CN108111841B

CN108111841B - Processor for inspecting camera module and apparatus for inspecting camera module

Info

Publication number: CN108111841B
Application number: CN201611131038.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金胜敏
Original assignee: Top Engineering Co Ltd
Current assignee: Top Engineering Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-11-25
Filing date: 2016-12-09
Publication date: 2022-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-09
Also published as: CN115643397A; KR20180059658A; KR20210148027A; CN108111841A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a processor for inspecting a camera module, and an apparatus for inspecting a camera module including the processor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a processor for inspecting a camera module, which can pick up, place, and automatically align the camera module through a clamp type pick-up unit and manage the history of the camera module through a barcode scanner, and an apparatus for inspecting the camera module including the processor.

Description

Processor for inspecting camera module and apparatus for inspecting camera module

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a processor for inspecting a camera module and an apparatus for inspecting a camera module including the processor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a processor for inspecting a camera module, which can pick up, place, and automatically align the camera module through a clamp type pick-up unit and manage the history of the camera module through a barcode scanner, and an apparatus for inspecting the camera module including the processor.

Background

With the development of smart devices, small-sized camera modules are increasingly widely used. Recently, the camera module is even mounted in vehicles or smart tvs, and portable terminals such as smart phones, tablet pcs, and notebook pcs.

A general camera module is configured to include a housing, a lens barrel in which a plurality of lenses are stacked, an image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS, a substrate on which the housing and the lens barrel and the image sensor are mounted, and a connector electrically connected with the outside.

In the manufacturing process of the camera module, it is possible to check whether the assembled camera module is correctly assembled or whether the auto focus function of the camera module is normally operated.

The inspection equipment in the prior art employs a method of inspection after an inspector directly and manually places the camera module in the socket. In this case, the camera module, and particularly the receptacle of the camera module, is often damaged.

In addition, problems such as inconvenience that an inspector needs to directly move the camera modules one by one, and increase in inspection time are increasingly raised.

To solve these problems, an automatic processor that automatically transfers a camera module is used; in the existing automatic processor, a viewing system for confirming and adjusting an alignment state when picking up or placing a camera module is used.

However, due to the use of the observation system, the manufacturing cost is increased, and the management point of the operator in terms of the system or control is increased, thereby increasing the burden on the operator.

In addition, if the camera module is replaced, information on the replaced module (for example, reference image information) needs to be newly input to the observation system, and even in the same apparatus, it often happens that the reference image information needs to be input separately due to differences in aperture value, illumination intensity, and distance of the observation system.

Therefore, when the number of devices on the production line increases, the field management burden of the operator is further increased.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a processor for inspecting a camera module, which does not require a separate vision system by simultaneously performing a pickup operation and an alignment operation of the camera module through a clamp type pickup unit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a processor for inspecting a camera module, which is capable of managing a history of the camera module by scanning a barcode of the camera module.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for inspecting a camera module, which can efficiently transfer the camera module to an inspection unit and can reduce inspection time by inspecting a plurality of items of the transferred camera unit in one inspection unit, by using the above-described processor for inspecting a camera module.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to those described above; other objects not mentioned herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to one aspect, the invention provides a processor for inspecting a camera module, comprising: a tray unit including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in which a plurality of camera modules are placed; a picking unit picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion to place the picked-up camera module into a camera module receptacle of the inspection unit, and picking up the camera module again to place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving portion when the inspection unit completes the inspection; an X-axis extension frame extending in an X-axis direction and on which the tray unit is mounted; a Y-axis extending frame extending in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and on which the pickup unit is mounted; and a barcode scanner which scans a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit, wherein the tray unit is mounted on an X-axis extension frame to reciprocate in an X-axis direction.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for inspecting a camera module, comprising: a tray unit including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in which a plurality of camera modules are placed; an inspection unit that inspects whether the camera module is good or defective; a picking unit picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving part to place the picked-up camera module into the inspection unit, and picking up the camera module again to place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving part when the inspection unit completes the inspection; and a barcode scanner which scans a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit to acquire information, wherein the pickup unit includes a clamp to pick up and place the camera module, the inspection unit includes a fixed table, a rotating table installed on the fixed table to rotate in a normal direction or a reverse direction, a plurality of camera module placing parts radially disposed on the rotating table and having an area to place the camera module, respectively, a plurality of inspection modules radially disposed on the fixed table, and a driving unit to rotate the rotating table in the normal direction or the reverse direction.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for inspecting a camera module, comprising: a tray unit including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in which a plurality of camera modules are placed; an inspection unit that inspects whether the camera module is good or defective; a picking unit picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving part to place the picked-up camera module into the inspection unit, and picking up the camera module again to place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving part when the inspection unit completes the inspection; and a barcode scanner which scans a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit to acquire information, wherein the pickup unit includes a clamp to pick up and place the camera module, and the inspection unit includes a camera module placing part having an area to place the camera module, a plurality of inspection modules to inspect the camera module placed in the camera module placing part, a plurality of rotating units on which the inspection modules are radially arranged, and a driving unit to rotate the rotating units in a normal direction or a reverse direction.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a processor for inspecting a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the processor of fig. 1 for inspecting a camera module.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the processor for inspecting the camera module of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a tray unit of the handler for inspecting the camera module of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 and 6 are schematic views showing the pickup unit of fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the inspection unit of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 and 10 are views illustrating an operation of the camera module placing part of fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the apparatus for inspecting a camera module of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 and 14 are views illustrating an operation of the camera module placing section of fig. 11.

