Probe apparatus for electrical inspection of printed circuit board assembly
First Claim
1. A probe apparatus for electrical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly which includes a printed circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon and defining electrical circuitry, said probe apparatus comprising:
- a probe assembly including a probe tip for inspecting the electrical circuitry of the printed circuit board having the electronic components mounted thereon, said probe assembly normally being disposed at an inclined angle position with respect to the printed circuit board;
means for moving said probe assembly rectilinearly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position;
a guide for guiding the rectilinear movement of said probe assembly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position; and
means for controlling the inclined angle position of the probe assembly with respect to a solder joint on the printed circuit board, said inclined angle position controlling means being operative to rotate said probe assembly and in turn said probe tip.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A probe apparatus for the electrical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly includes a probe assembly for inspecting the electrical circuitry of a PCB having electronic components mounted thereon. A first driving mechanism is provided for moving the probe assembly rectilinearly, and a guide is provided for guiding the rectilinear movement of the probe assembly. The probe assembly includes a probe tip for making contact with a solder joint on the PCB to detect a signal for the electrical inspection, a force sensor combined with the rear portion of the probe tip for measuring a contact force applied to the probe tip when the probe tip makes contact with the solder joint, a location sensor for measuring the location of the probe tip when in contact with the solder joint, and a device for controlling the location of the probe tip, according to the measured contact force and location thereof. The probe may further include a second driving mechanism for controlling the angle of inclination of the probe assembly to solder joints. Such a probe is improved in adaptability to the various patterns of the solder joints and thus enables stable testing of the PCB, by preventing poor soldering as well as vibration of the probe tips.
28 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A probe apparatus for electrical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly which includes a printed circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon and defining electrical circuitry, said probe apparatus comprising:
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a probe assembly including a probe tip for inspecting the electrical circuitry of the printed circuit board having the electronic components mounted thereon, said probe assembly normally being disposed at an inclined angle position with respect to the printed circuit board; means for moving said probe assembly rectilinearly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position; a guide for guiding the rectilinear movement of said probe assembly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position; and means for controlling the inclined angle position of the probe assembly with respect to a solder joint on the printed circuit board, said inclined angle position controlling means being operative to rotate said probe assembly and in turn said probe tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A probe apparatus for electrical inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly which includes a printed circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon and defining electrical circuitry, said probe apparatus comprising:
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a probe assembly including a probe tip for inspecting the electrical circuitry of the printed circuit board having the electronic components mounted thereon, said probe assembly normally being disposed at an inclined angle position with respect to the printed circuit board; a first driving mechanism which moves said probe assembly rectilinearly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position; a guide for guiding the rectilinear movement of said probe assembly toward and away from the printed circuit board along the inclined angle position; and a second driving mechanism which controls the inclined angle position of the probe assembly with respect to a solder joint on the printed circuit board, said second driving mechanism being operative to rotate said probe assembly and in turn said probe tip. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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Specification