JP2003149282A - Environment tester - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose an environment tester which tests a board having a power feeding adapter in a test tank in a high thermal efficiency condition. SOLUTION: A line type environment tester 40 comprises a low- and high- temperature test tanks 42, 43 for testing a plurality of boards 1 with adapters at once during transporting of the boards housed in a transport box 20 via the test tanks. For testing in each test tank, lift mechanisms 81, 81A lift the adapters 3 from openings 82, 82A formed in the ceiling surface and only the boards are heated or cooled. This has no need of heating/cooling the adapter 3 having a high heat capacity and therefore allows the thermal load on the tester and hence the capacity of temperature control mechanisms to be reduced, thus intending to miniaturize the apparatus and reduce the cost owing to the reduction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention carries a board on which an electronic component such as an on-vehicle electronic control unit is mounted into a test tank whose temperature is controlled by a transfer mechanism and conducts electricity in the same manner as in an actual operating state. However, the present invention relates to an environmental test device for performing an environmental test, and a test method using the test device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An environmental test apparatus for sequentially carrying in various circuit boards into a plurality of temperature-controlled test tanks and performing an environmental test is described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-22868. When testing a board such as an on-vehicle electronic control unit using such an environmental test device, in the test tank, the connector for external connection of the board is connected to the energizing circuit side mounted on the test device. An environmental test is conducted while connecting to the connector and energizing.

Here, in many cases, the arrangement pattern of the connecting terminal pins of the connector differs depending on the type of the board. For this purpose, an adapter for connecting between the board-side connector and the energizing circuit-side connector of the test apparatus is prepared. This adapter includes a connector having a pin hole pattern that matches the terminal pin array pattern of the board-side connector, a connector having a terminal pin array pattern that matches the pin hole pattern of the energizing circuit of the device, and these connectors. And a group of cables connecting corresponding terminals between the terminals. If such an adapter is used, the energizing circuit on the device side can be connected to various boards by exchanging the adapter even if the type of board to be tested is different.

In this case, the substrate is carried into the test tank with the adapter attached, and the environmental test is conducted in the energized state.

[0005]

However, when carrying out an environmental test in each test tank by transporting such a board with an adapter, the following cases are compared with the case where only the board is carried into the test tank. Problem occurs. That is,
Since the heat capacity of the adapter is large, the heat load on the temperature control mechanism such as the heating or cooling mechanism of the test apparatus becomes large as compared with the case where only the substrate is put in the test tank. As a result, the substrate to be tested must be equipped with a temperature control mechanism that has heating and cooling performance that is far greater than that required for heating and cooling.
This leads to higher costs.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an environment in which a harmful effect caused by the heat capacity of an adapter can be avoided when carrying out an environmental test while carrying a substrate with an adapter into a test tank and energizing it. It is to propose a test apparatus and a test method using the test apparatus.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention puts a board on which electronic parts are mounted in a test tank with an adapter for board energization attached.
In an environmental testing device for performing an environmental test of the substrate by blowing temperature-controlled air, an opening for retracting the adapter from the test tank to the outside, and moving the substrate in the test tank to It is characterized in that the adapter has a substrate moving mechanism for keeping the adapter retracted from the test tank.

According to the present invention, when carrying out the environmental test of the substrate with the adapter carried into the test tank, the substrate moving mechanism retracts the adapter from the inside of the test tank to the outside and holds only the substrate inside the test tank. Can be formed. Therefore, when the temperature inside the test tank is maintained at the predetermined temperature by blowing the air controlled to the predetermined temperature into the test tank in this state, the temperature control is performed without being substantially affected by the heat capacity of the adapter. be able to. Therefore, the heat load on the temperature control mechanism for controlling the inside of the test tank to a predetermined temperature can be reduced.

Here, in the case of conducting an environmental test of the substrate while energizing, in addition to the above configuration, it is possible to make electrical contact with the adapter retracted from the test tank through the opening. It suffices to dispose a group of energizing connection terminals and a holding mechanism that holds the adapter in a state of being in electrical contact with the group of energizing connection terminals.

Further, in general, it is constructed so as to have a transport mechanism for loading and unloading the substrate with respect to the test tank.

Further, generally, the test tank is provided with a low temperature test tank and a high temperature test tank, and the substrate is exposed to the environmental test in the low temperature test tank and then to the environmental test in the high temperature test tank. Be done. In this case, since an environmental test is performed while energizing in the high temperature test tank, the opening, the substrate moving mechanism, the energizing connection terminal group, and the holding mechanism are arranged on the high temperature test tank side. do it. The opening and the substrate moving mechanism may be arranged on the low temperature test tank side.

Further, in order to carry out a batch-type test of a large number of substrates with adapters, it is sufficient to use a transfer box capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in an aligned state with the adapters protruding to the outside. In this case, the transfer mechanism is a mechanism for transferring the transfer box, and similarly, the substrate moving mechanism may be a mechanism for moving the transfer box.