Fig. 15 is a view illustrating an operation of the inspection performing part of fig. 11.

Detailed Description

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, certain specific terms are defined herein for convenience. Unless specifically defined in the specification, it is to be understood that all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Further, unless specifically stated above or below, singular forms include plural and are understood to be: plural reference words also include singular reference words.

Here, a processor for inspecting a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 6.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a processor for inspecting a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the processor of fig. 1 for inspecting a camera module. Fig. 3 is a front view of the processor for inspecting the camera module of fig. 1. Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a tray unit of the handler for inspecting the camera module of fig. 1. Fig. 5 and 6 are schematic views showing the pickup unit of fig. 1.

For reference, in short, the processor 1 for inspecting the camera module means a device for placing the camera module into a camera module socket (e.g., 1124b of fig. 8) provided in an inspection unit (e.g., 1120 of fig. 7) that performs inspection of the camera module, or picking up and transferring the camera module whose inspection has been completed by the inspection unit.

First, referring to fig. 1 to 3, a processor 1 for inspecting a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a tray unit 100, a pickup unit 190, an X-axis extension frame 500, a Y-axis extension frame 450, a barcode scanner 550.

The tray unit 100 includes a first receiving portion 110 and a second receiving portion 150 in which a plurality of camera modules are placed. Further, the tray unit 100 may be mounted on the X-axis extension frame 500 to reciprocate in the X-axis direction X.

As shown in the drawings, a plurality of camera modules may be arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in the first housing part 110 or the second housing part 150, and at least one camera module, preferably a plurality of camera modules, may be simultaneously picked up by the pickup unit 190, thereby being loaded onto or unloaded from the inspection unit.

Here, referring to fig. 4, a camera module CM waiting to be inspected by the inspection unit may be placed in the first receiving portion 110, and a camera module for which the inspection unit finishes inspecting may be placed in the second receiving portion 150.

In particular, the second receiving part 150 includes a first sub-receiving part 150a and a second sub-receiving part 150b, wherein the inspection unit determines that a good camera module is placed in the first sub-receiving part 150a, and the inspection unit determines that a defective camera module can be placed in the second sub-receiving part 150 b.

The number, type, disposition, number of camera modules placed in the housing portion, and the like of the housing portion may be appropriately changed as needed.

Referring again to fig. 1 to 3, the pickup unit 190 may pick up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion 110 and place the picked-up camera module into the camera module receptacle of the inspection unit. When the inspection unit completes the inspection operation, the pickup unit 190 may pick up the camera module again and place the camera module into the second receiving portion 150.

Further, the pickup unit 190 may be mounted on the Y-axis extension frame 450 to be reciprocally moved in the Y-axis direction Y, and may be mounted to be raised or lowered in a Z-axis direction Z orthogonal to the X-axis direction X and the Y-axis direction Y.

For reference, the X-axis and the Y-axis are axes that lie in the same horizontal plane and are horizontally orthogonal to each other. The Z-axis is an axis vertically orthogonal to the horizontal plane.

Specifically, the pickup unit 190 may include a first pickup 200, a second pickup 250, a first raising and lowering cylinder 300, a second raising and lowering cylinder 350, and a Y-axis driver 400.

The first picking apparatus 200 may pick up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion 110 and place the picked-up camera module into the camera module socket of the inspection unit.

