Apparatus for measuring bend amount of IC leads

Claim 2

A lead-bend measuring apparatus comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imaging light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and dividing the image into a plurality of sections; binarization processing means for processing gradations of the image with different binarization levels for each of the divided sections, said binarization processing means including binarization level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; profile counter means for preparing profiles of portions of the leads corresponding to the respective sections from binarized data subjected to processing by said binarization processing means; calculating means for calculating a deviation of each of the prepared profiles from a reference profile and determining an amount of bend of each of the leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state by making a comparison between the amount of bend calculated and allowable values.

Claim 3

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illuminating means includes a pair of annular incandescent lamps for illuminating distal ends and apex portions of the leads and a pair of optical fiber arrays for illuminating proximal ends of the leads.

Claim 4

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means includes a pair of camera heads, a camera driver, and a camera controller for fetching the light reflected from and transmitted through the leads and for imaging distal ends, proximal ends, and apex portions of the leads.

Claim 5

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutout means includes an area cutout unit for cutting out the image into the plurality of sections and area-designating-pointer storage units for designating the sections to be cut out by said area cutout unit.

Claim 6

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binarization processing means includes a binarization processing unit for fetching binarization levels corresponding to the divided sections and effecting binarization processing of the divided sections, wherein said binarization-level storing means comprises a plurality of binarization-level storage units for respectively storing the same number of binarization levels as the number of sections divided by said cutout means such that a number of binarization-level storage units corresponds to the number of sections divided by said cutout means.

Claim 7

A lead bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transport mechanism for transporting the integrated circuit device to a non-defective storing section or a defective storing section after a non-defective or defective state of the integrated circuit device is determined.

Claim 8

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said transport mechanism comprises a horizontal transport mechanism in which the integrated circuit device is gripped by a chuck and is moved thereby.

Claim 9

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said transport mechanism includes a chute rail having a groove along which the package of the integrated circuit device slides from a feeding section onto an inspection stage, a positioning rail having a vertically movable positioning stop end side thereof, and a pusher for allowing the integrated circuit device discharged onto a placing table from the positioning rail, to be dropped into the non-defective storing section for storing non-defective integrated circuit devices or the defective storing section for storing defective integrated circuit devices after completion of a measurement.

Claim 10

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutout means includes an area cutout unit for cutting out the image into the plurality of sections.

Claim 11

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said cutout means further includes area-designating-pointer storage units for designating the sections to be cut out by said area cutout unit.

Claim 12

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said binarization processing means includes a binarization processing unit for fetching binarization levels corresponding to the cutout sections and effecting binarization processing of the cutout sections.

Claim 13

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said binarization processor changes binarization levels for selected portions of said leads in correspondence with a distribution of illuminance of light reflected from said selected portions.

Claim 14

A lead-bend measuring apparatus comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a pair of rod-like parallel light sources arranged in parallel with a direction in which the leads are arrayed, and a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device for reflecting the light from the rod-like parallel light sources so as to illuminate apex portions of the leads projecting from sides of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imaging light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and dividing the image into a plurality of sections; binarization processing means for processing gradations of the image with different binarization levels for each of the divided sections, said binarization processing means including binarization-level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; profile counter means for preparing profiles of portions of the leads corresponding to the respective sections from binarized data subjected to processing by said binarization processing means; calculating means for calculating a deviation of each of the prepared profiles from a reference profile and determining an amount of bend of each of the leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state by making a comparison between the amount of bend calculated and allowable values.

Claim 15

A lead-bend measuring apparatus comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a pair of rod-like parallel light sources arranged in parallel with a direction in which the leads are arrayed, and a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device for reflecting the light from the rod-like parallel light sources so as to illuminate apex portions of the leads projecting from sides of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imaging light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and dividing the image into a plurality of sections; binarization processing means for processing gradations of the image with different binarization levels for each of the divided sections, said binarization processing means including binarization-level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; profile counter means for preparing profiles of portions of the leads corresponding to the respective sections from binarized data subjected to processing by said binarization processing means; calculating means for calculating a deviation of each of the prepared profiles from a reference profile and determining an amount of bend of each of the leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state by making a comparison between the amount of bend calculated and allowable values.

