Patent Publication Number: US-2023158635-A1

Title: Processing device with constant force spindle capable of quickly switching force control axial direction and processing method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 110143351 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 22, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure provides a processing device, especially a processing device with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction and a processing method thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The traditional processing devices such as grinders can be mounted with a tool of emery cloth wheel to grind the surface of a workpiece for processing by hand, the direction of processing can be roughly divided into axial grinding and radial grinding, the former such as a grinding method by a sheet emery cloth wheel is common, and the latter such as a grinding method by a wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel is common. The traditional automatic processing device can be connected to a constant force control element through a spindle, and the aforementioned emery cloth wheel can be mounted to grind the surface of the workpiece, at this time the emery cloth wheel can maintain a constant force through the constant force control element when grinding the surface of the workpiece. 
     However, the aforementioned processing device with a constant force control element has the following problems: 
     First, when there is a fixed connection between the constant force control element and the spindle, they cannot be quickly disassembled or assembled normally, and thus if it is desired to change the processing direction of the tool, the method can only be that the original spindle is manually disassembled, and then it is manually replaced by a spindle with a different processing direction, and the process of manual replacement of the spindle takes time and manpower, resulting in poor process efficiency and labor costs are difficult to save. 
     Second, it is assumed that the constant force control element and the spindle can be quickly disassembled or assembled, but the constant force control element can only provide maintaining a constant force in a fixed force control axial direction when the same spindle is processing, for example, the constant force control element is set to maintain the constant force when the spindle mounting with a sheet emery cloth wheel to axially grind the workpiece, when the same spindle is changed to mount a wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel and switched to a radial grinding, the constant force control element cannot continue to provide the function of maintaining the constant force. 
     Third, it is assumed that the constant force control element is connected to the spindle, and connected with, for example, an angle-adjustable element in series, by which the constant force control element can adjust the force control axial direction by pivoting within an angle range. However, if the force control axial direction needs a large angle adjustment (e.g., 90 degrees), the angle-adjustable element is difficult to put in place at once through the pivoting adjustment, it is not possible to quickly switch the force control axial direction at a large angle, and the additional series connection of the angle-adjustable element may cause the problems of the increase of processing error and a reduction of the sensitivity of the constant force control. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor exhausted his mind to research carefully, and then developed a processing device with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction and a processing method thereof, with a view to the automated process can achieve quickly switching the force control axial direction at a large angle. 
     The present disclosure provides a processing device with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction, which comprises a multi-axial transfer unit, a spindle, a constant force control unit and a quick-detach unit. The multi-axial transfer unit comprises a working end, the working end is controlled by the multi-axial transfer unit, and can axially move in three-dimension relative to a workpiece; the spindle is used to disassemble therefrom and assemble with a tool for processing the workpiece; the constant force control unit has a first end and a second end at two opposite ends, the constant force control unit is fixed at the working end by the first end and defines a force control axial direction; and the quick-detach unit comprises a first quick-connecting piece fixed at the second end of the constant force control unit, and comprises a second quick-connecting piece and a third quick-connecting piece, respectively connecting and moving synchronously with the spindle, the first quick-connecting piece moves along with the working end, and can be quick-detachably combined with or disengaged from the second quick-connecting piece, and when combined, a first axial direction that is coaxial with the force control axial direction is defined; alternatively, the first quick-connecting piece moves along with the working end, and can be quick-detachably combined with or disengaged from the third quick-connecting piece, and when combined, a second axial direction that is coaxial with the force control axial direction is defined, the first axial direction is not parallel to the second axial direction and has an included angle, so that the spindle can select the first axial direction or the second axial direction to be coaxial with the force control axial direction to process the workpiece. 
     The present disclosure further provides a processing method of the processing device with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction, which is carried out by automatic control, comprising the following steps: controlling the working end by the multi-axial transfer unit to move the first quick-connecting piece to align and combine the second quick-connecting piece or the third quick-connecting piece, the first axial direction or the second axial direction is selected to be coaxial with the force control axial direction, and the spindle is assembled to the working end; controlling the working end by the multi-axial transfer unit to move to a place for placing the tools in order to take the tool; controlling the working end by the multi-axial transfer unit to move and process the workpiece by the selected first axial direction or the selected second axial direction that is coaxial with the force control axial direction; and controlling the working end by the multi-axial transfer unit to move to the place for placing the tools in order to place the tool. 