Here, the first picking apparatus 200 may include a first clamp 202 picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion 110, a first clamp cylinder 204 driving the first clamp 202, and a first sensor 206 assisting an operation of picking up and placing the camera module by the first clamp 202.

The second picking apparatus 250 may pick up a camera module for which the inspection unit finishes inspecting and place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving portion 150.

Here, the second picking apparatus 250 may include a second clamp 252 picking up the camera module to which the inspection unit finishes inspecting, a second clamp cylinder 254 driving the second clamp 252, and a second sensor 256 assisting the operation of picking up and placing the camera module by the second clamp 252.

The first raising and lowering cylinder 300 may raise and lower the first pickup 200 in the Z-axis direction Z, and the second raising and lowering cylinder 350 may raise and lower the second pickup 250 in the Z-axis direction Z.

For reference, the positions of the first and

second pickers

200 and 250 may be reversed from that shown in the drawings. Of course, in this case, the first raising and lowering cylinder 300 and the second raising and lowering cylinder 350 are also disposed oppositely to those shown in the drawing.

The Y-axis driver 400 may be mounted on the Y-axis extension block 450 to reciprocate in the Y-axis direction Y. That is, the pickup unit 190 can reciprocate in the Y-axis direction Y on the Y-axis extending frame 450 by the Y-axis driver 400. Further, the first raising and lowering cylinder 300 and the second raising and lowering cylinder 350 may be installed on the Y-axis driver 400.

Here, referring to fig. 5 and 6, it can be determined that: the first and

second pickup devices

200 and 250 may be respectively raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction Z by the first and second raising and lowering

cylinders

300 and 350, thereby picking up or placing the camera module CM.

Further, the first and

second clamps

202 and 252 may be mounted at an acute angle with respect to the X-axis, respectively, and the forceps of each of the

clamps

202 and 252 may be formed to be horizontally symmetrical.

Thanks to these features, the first clamp 202 and the second clamp 252 can pick up the camera module CM in an aligned state and maintain the aligned state until the camera module CM is placed.

Specifically, the first clamp 202 or the second clamp 252 picks up the camera module CM obliquely, thereby forming an acute angle with respect to the X-axis as shown in the drawing, so that the camera module CM is automatically mechanically aligned. Therefore, a separate viewing system or driver for aligning the camera module CM is not required.

Further, in the case of the first and

second clamps

202 and 252, the camera module CM may be aligned only by replacing the clamps according to the size of the camera module CM, and thus, it is not required to separately set it.

Further, unlike methods such as vacuum suction, the first and

second clamps

202 and 252 may perform a pick-up operation without being affected by ambient temperature or humidity.

Referring again to fig. 1 to 3, the pickup unit 190 includes first and

second pickup devices

200 and 250 performing different functions from each other, and the first and

second pickup devices

200 and 250 are driven via different raising and lowering cylinders, i.e., via first and second raising and lowering

cylinders

300 and 350, respectively. Thereby, the total processing time of the transmission camera module can be shortened, and the vibration effect can be minimized by minimizing the driving of each member.

Specifically, the operation of picking up and placing the camera module by the pickup unit 190 is as follows.

First, the tray unit 100 is moved in the X-axis direction X along the X-axis extension frame 500 from a standby position to be located below the pickup unit 190, and the pickup unit 190 is moved in the Y-axis direction above the camera module to be picked up from the tray unit 100.

Then, when the first picking apparatus 200 is located precisely above the camera module to be picked up, the first picking apparatus 200 is lowered in the Z-axis direction Z to pick up the camera module and is raised again in the Z-axis direction Z. Thereafter, the pickup unit 190 is moved upward of the camera module socket of the inspection unit in the Y-axis direction Y, and then lowered in the Z-axis direction Z to place the picked-up camera module into the camera module socket.

Here, in order to achieve a precise operation of picking and placing the camera module by the pickup unit 190, coordinate values of the movement of the tray unit 100 in the X-axis direction X, and the movement of the pickup unit 190 in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction may be preset.

Further, as shown in the drawings, in order to achieve a more precise picking operation, the first and

second picking apparatus

200 and 250 may include first and

second sensors

206 and 256, respectively. Here, the first sensor 206 and the second sensor 256 may be, for example, a camera sensor or a remote sensor.

