Pin receptacle inspection apparatus and method

摘要

Apparatus and method are disclosed for inspecting a row of hollow pin receptacles in a housing to determine whether or not pins have been properly mounted in the receptacles. A collimated inspection light beam is directed toward one surface of the housing as it passes through an inspection position, so that the inspection beam successively impinges on the receptacles. A photodetector is disposed to face the opposing surface of the housing to receive light, if any, which has passed through the receptacles. Means responsive to the photodetector are provided for generating an output signal indicative of whether or not the pin has been properly mounted in the receptacle. The output signal generating means preferably comprises a threshold detector for detecting when the output of the photodetector exceeds a predetermined threshold. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a collimated gating light beam is directed toward the inspection position so that a housing blocks the gating beam when a housing is at the inspection position. In this embodiment, a second photodetector is positioned to receive the gating beam when no housing is preset at the inspection position. Means responsive to the output of the second photodetector are provided for generating a gating signal that is used to gate the output signal generating means when a housing is present at the inspection position. A still further gating beam is used in conjunction with a third photodetector to determine when individual receptacles are at the inspection position.