the circular base portion is equal to an outer diameter of the cylindrical structure.

9. The alignment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing has a height in a range of 1 to 2 cm.

10. The alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the outer diameter of the cylindrical structure is in a range of 1 to 2 cm.

11. The alignment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the outer diameter of the cylindrical structure is 1.2 cm.

12. An alignment detection method, comprising steps of:

placing a substrate to be aligned on the work table, wherein a plurality of alignment rods are provided on the work table, the alignment rods are respectively located at at least two opposite sides of the substrate, a capacitor element is provided inside the alignment rod, and a capacitance of the capacitor element is changeable as the alignment rod deforms;

detecting whether the capacitance of the capacitor element has changed or not, and giving an alarm when a capacitance change value of the capacitor element exceeds a preset threshold value.