The first and

second sensors

206 and 256 are used to assist in the operation of the first and

second clamps

202 and 252, respectively, to pick and place camera modules and, therefore, may also be removed from the first and

second pickups

200 and 250, respectively. However, for convenience of explanation, in the present invention, a case where the first pickup 200 includes the first sensor 206 and the second pickup 250 includes the second sensor 256 will be exemplarily described.

When the inspection of the camera module is completed in the inspection unit, a judgment result that the camera module is good or defective is displayed on a display part (e.g., 1140 in fig. 7), and the second picking apparatus 250 picks up the inspected camera module and places the picked-up camera module in the first sub-receiving part 150a or the second sub-receiving part 150b according to the judgment result that the camera module is good or defective.

The Y-axis extending frame 450 extends in the Y-axis direction Y, and the pickup unit 190 may be mounted on the Y-axis extending frame 450. Accordingly, the pickup unit 190 can reciprocate in the Y-axis direction Y on the Y-axis extending frame 450.

The X-axis extension frame 500 extends in the X-axis direction X, and the tray unit 100 may be mounted on the X-axis extension frame 500. Accordingly, the tray unit 100 can reciprocate on the X-axis extension frame 500 in the X-axis direction X.

The barcode scanner 550 may scan a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit 190.

Specifically, the barcode scanner 550 is disposed between the X-axis extension frame 500 and the Y-axis extension frame 450, and can scan a barcode of a camera module, which is located under the pickup unit 190 and picked up by the pickup unit 190, thereby obtaining information of the camera module. Therefore, the history of the camera module product can be easily managed by an operator or manager, so that management efficiency can be improved.

As described above, the handler 1 for inspecting camera modules according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the

clamps

202 and 252, and the

clamps

202 and 252 pick up the camera modules in an aligned state and maintain the aligned state until putting down the camera modules, so that the camera modules can be aligned without a separate vision system. Further, since a separate observation system is not required, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the management burden on the operator in terms of the system or control can be reduced.

Further, the processor 1 for inspecting a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention scans a barcode of the camera module through the barcode scanner 550 to manage a history of the camera module, so that management efficiency can be improved.

Hereinafter, an apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 10.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the inspection unit of fig. 7. Fig. 9 and 10 are views illustrating an operation of the camera module placing part of fig. 8.

For reference, the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module includes the processor 1 for inspecting a camera module as described above, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to fig. 7, an apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 1 for inspecting a camera module as described above, an inspection unit 1120, a main body 1110, and a display portion 1140.

Specifically, the main body 1110 provides a space including the inspection unit 1120 and the display portion 1140, and may have a PC, a power supply, etc. embedded therein.

The inspection unit 1120 is a space for inspecting the camera module. Various checks, such as individual difference check, resolution check, focus check, image check, etc., may be performed at the checking unit 1120, and the checking items may be adjusted as needed.

The display section 1140 is a section that outputs the inspection result of the camera module being inspected in the inspection unit 1120 and displays corresponding information, thereby allowing the user to confirm a defective camera module by displaying the judgment result that the camera module is good or defective for each inspection item being inspected in the inspection unit 1120.

Here, referring to fig. 8, a top view of the inspection unit 1120 is shown.

Specifically, a camera module may be placed on the inspection unit 1120, and various inspections may be simultaneously performed on the placed camera module.

For reference, as a camera module to be inspected by the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention, there may be, for example, a Fixed Focus (FF) type camera module having a fixed focal length, and an Auto Focus (AF) type camera module having a default focal length but a focal length that can be changed by an actuator.

Here, the inspection unit may include a fixed table 1122, a rotating table 1123 mounted on the fixed table 1122 to rotate in a normal direction or a reverse direction, a plurality of camera module placing parts 1124 radially disposed on the rotating table 1123 and having an area where the camera module is placed, a plurality of

inspection modules

1125, 1126, and 1127 radially disposed on the fixed table 1122, and a driving unit (not shown) rotating the rotating table 1123 in a normal direction or a reverse direction.

For example, fig. 8 shows

inspection modules

1125, 1126, and 1127 for inspecting a total of 3 items.

Here, the first region 1121-1 is a region in which a camera module is placed (loaded) or removed (unloaded) from the camera module placing part 1124, and the camera module may be manually or automatically supplied to the camera module placing part 1124.

If the camera module is automatically supplied to the camera module placing part 1124, the camera module receptacle 1124b may be an automatic opening and closing type camera module receptacle 1124b that is automatically closed by recognizing the normal placement of the camera module and automatically opened after the inspection of the inserted camera module is completed.