The environmental test apparatus according to the present invention, which is configured to perform the environmental test in the low temperature test tank and the high temperature test tank by using the transport box, can perform the environmental test as follows.

First, in the low temperature test tank, the transfer box carried into the low temperature test tank is moved by the substrate moving mechanism so that only the adapter is retracted from the opening to the outside of the test tank. In this state, air controlled at a predetermined temperature may be blown onto the substrate to perform an environmental test.

Next, in the high temperature test tank, the transfer box carried into the high temperature test tank is moved by the moving mechanism so that the adapter is retracted from the opening to the outside of the test tank, and the holder is held. A mechanism holds the adapter in a state of being connected to the energizing connection terminal group,
While energizing the substrate, an environmental test was performed by blowing air controlled at a predetermined temperature onto the substrate, and then only the transport box was lowered by the substrate moving mechanism to expose the substrate from the transport box. In this state, the substrate may be blown with air controlled to a predetermined temperature and heated to a higher temperature to perform an environmental test.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a line type environmental test apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Substrate with Adapter and Transport Box)
Prior to the description of the line environment test apparatus of this example, the substrate with the adapter to be tested and the transport box will be described.

FIG. 1 is a front view, a plan view and a side view showing an example of a substrate with an adapter. As shown in these figures, the adapter-equipped substrate 1 of this example is composed of a substrate 2 and a substrate-conducting adapter 3. The substrate 2 is a rectangular plate, and a circuit pattern is printed on its surface. Various electronic devices (not shown) are mounted. A connector 4 for external connection is attached along one long side of the substrate 2, and connection terminal pins (not shown) are arranged on the connector 4 in a predetermined arrangement pattern.

The adapter 3 is provided with an upper plate 5 and a lower plate 6 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and left and right side plates 7 and 8 connecting them, and the lower surface of the lower plate 6 has a board-side connector. A lower connector (not shown) having an arrangement pattern of pin holes matching the arrangement pattern of the connection terminal pins formed in No. 4 is attached. On the upper surface of the upper plate 5, an upper connector 9 for connecting to an energizing circuit on the side of the line-type testing apparatus described later is attached. A plurality of pin holes 10, for example, are arranged in the upper connector 9. The lower connector and the upper connector 9 are mutually connected by a cable 10a for each corresponding connection terminal.

Further, both end portions of the lower plate 6 extend outside the both ends of the substrate 2, and in these portions, one pin hole 11 for positioning and two pin holes for positioning are also provided. 12a and 12b are formed.

Next, FIG. 2 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing an example of the transport box. The transport box 20 can store a plurality of substrates 1 with adapters in an aligned state,
As will be described later, the substrate with adapter 1 is transported by the transport box 20 and an environmental test is performed.

The transport box 20 of this example has a box-shaped box body 22 having an opening 21 at the top and a plurality of boxes extending in parallel in the box short side direction arranged at a constant pitch in the box long side direction. A partition frame 23 is provided. The partition frame 23 is a rectangular frame, and these partition frames 2
3, a plurality of board insertion portions 24 elongated in the short side direction of the box are defined. Further, one guide pin 26 is attached to the upper end surface 25 on one long side of the box body 21 in a standing state corresponding to each board insertion portion 24, and the other upper end surface 27 on the other long side is attached. Similarly, two guide pins 28a and 28b are erected.

A state in which the substrate 1 with an adapter is housed in the transport box 20 having this structure is shown by an imaginary line in FIG. The board with adapter 1 is inserted into each board insertion portion 24 from the board 2 side, and both end portions of the adapter lower plate 6 are placed on the box upper end surfaces 25 and 27. Further, the box-side guide pins 26, 28a, 28b are inserted into the pin holes 11, 12a, 12b at both ends of the adapter lower plate, respectively, so that the respective substrates 1 with adapters are positioned.

(Line-type environmental test device) Next, FIG.
(A), (b) and (c) are the plane block diagram, side block diagram, and front block diagram which show the line type environmental testing device of this example. Describing with reference to these drawings, the line-type environmental test device 40 of the present example includes two test tanks 42 and 43 mounted on a device stand 41, and the test tank 42 is a low temperature test tank. The test tank 43 is a high temperature test tank.

Further, the line-type environmental testing device 40 is equipped with a carrying mechanism 50 for carrying the carrying box 20 in which the substrate with adapter 1 is housed through the test tanks 42 and 43 in this order. The transport mechanism 50 includes a plurality of conveyor units 51 and 52, for example, two conveyor units 51 and 52 that define the floor surfaces of the test tanks 42 and 43.

