# US 10,866,085 B2 · Measurement apparatus, circuit board, display device, and measurement method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,866,085 B2 - Document ID: US10866085B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/292,586 - Filed: 2019-03-05 - Published: 2019-09-26 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-23 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda; Seiji Takaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10866085B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/026: {by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence)} - G01B 11/0608: {Height gauges} - G01B 11/24: for measuring contours or curvatures - H05K 1/0269: {for visual or optical inspection} - H05K 1/028: {Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/11: Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits - H05K 3/361: {Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits} - H05K 3/323: {by applying an anisotropic conductive adhesive layer over an array of pads} - H05K 2201/10121: Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component - H05K 2201/10136: Liquid Crystal display [LCD] - H05K 2201/10151: Sensor - H05K 2203/163: Monitoring a manufacturing process - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract The object of the present invention is to provide a technic for accurately measuring a connection state between a flexible board and a circuit board. A measurement apparatus includes a flexible board connected to a plurality of electrode terminals in a state of being superimposed on the plurality of electrode terminals provided on a circuit board, and a laser displacement meter configured to measure a height distribution of a surface of a connection portion of the plurality of electrode terminals of the circuit board. The plurality of electrode terminals are linearly arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the laser displacement meter is configured to continuously measure a height position of the surface of the connection portion while scanning from one side to an other side in an arrangement direction of the plurality of linearly arranged electrode terminals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measurement apparatus, comprising: a flexible board connected to a plurality of electrode terminals in a state of being superimposed on the plurality of electrode terminals provided on a circuit board; a laser displacement meter configured to measure a height distribution of a surface of a connection portion of the plurality of electrode terminals of the circuit board; and a processor, the plurality of electrode terminals being linearly arranged at a predetermined pitch, the laser displacement meter being configured to continuously measure a height position of the surface of the connection portion while scanning from one side to an other side in an arrangement direction of the plurality of linearly arranged electrode terminals, and the processor being configured to perform a process in which warpage and inclination existing on the flexible board and the circuit board are cancelled by averaging the measurement data measured within a range wider than a pitch of the electrode terminals centered on each measurement data relating to the height position continuously measured by the laser displacement meter, and subtracting the averaged data from each measurement data centered on. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to set a value obtained by subtracting a minimum value from a maximum value, within the range wider than the pitch of the electrode terminals, centered on each data after the process of cancelling the warpage and inclination of the flexible board, as an irregularity amount of the flexible board, and determine adequacy of a connection state of the flexible board and the circuit board based on the irregularity amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pressing the circuit board from above to keep the circuit board horizontal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stage on which the circuit board is placed, wherein the stage has a suction hole formed on an upper surface thereof for adsorbing the circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A circuit board being a measurement object of the measurement apparatus according to claim 1, the measurement apparatus being configured to perform measurement with the flexible board connected to the circuit board. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A display device, comprising: the circuit board according to claim 5, and the flexible board. ### Claim 7 A measurement method for a measurement apparatus including a flexible board connected to a plurality of electrode terminals in a state of being superimposed on the plurality of electrode terminals provided on a circuit board, and a laser displacement meter configured to measure a height distribution of a surface of a connection portion of the plurality of electrode terminals of the circuit board, comprising: arranging the plurality of electrode terminals linearly at a predetermined pitch; the laser displacement meter continuously measuring a height position of the surface of the connection portion while scanning from one side to an other side in an arrangement direction of the plurality of linearly arranged electrode terminals; and averaging the measurement data measured within a range wider than a pitch of the electrode terminals centered on each measurement data relating to the height position continuously measured by the laser displacement meter, and subtracting the averaged data from each measurement data centered on to cancel warpage and inclination existing on the flexible board and the circuit board. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further including a stage having a plurality of suction holes formed on an upper surface of the stage for adsorbing the circuit board, every suction hole of the plurality of the suction holes being arranged linearly.