The second region 1121-2 is a region in which a first inspection of a camera module is performed, the third region 1121-3 is a region in which a second inspection is performed on the same camera module, and the fourth region 1121-4 is a region in which a third inspection is performed on the same camera module.

Here, a process for inspecting the camera module placed in the camera module placing section 1124 is as follows.

After the camera module CM is supplied via the camera module placing portion 1124 located in the first region 1121-1, when the camera module placing portion 1124, in which the camera module CM is placed, reaches the second region 1121-2 while moving (rotating by 90 °), a camera module placing portion 1124, in which a camera module has not been placed, is disposed (rotating by 90 °) into the first region 1121-1, and a new camera module can be placed while performing a first inspection of the camera module CM in the second region 1121-2. As the rotating desktop 1123 is rotated by 90 ° in the same manner, the next camera module may be sequentially supplied to the camera module placing part 1124.

When the third inspection of the initially supplied camera module CM is completed in the fourth region 1121-4 by repeating the above-described operations, the camera module placing portion 1124 located in the fourth region 1121-4 is rotated by 270 ° in the opposite direction to be located again in the first region 1121-1.

At this time, the camera module placing portion 1124 where the second camera module is placed is located in the fourth region 1121-4, and thus the third inspection of the second supplied camera module can be performed while the camera module CM, which has completed the inspection, is detached from the camera module placing portion 1124 located in the first region 1121-1 and a new camera module is placed again.

As described above, the second region 1121-2, the third region 1121-3, and the fourth region 1121-4 are regions where inspection of the placed camera modules is sequentially performed. For example, the individual difference check module 1125 may be disposed in the second region 1121-2, the resolution and focus check module 1126 may be disposed in the third region 1121-3, and the image check module 1127 may be disposed in the fourth region 1121-4.

For example, the individual difference inspection module 1125 may be a device in which AWB correction and LSC correction are performed using a light source, the resolution and autofocus inspection module 1126 may include an inspection part 1126a including a chart for performing short-distance and long-distance inspections through a collimator lens, and a driver 1126b controlling the motion of the inspection part 1126 a. Further, the image inspecting module 1127 may also include an inspecting part 1127a having a diagram and a driver 1127b controlling the movement of the inspecting part 1127 a.

As described above, the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention has advantages in that: since an inspection module (individual difference inspection device, resolution and focus inspection device, image inspection device) that can perform various inspections on the camera module is included in the inspection unit 1120, the time for transmission in the inspection area and the standby time can be shortened.

By increasing the number of inspection modules in the inspection area, the inspection efficiency of the camera module can be further improved.

Then, referring to fig. 9 and 10, there is shown an operation of the camera module placing section 1124 of fig. 8.

Fig. 9 illustrates a state in which the camera module placing part 1124 applied to the inspection unit 1120 illustrated in fig. 8 is in a horizontal mode, and fig. 10 illustrates a state in which the camera module placing part 1124 applied to the inspection unit 1120 illustrated in fig. 8 is in a vertical mode.

Specifically, the camera module placing part 1124 may include a support plate 1124a that may be aligned in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, a camera module receptacle 1124b provided on the support plate 1124a and in which the camera module is placed, and a motor 1124c that provides a driving force to drive the support plate 1124a.

Here, the horizontal mode means a state in which: wherein the support plate 1124a is aligned in a horizontal direction and, herein, the camera module placed in the camera module receptacle 1124b is directed upward. Further, the vertical mode means a state in which: with the support plate 1124a aligned in a vertical direction and, herein, the camera module placed in the camera module receptacle 1124b facing sideways.

Mobile phones, tablet computers, and personal computers in which the camera module is really mounted are generally used in such a state that: a state in which the camera module is vertically placed, not the camera module is horizontally placed; the difference in posture between the case where the camera module is placed horizontally and the case where the camera module is placed vertically is caused due to gravity or the like. Therefore, the inspection result of the camera module performed only in a state where the camera module is horizontally placed may not accurately reflect the actual use environment.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the support plate 1124a can be aligned in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, an inspection environment which reflects the actual use environment to the maximum extent can be realized.

By receiving a driving force from the motor 1124c, the support plate 1124a can be rotated between a horizontal mode and a vertical mode, and the rotation angle can be adjusted as needed.

More specifically, the support plate 1124a is connected to the motor 1124c via a pulley 1124d, thereby receiving a driving force from the motor 1124c.

