Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Collocating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-23
2002-06-18
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Collocating
C439S680000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405447
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alignment device of a testing device, and more particularly, to an alignment device for electrically connecting a testing device to a sliding plate on a conveyer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many electronic factories use computer controlled conveyers and sliding plates to transport electronic products to various assembly stations or testing stations. Some of these electronic factories use automatic facilities to electrically connect a testing device to a socket of the sliding plate.
Please refer to FIG.
1
and FIG.
2
.
FIG. 1
is a prior art alignment device
10
for automatically connecting a testing device
15
to a socket
12
of a sliding plate
11
.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the plug
14
and the socket
12
shown in FIG.
1
. The alignment device
10
and the testing device
15
are installed beside a conveyer
17
. The sliding plate
11
is slidably installed on the conveyer
17
and can be temporarily halted in front of the testing device
15
and alignment device
10
during performance of a test. The alignment device
10
is electrically controlled by the testing device
15
. It comprises a plug
14
electrically connected to the testing device
15
, and a driving device
16
having a driving arm
19
for pushing the plug
14
toward the socket
12
of the sliding plate
11
. The socket
12
, which is electrically connected to an electronic product
13
placed on the sliding plate
11
, comprises a plurality of recesses
18
with electric wires, and the plug
14
comprises a plurality of correspondent probes
20
.
When the sliding plate
11
is transported by the conveyer
17
to a predetermined position in front of the testing device
15
, the testing device
15
will use the driving arm
19
of the driving device
16
to push the plug
14
toward the socket
12
of the sliding plate
11
to electrically connect the probes
20
of the plug
14
with the correspondent recesses
18
of the socket
12
. When the plug
14
is electrically connected with the socket
12
of the sliding plate
11
, the testing device
15
will start to test the electronic product
13
placed on the sliding plate
11
. When a test is completed, the testing device
15
will use the driving device
16
to disconnect the plug
14
from the socket
12
, and the sliding plate
11
will be transported to a subsequent working station by the conveyer
17
.
In order to minimize possible positioning errors when the probes
20
of the plug
14
are pushed toward the recesses
18
of the socket
12
, large diameters of the recesses
18
and long distances between adjacent probes
20
are necessary. Although such an arrangement car effectively reduce possible errors, it will also reduce the number of probes
20
and recesses
18
because a total contact area between the plug
14
and the socket
12
is fixed. Since many sophisticated electronic products need to be tested with many probes, such an arrangement is unacceptable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide an alignment device used for connecting a testing device with a conveyer to solve the above mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an alignment device for electrically connecting a testing device to a socket of a sliding plate over which the testing device is positioned beside a conveyer and the sliding plate is slidably placed on the conveyer and is temporarily halted in front of the testing device, the alignment device comprising:
a positioning device fixed on the socket of the sliding plate;
a plug electrically connected to the testing device;
a guiding device fixed on the plug;
a driving device installed beside the testing device for pushing the plug and the guiding device toward the socket and the positioning device of the sliding device; and
a mounting device installed on the driving device for slidably supporting the plug and the guiding device;
wherein when the plug is pushed toward the socket of the sliding plate by the driving device, the guiding device will interact with the positioning device to adjust the position of the plug on the mounting device so that the plug can be plugged into the socket of the sliding plate.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the alignment device comprises a guiding device and a positioning device so that more probes and recesses can be installed on the plug and the socket without the problem of positioning errors, and thus sophisticated electronic products can be tested more easily.
This and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2659872 (1953-11-01), Gilbert
patent: 2968872 (1961-01-01), Welles
patent: 3709163 (1973-01-01), Smedley et al.
patent: 4072402 (1978-02-01), Butler
patent: 4350401 (1982-09-01), Allen et al.
patent: 4957462 (1990-09-01), Erickson
patent: 5742168 (1998-04-01), Kiyokawa et al.
patent: 5875560 (1999-03-01), Boe et al.
patent: 363201808 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 272257 (1996-03-01), None
Acer Communications and Multimedia Inc.
De Jesús Lydia M.
Hsu Winston
LandOfFree
Alignment device for electrically connecting a testing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Alignment device for electrically connecting a testing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Alignment device for electrically connecting a testing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2962298