Further, the line-type environmental test device 40 is equipped with a temperature control mechanism 70 for controlling the temperature inside the test tanks 42 and 43. This temperature control mechanism 70 is similar to a normal line type environment test device, and the compressor 7
1. Each test tank 4 including 1, evaporator 72, heater 73, etc.
Air for temperature adjustment, which is controlled to a predetermined temperature, is blown into the nozzles 2 and 43 from outlets 74 and 75 arranged on the upper portions of the side surfaces thereof.

Next, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show each test tank 42,
43 shows the configuration and environmental test operation of 43. The test tanks 42 and 43 have basically the same configuration and are partitioned by a wall made of a heat insulating material. As shown in FIG. 4, the low-temperature test tank 42 is provided with an elevating mechanism 81 (substrate moving mechanism) for moving up and down the transport box 20 that is loaded into the test tank and is on the conveyor unit 51.
On the ceiling surface of the test tank, there is formed an opening portion 82 having a size through which the adapter 3 of the substrate with adapter 1 housed in the transport box 20 can pass.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the high temperature test tank 43 is conveyed into the test tank and conveyed to the conveyor unit 5.
An elevating mechanism 81A (substrate moving mechanism) for elevating the transfer box 20 in a state of being loaded on the board 2 is provided. On the ceiling surface of the test tank, there is formed an opening portion 82A having a size through which the adapter 3 of the substrate with adapter 1 housed in the transport box 20 can pass. Furthermore, just above the test tank 43, that is, at a position directly above the opening 82A, the pin hole 1 of the connector 9 attached to the upper surface of the adapter 3 is provided.
The energizing circuit side connector 83 (energizing connection terminal group) in which terminal pins are arranged in the same arrangement pattern as 0 is arranged in a downward direction, and the connector 83 is connected to the driver board 84 on which the energizing circuit is mounted. There is. In addition to this,
A holding mechanism 85 for holding the state where the adapter 3 is connected to the energizing circuit side connector 83 is also arranged.

(Environmental Test Operation) In the line-type environmental test apparatus 40 of this example configured as described above, each test tank is accommodated in a state where a plurality of substrates 1 with adapters are accommodated in the transport box 20 as described above. After being transported along the transport path passing through 42 and 43, the low-temperature and high-temperature environmental tests are performed in this order.

First, the test procedure in the low temperature test tank 42 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the transport box 20 is loaded into the low temperature test tank 42, the transport box 20 is lifted by the elevating mechanism 81, and the opening 82 opened on the ceiling surface of the test tank is opened. Only the adapter 3 in the adapter-equipped substrate 1 housed in the transport box 20 is pulled up. FIG. 4 (c),
As shown in (d), after stopping the elevating mechanism 81 in a state in which the adapter 3 is completely pulled up from the test tank, in this state, the air whose temperature is adjusted by the temperature control mechanism 70 from the outlet 74 is supplied to the test tank. The substrate 1 is blown into the substrate, and each substrate 1 in the transport box 20 is maintained at a predetermined temperature to perform an environmental test.

After the test is completed, the transport box 20 is lowered to the original height position by the elevating mechanism 81, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), the adapter 3 is returned to the state of being located in the test tank.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a test procedure in the high temperature test tank 43 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when the transport box 20 is loaded into the high temperature test tank 43,
The carrier box 20 is lifted by the elevating mechanism 81A, and only the adapter 3 in the adapter-equipped substrate 1 housed in the carrier box 20 is lifted up through the opening 82A opened in the test tank ceiling surface.

Since the energizing circuit side connector 83 is disposed directly above the opening 82A, the energizing circuit side connector 83 is provided in each pin hole of the connector 9 arranged on the upper surface of the adapter which is elevated from the lower side. The terminal pins of are inserted and these are connected. After that, the holding mechanism 85 is driven to clamp the substrate with adapter 1 from both sides and hold it in this state. This state is shown in FIGS. 5 (c) and 5 (d).

Thereafter, while energizing the substrate 2 by the energizing circuit mounted on the driver substrate 84, high-temperature air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature control mechanism 70 is blown into the test tank from the blowing port 75, whereby the substrate 2 Is heated to a predetermined temperature to perform an environmental test.

Then, the conveyor unit 52 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 81A and only the transport box 20 is lowered to expose the substrate 2 from the transport box 20. This state is shown in FIGS. 5 (e) and 5 (f).
Then, in this state, while energizing, the substrate 2 is heated to a higher temperature by the temperature control mechanism to perform the environmental test.

After completion of the test, the carrier box 20 is lifted by the elevating mechanism 81A so that the substrate 1 with the adapter is stored therein, and the holding mechanism 85 releases the grip of the substrate 1 with the adapter, and then the elevating mechanism is used. The transport box 20 is lowered by 81A and returned to the original height position. After that, the transport box 20 is transferred from the high temperature test tank 43.
Carry out.