That is, a pulley 1124d provided at one side of the support plate 1124a connects the support plate 1124a with the motor 1124c to transmit a driving force generated by the motor 1124c to the support plate 1124a, thereby allowing the support plate 1124a to rotate between a horizontal mode and a vertical mode.

If the inspection of the camera module is performed only in the horizontal mode or the vertical mode, the motor 1124c may be controlled to provide only a driving force sufficient to rotate the support plate 1124a from the horizontal mode to the vertical mode or in the reverse direction.

Because the angle of gravity applied to the camera module may also be misaligned depending on the angle of the support plate 1124a on which the camera module is placed, unstable or inaccurate alignment of the support plate 1124a may cause a difference in the posture of the camera module, resulting in inaccurate inspection results.

Therefore, when the inspection of the camera module is performed only in the horizontal mode or the vertical mode, the support plate 1124a needs to be precisely aligned in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. Further, in the case where a forcible stopper is introduced to precisely align the support plate 1124a in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, the support plate 1124a cannot avoid collision with the forcible stopper every time the support plate 1124a is aligned in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. Such an impact may cause noise and vibration, and in some cases, the posture of the placed camera module may be changed due to the impact of the support plate 1124a and the forcible stopper.

In the present invention, in order to precisely align the support plate 1124a in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction without introducing a forcible stopper, a limit sensor may be used.

A limit sensor limiting the moving range of the supporting plate 1124a may be provided at the other side of the supporting plate 1124a in which a pulley 1124d is provided at one side of the supporting plate 1124a.

When the supporting plate 1124a is precisely aligned in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, the limit sensor may generate a signal for fixing the posture of the supporting plate 1124a.

Further, according to another embodiment, the limit sensor may include a plunger 1124e provided at the other side of the supporting plate 1124a to rotate together with the supporting plate 1124a, and

sensor parts

1124f and 1124f' provided at an area where the plunger 1124e is located when the supporting plate 1124a is aligned in the vertical direction and an area where the plunger 1124e is located when the supporting plate 1124a is aligned in the horizontal direction, respectively.

As described above, the plunger 1124e is provided at the other side of the supporting plate 1124a to rotate together with the supporting plate 1124a. For example, when the support plate 1124a is aligned in the horizontal direction, the plunger 1124e is aligned in the vertical direction, thereby being recognized by the first sensor portion 1124 f; when the support plate 1124a is aligned in the vertical direction, the plunger 1124e is aligned in the horizontal direction, thereby being recognized by the second sensor portion 1124 f'.

That is, when the supporting plate 1124a is rotated by 90 ° in a direction from the horizontal mode to the vertical mode, or by 90 ° in the reverse direction, the plunger 1124e is also rotated by 90 ° between the first sensor portion 1124f and the second sensor portion 1124 f'.

In this case, when the plunger 1124e is recognized by the first sensor portion 1124f or the second sensor portion 1124f', the posture of the supporting plate 1124a is fixed.

Accordingly, the support plate 1124a rotates by receiving a driving force from the motor 1124c only enough to rotate from the horizontal mode to the vertical mode or in the reverse direction, thereby causing the camera module placed in the camera module 1124b to face precisely the upper side or the lateral side.

Further, the present invention has the advantages that: the alignment state of the support plate 1124a can be accurately recognized without forcing the stoppers by introducing a limit sensor, thereby controlling the rotation of the support plate 1124a.

As described above, in the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1 for inspecting a camera module as described above can efficiently transfer the camera module to the inspection unit 1120, so that productivity and inspection efficiency can be improved. Further, the transmitted camera modules are inspected for each item in the single inspection unit 1120, so that the inspection time can be reduced.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11 to 15.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a side view of the apparatus for inspecting a camera module of fig. 11. Fig. 13 and 14 are views illustrating an operation of the camera module placing part of fig. 11. Fig. 15 is a view illustrating an operation of the inspection performing part of fig. 11.

For reference, the apparatus 3 for inspecting a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention is the same as the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention except for some components and effects, and thus the difference between the two will be mainly described.

For reference, the apparatus 3 for inspecting a camera module includes the processor 1 inspecting the camera module as described above, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, an apparatus 3 for inspecting a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention is different from the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module shown in fig. 7 in methods and components for inspecting a camera module.

That is, the apparatus 2 for inspecting a camera module as shown in fig. 7 has a structure in which a plurality of

inspection modules

1125, 1126 and 1127 are fixed in place, and the camera module is rotated by a rotating table 1123, thereby performing various inspections on the camera module.