Claim 16

A lead-bend measuring apparatus, comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imaging light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and selectively dividing the image into a plurality of sections; means for processing gradations of the image with binarization levels selectively set for each of the divided sections according to the gradations, said processing means including binarization level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; bend-amount determining means for determining an amount of bend of said leads based on an output of said processing means; means for storing predetermined values representing an allowable amount of bend of said leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state based on a comparison between the amount of bend determined by said bend-amount determining means calculated and allowable values.

Claim 17

A lead-bend measuring apparatus, comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imaging light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and selectively dividing the image into a plurality of sections; means for processing gradations of the image with binarization levels selectively set for each of the divided sections according to the gradations, said processing means including binarization level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; bend-amount determining means for determining an amount of bend of said leads based on an output of said processing means; means for storing predetermined values representing an allowable amount of bend of said leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state based on a comparison between the amount of bend determined by said bend-amount determining means calculated and allowable values.

Claim 18

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said illuminating means includes a plurality of lamps for illuminating distal ends and apex portions of the leads and a pair of optical fiber arrays for illuminating proximal ends of the leads.

Claim 19

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said imaging means includes a pair of camera heads, a camera driver, and a camera controller for fetching the light reflected from and transmitted through the leads and for imaging distal ends, proximal ends, and apex portions of the leads.

Claim 20

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said cutout means includes an area cutout unit for cutting out the image into the plurality of sections and area-designating-pointer storage units for designating the sections to be cut out by said area cutout unit.

Claim 21

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said processing means includes a binarization processing unit for fetching binarization levels corresponding to the divided sections and effecting binarization processing of the cutout sections, wherein said binarization level storing means comprises a plurality of binarization-level storage units for respectively storing the same number of binarization levels as the number of sections divided by said cutout means such that a number of binarization levels storage units corresponds to the number of sections divided by said cutout means.

Claim 22

A lead-bend measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said processing means includes a binarization processing unit for fetching binarization levels corresponding to the divided sections and effecting binarization processing of the cutout sections, wherein said binarization level storing means comprises a plurality of binarization-level storage units for respectively storing the same number of binarization levels as the number of sections divided by said cutout means such that a number of binarization levels storage units corresponds to the number of sections divided by said cutout means.

Claim 23

A lead-bend measuring apparatus comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a pair of light sources arranged in parallel with a direction in which the leads are arrayed, and a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device for reflecting the light from the light sources so as to illuminate apex portions of the leads projecting from sides of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imagine light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and selectively dividing the image into a plurality of sections; means for processing gradations of the image with binarization levels selectively set for each of the divided sections according to the gradations, said processing means including binarization level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; bend-amount determining means for determining an amount of bend of said leads based on an output of said processing means; means for storing predetermined values representing an allowable amount of bend of said leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state based on a comparison between the amount of bend determined by said bend-amount determining means calculated and allowable values.

Claim 24

A lead-bend measuring apparatus comprising: illuminating means for projecting light onto leads projecting from a package of an integrated circuit device, said illuminating means including a pair of light sources arranged in parallel with a direction in which the leads are arrayed, and a reflecting mirror disposed substantially in a center of the integrated circuit device for reflecting the light from the light sources so as to illuminate apex portions of the leads projecting from sides of the integrated circuit device; imaging means for imagine light reflected from and transmitted through the leads; cutout means for fetching an image of the imaged light and selectively dividing the image into a plurality of sections; means for processing gradations of the image with binarization levels selectively set for each of the divided sections according to the gradations, said processing means including binarization level storing means for storing a same number of binarization levels as a number of the divided sections; bend-amount determining means for determining an amount of bend of said leads based on an output of said processing means; means for storing predetermined values representing an allowable amount of bend of said leads; and means for determining a non-defective or defective state based on a comparison between the amount of bend determined by said bend-amount determining means calculated and allowable values.