(Other Embodiments) In the above example, the low temperature test tank and the high temperature test tank are provided. However, for example, the structure may be provided with only the high temperature test tank. It is also possible to have a configuration provided with three or more test tanks.

Further, in order to evacuate the adapter to the outside of the test tank, in the above example, an opening for retracting the adapter is formed on the ceiling surface of each test tank, and the transport box is raised by the elevating mechanism to evacuate the adapter. I am trying. However, a moving mechanism that moves the transport box laterally or downwardly, or in some cases diagonally, is arranged, an opening is formed on the inner surface of the test tank in the moving direction, and the adapter is retracted outside the test tank. You may

Further, in the above example, a plurality of substrates are simultaneously tested in a batch method by a transport box. For example, the substrates with adapters are put into a test tank one by one to perform the test. It is also possible.

[0040]

As described above, in the line type environmental test apparatus and method of the present invention, when the substrate with the adapter is tested in the test tank, only the adapter is formed on the ceiling surface of the test tank or the like. The substrate is evacuated to the outside of the test tank, and in this state, only the substrate is heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to heat or cool the adapter having a large heat capacity, heat energy can be saved. Therefore, since the capacity of the temperature control mechanism can be reduced, the size and cost of the device can be reduced accordingly.

Further, according to the present invention, the adapter-equipped board is tested by transporting the carrier box containing a plurality of adapter-equipped boards via the respective test tanks. Can be efficiently performed in a batch system. In this case, since the substrate is transported while being protected by the transport box, it is possible to avoid the problem that the substrate is damaged during the test.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view, a plan view, and a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate with an adapter, which is a test target of a line-type environmental test device of the present invention.

2A and 2B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing an example of a carrying box for housing and carrying the substrate with adapter of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan configuration diagram, a side configuration diagram, and a front configuration diagram showing an example of a line type environmental test device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a test procedure in a low temperature test tank of the line type environmental test device of FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing a test procedure in a high temperature test tank of the line type environmental test device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Substrate with adapter 2 substrates 3 adapter 4 connectors 9 connectors 20 transport boxes 40 line type environmental test equipment 41 mount 42 Low temperature test tank 43 High temperature test tank 50 transport mechanism 51, 52 Conveyor unit 70 Temperature control mechanism 74, 75 outlet 81, 81A Lifting mechanism (substrate moving mechanism) 82, 82A opening 83 Current-carrying circuit side connector (current-carrying connection terminal group) 84 driver board 85 retention mechanism

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Masato Mochizawa             Orion 246 Kodaka, Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture             Machinery Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2G036 AA18 AA27 BA12 BA36 CA03                 2G132 AA20 AB03 AB14 AE04 AE21                       AJ01 AJ05 AL00 AL21

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An environmental test apparatus for carrying out an environmental test of a substrate, in which a substrate on which an electronic component is mounted is placed in a test tank with an adapter for energizing the substrate attached thereto, and temperature-controlled air is blown to the substrate. An opening for retracting the adapter from the test tank to the outside, and a substrate moving mechanism for moving the substrate in the test tank so that the adapter is retracted from the test tank. Environmental testing equipment characterized by 2. The energizing connection terminal group capable of electrically contacting the adapter withdrawn from the test tank through the opening, and the adapter energizing connection terminal group according to claim 1. And a holding mechanism for holding it in a state of being in electrical contact with the environment test apparatus. 3. The environmental test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transport mechanism that loads and unloads the substrate with respect to the test tank. 4. The low-temperature test tank and the high-temperature test tank as the test tank according to claim 3, wherein the transport mechanism transports the substrate through the low-temperature test tank and the high-temperature test tank in this order. The high temperature test tank, the opening, the substrate moving mechanism,
An environment test apparatus comprising the energizing connection terminal group and the holding mechanism, and the low temperature test tank including the opening and the substrate moving mechanism. 5. The transport mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising a transport box capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in an aligned state with the adapter connected to the energizing connection terminal group protruding outward. Conveys the transfer box, and the substrate moving mechanism moves the transfer box. 6. The test method using the line-type environmental test device according to claim 5, wherein the transfer box carried into the low-temperature test tank is moved by the substrate moving mechanism to open only the adapter. The test method is characterized in that the substrate is evacuated from the test chamber to the outside, and in this state, an air controlled at a predetermined temperature is blown to the substrate to perform an environmental test. 7. The holding mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the transfer box carried into the high temperature test tank is moved by the moving mechanism to retract the adapter from the opening to the outside of the test tank. Holds the adapter in a state of being connected to the energization connection terminal group, blows air controlled to a predetermined temperature to the substrate while energizing the substrate to perform an environmental test, and thereafter, the substrate Only the transfer box is lowered by the moving mechanism to expose the substrate from the transfer box. In this state, air controlled to a predetermined temperature is blown on the substrate to heat it to a higher temperature to perform an environmental test. Environmental testing method characterized by performing.