In contrast, the apparatus 3 for inspecting a camera module shown in fig. 11 has a structure in which: in which a camera module is placed and fixed in a camera module placing part 1300 and a plurality of inspection modules 1430-1 to 1430-6 are rotated in a normal direction or in a reverse direction, thereby providing various inspections to the respective camera modules.

Specifically, the inspection unit 1200 of the apparatus 3 for inspecting a camera module may include a camera module placing part 1300, and a camera module inspection performing part 1400.

The camera module placing portion 1300 may include a support plate 1310 that may be aligned in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, a camera module receptacle 1320 disposed on the support plate 1310 and in which the camera module is placed, and a motor 1330 providing a driving force to drive the support plate 1310.

The camera module inspection performing part 1400 may include a plurality of inspection modules 1430-1 to 1430-6 which inspect the camera module placed in the camera module placing part 1300, a plurality of rotation units 1410 radially disposed thereon, and a driving unit which rotates the rotation units 1410 in a normal direction or a reverse direction.

Specifically, referring to fig. 13-15, the support plate 1310 may be rotated such that the camera module placed in the camera module receptacle 1320 is directed upward or sideways.

That is, when the support plate 1310 is rotated by the motor 1330 such that the camera module faces sideways, the camera module faces any one of the plurality of inspection modules 1430-1 to 1430-6 (the inspection modules 1430-1 to 1430-6 are rotated in a normal direction or in a reverse direction by the driving unit 1420), and the inspection unit that the camera module faces performs inspection whether the camera module is good or defective.

Here, the shapes of the support plate 1310, the camera module receptacle 1320, and the motor 1330 and the support plate 1124a, the camera module receptacle 1124b, and the motor 1124c shown in fig. 8 may be partially different, but their roles and functions are the same as each other, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

For reference, the plurality of inspection modules may include, for example, a macro chart 1430-1, an individual difference illumination inspection module 1430-2, a long-distance inspection lens and a CL lens 1430-3, a darkroom test module 1430-4, a CL lens 1430-5, a foreign object inspection illumination 1430-6, and the like, and the number and arrangement of the inspection modules may be varied.

Further, since the plurality of inspection modules can be rotated in the normal direction or in the reverse direction, the operator can easily change the inspection sequence.

The processor for inspecting the camera module according to the present invention includes a clamp for picking up the camera module in an aligned state until the camera module is placed, so that the camera module can be aligned without a separate observation system. Further, since a separate observation system is not required, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the management burden on the operator in terms of system or control can be reduced.

Further, the processor for inspecting the camera module according to the present invention scans the barcode of the camera module, thereby managing the history of the camera module, so that the management efficiency can be improved.

Further, in the apparatus for inspecting a camera module according to the present invention, the processor for inspecting a camera module as described above efficiently transfers the camera module to the inspection unit, whereby productivity and inspection efficiency can be improved. Further, a plurality of items of the transferred camera module are inspected in one inspection unit, whereby inspection time can be reduced.

The present invention has been described herein, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made by adding, changing, deleting or supplementing members without departing from the spirit of the present invention as disclosed in the appended claims, and that such modifications, equivalents and the like fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A processor for inspecting a camera module, the processor placing the camera module in a camera module receptacle provided in an inspection unit that inspects the camera module, or picking up and transporting the camera module whose inspection is completed by the inspection unit, the processor for inspecting the camera module comprising:

a tray unit including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in which a plurality of camera modules are placed;

a picking unit picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion to place the picked-up camera module into the camera module socket of the inspection unit, and picking up the camera module again to place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving portion when the inspection of the inspection unit is completed;

an X-axis extension frame extending in an X-axis direction and on which the tray unit is mounted;

a Y-axis extending frame extending in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and on which the pickup unit is mounted; and

a barcode scanner that scans a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit;

wherein the tray unit is mounted on an X-axis extension frame to reciprocate in an X-axis direction, the pickup unit is mounted on a Y-axis extension frame to reciprocate in a Y-axis direction and is mounted to be raised or lowered in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction,

wherein the pickup unit includes:

a first picking device picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion to place the picked-up camera module into the camera module socket of the inspection unit,

a second picking device which picks up the camera module whose inspection has been completed by the inspection unit and places the picked-up camera module into the second receiving portion,

a first raising and lowering cylinder that raises and lowers the first pickup device in the Z-axis direction,

a second raising and lowering cylinder which raises and lowers the second pickup device in the Z-axis direction, an

A Y-axis driver installed on the Y-axis extension frame to reciprocate in a Y-axis direction, and a first raising and lowering cylinder and a second raising and lowering cylinder installed on the Y-axis driver,

wherein the first picking device includes a first clamp picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion,

the second picking apparatus includes a second gripper picking up the camera module whose inspection by the inspection unit is completed,

wherein the first and second clamps pick up the camera module in an aligned state and maintain the aligned state until the camera module is placed.

