# US 12,379,325 B2 · External appearance inspection apparatus and external appearance inspection method

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- Number: US 12,379,325 B2
- Document ID: US12379325B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/765,362
- Filed: 2020-03-11
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Granted: 2025-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-23
- Assignees: OMRON Corporation
- Applicants: OMRON Corporation
- Inventors: Shingo Hayashi; Daisuke Konishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12379325B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/8901: {Optical details; Scanning details (per se G02B)}
- G01N 21/95684: {Patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements}
- G01B 11/043: {for measuring length}
- G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features}
- G01B 11/0608: {Height gauges}
- G01N 2021/95638: {for PCB's}
- G01N 2021/95646: {Soldering}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS

## Abstract

An object is to shorten time required for visual inspection. A visual inspection device (1) configured to inspect an appearance of an inspection object (30), the visual inspection device (1) including: an imager (3) configured to image the inspection object (30) arranged at a predetermined position of the visual inspection device (1); and a height measurer (11, 12) configured to measure a height of the inspection object (30) carried into the visual inspection device (1) or carried out from the visual inspection device (1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A visual inspection device configured to inspect an appearance of an inspection object, the inspection object being a circuit board, the visual inspection device comprising:
an imager configured to move to a predetermined imaging position, stop at the predetermined imaging position, and image, at the predetermined imaging position, the inspection object arranged at a predetermined position of the visual inspection device; and
a height measurer configured to measure a height of solder with respect to a lead of the inspection object passing through a measurement target region when the inspection object is carried into the visual inspection device or carried out from the visual inspection device and while the inspection object is being moved with respect to the height measurer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the height measurer is provided at a position where an inspected part of the inspection object passes through a measurement target region of the height measurer when the inspection object is carried into the visual inspection device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the height measurer is provided at a position where an inspected part of the inspection object passes through a measurement target region of the height measurer when the inspection object is carried out from the visual inspection device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The visual inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a calculator configured to determine whether or not the solder height is normal or abnormal based on the height of solder with respect to the lead of the inspection object measured by the height measurer.

### Claim 5

A visual inspection method in a visual inspection device configured to inspect an appearance of an inspection object by using an imager configured to image the inspection object, the inspection object being a circuit board, the visual inspection method comprising:
a carrying-in step of carrying in the inspection object to the visual inspection device;
a step of moving the imager to a predetermined imaging position;
a step of stopping the imager at the predetermined imaging position;
a step of imaging, by the imager at the predetermined imaging position, the carried in inspection object;
a carrying-out step of carrying out the inspection object from the visual inspection device; and
a step of measuring a height of solder with respect to a lead of the inspection object passing through a measurement target region concurrently with the carrying-in step or the carrying-out step and while the inspection object is being moved.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The visual inspection method according to claim 5, further comprising:
a step of determining whether or not the solder height is normal or abnormal based on the measured height of solder with respect to the lead of the inspection object.