2. The processor for inspecting a camera module of claim 1,

wherein the first pickup device includes a first clamp cylinder driving the first clamp, and a first sensor assisting an operation of picking up and placing the camera module of the first clamp, and

the second picking apparatus includes a second clamp cylinder driving the second clamp, and a second sensor assisting an operation of picking and placing the camera module of the second clamp.

3. The processor for inspecting a camera module of claim 2,

wherein the first and second jaws are each mounted at an acute angle relative to the X-axis.

4. The processor for inspecting a camera module of claim 1,

wherein the barcode scanner is disposed between the X-axis extension frame and the Y-axis extension frame, and scans a barcode of a camera module, which is located under the pickup unit and picked up by the pickup unit, thereby obtaining information of the camera module.

5. The processor for inspecting a camera module of claim 1,

wherein the camera module waiting to be inspected by the inspecting unit is placed in the first receiving portion, and the camera module whose inspection is completed by the inspecting unit is placed in the second receiving portion.

6. The processor for inspecting a camera module of claim 5,

wherein the second receiving part includes a first sub-receiving part in which the camera module determined by the inspecting unit to be good is placed and a second sub-receiving part in which the camera module determined by the inspecting unit to be defective is placed.

7. An apparatus for inspecting a camera module, comprising:

an inspection unit that inspects whether the camera module is good or defective;

a picking unit picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving part to place the picked-up camera module into the inspection unit, and picking up the camera module again to place the picked-up camera module into the second receiving part when the inspection unit completes the inspection; and

a barcode scanner that scans a barcode of the camera module picked up by the pickup unit to acquire information,

wherein the picking unit includes a clamp picking up and placing the camera module, the inspection unit includes a fixed table, a rotating table mounted on the fixed table to rotate in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, a plurality of camera module placing parts respectively radially disposed on the rotating table and having regions where the camera modules are placed, a plurality of inspection modules radially disposed on the fixed table, and a driving unit rotating the rotating table in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction,

wherein the pickup unit includes:

8. The apparatus for inspecting a camera module of claim 7,

wherein the camera module waiting to be inspected by the inspection unit is placed in the first receiving portion, the camera module whose inspection is completed by the inspection unit is placed in the second receiving portion, and the second receiving portion includes a first sub-receiving portion in which the camera module determined to be good by the inspection unit is placed and a second sub-receiving portion in which the camera module determined to be defective by the inspection unit is placed.

9. The apparatus for inspecting a camera module of claim 7,

wherein the camera module placing portion includes a support plate aligned in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction, a camera module socket provided on the support plate and in which the camera module is placed, and a motor providing a driving force to rotate the support plate, the support plate being rotated such that the camera module placed in the camera module socket faces upward or sideward.

10. An apparatus for inspecting a camera module, comprising:

wherein the picking unit includes a clamp to pick up and place the camera module, the inspection unit includes a camera module placing part having an area to place the camera module, a plurality of inspection modules to inspect the camera module placed in the camera module placing part, a rotation unit on which the plurality of inspection modules are radially disposed, and a driving unit to rotate the rotation unit in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction,

wherein the pickup unit includes:

a first picking device picking up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion to place the picked-up camera module into a camera module receptacle of the inspection unit,

a second picking device which picks up the camera module whose inspection by the inspection unit has been completed and places the picked-up camera module into the second receiving portion,

wherein the first picking device includes a first clamp to pick up the camera module placed in the first receiving portion,

11. The apparatus for inspecting a camera module of claim 10,

12. The apparatus for inspecting a camera module of claim 10,

13. The device for inspecting a camera module of claim 12,

wherein, when the support plate is rotated such that the camera module faces the side, the camera module faces any one of the plurality of inspection modules rotated in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction by the driving unit, and the inspection unit to which the camera module faces performs inspection whether the camera module is good or defective.