     Therefore, the processing device of the present disclosure may select the first axial direction or the second axial direction to be coaxial with the force control axial direction through the spindle with the needs of the processing direction, that is, it can quickly switch the force control axial direction at a large angle, and can maintain a constant force when switching the direction of processing the workpiece, in order to solve the problem of poor process efficiency and difficult to save manpower costs, and solve the problems of the increase of processing errors and leading to a reduction in the sensitivity of constant force control caused by increasing the series connection of elements, thereby achieving the effects of processing accuracy stability and process efficiency improvement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic view of the state of use of a processing device connecting a spindle in a first axial direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the spindle, fixed seat and constant force control unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a sectional view of the structure of a second quick-connecting piece and a third quick-connecting piece set on the fixed seat according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a structural view of a first quick-connecting piece and the second quick-connecting piece or the third quick-connecting piece according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a structural view of the first quick-connecting piece connecting to the second quick-connecting piece or the third quick-connecting piece according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic view of the action of the constant force control unit connecting the spindle in the first axial direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a schematic view of the action of the spindle moving along with the working end to take a tool (or return a tool) continuing from  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic view of the spindle processing a workpiece by the first axial direction after taking the tool continuing from  FIG.  7   . 
         FIG.  9    is a schematic view of the state of use of a processing device connecting the spindle in a second axial direction according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  10    is a schematic view of the action of the spindle connecting the constant force control unit in the second axial direction and moving along with the working end to take the tool (or return the tool) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  11    is a schematic view of the spindle processing the workpiece by the second axial direction after taking the tool continuing from  FIG.  10   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     To facilitate understanding of the object, characteristics and effects of this present disclosure, embodiments together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the present disclosure are provided. The description is provided as follows: 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  to  11   , the present disclosure provides a processing device  100  with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction, which comprises a multi-axial transfer unit  10 , a spindle  20 , a constant force control unit  30  and a quick-detach unit  40 , and further comprises a fixed seat  50  and a workbench  60  in the following embodiment, wherein: 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the multi-axial transfer unit  10  comprises a working end  11 , the working end  11  is controlled by the multi-axial transfer unit  10 , and can axially move in three-dimension relative to a workpiece W. In an embodiment, the multi-axial transfer unit  10  is a robotic arm, but the present disclosure is not limited to a robotic arm, whatever one can provide a three-dimensional (X-Y-Z) axial displacement for the working end  11  relative to the workpiece W, such as a gantry processing machine that is just the protection scope to be desired by the multi-axial transfer unit of the present disclosure. The multi-axial transfer unit  10 , which is controlled by an automatic control system comprising a programmable logic controller, sensor and actuator (not shown in the figures), can be programmed for automated processing. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  7  and  10   , the spindle  20  can be used to disassemble therefrom and assemble with a tool for processing the workpiece W. In an embodiment, as shown in  FIG.  2   , the spindle  20  comprises a tool hitting part  21  and a motor  22 , the tool hitting part  21  is driven by a fluid to carry out a tool hitting action, including tool clamping and tool unclamping at the time of mounting the tool (not shown in the figures), the fluid in this embodiment is a high-pressure gas, and in different embodiments it can also be oil pressure, the motor  22  is driven by electricity, and when the spindle  20  is mounted with the tool by the tool hitting part  21 , the motor  22  is used to drive the tool rotating and processing the workpiece W. In the embodiment, the tool is an emery cloth wheel, including a wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel T 1  and a sheet emery cloth wheel T 2 , but not limited to herein. 
     The constant force control unit  30  mainly provides the tool capable of maintaining a constant force to process the workpiece W, the constant force control unit  30  has a first end  31  and a second end  32  at two opposite ends, the constant force control unit  30  is fixed at the working end  11  by the first end  31  and defines a force control axial direction CA (as shown in  FIG.  2   ). The constant force control unit  30  provides the function of maintaining the constant force by, for example, a telescopic mechanism, three-dimensional accelerometer and load cell (not shown in the figures). 
     The quick-detach unit  40  comprises a first quick-connecting piece  41  fixed at the second end  32  of the constant force control unit  30 , as shown in  FIG.  3   , the quick-detach unit  40  also comprises a second quick-connecting piece  42  and a third quick-connecting piece  43 , respectively connecting and moving synchronously with the spindle  20 , the first quick-connecting piece  41  moves along with the working end  11 , and can be quick-detachably combined with or disengaged from the second quick-connecting piece  42 , and when combined, a first axial direction FA that is coaxial with the force control axial direction CA is defined; alternatively, the first quick-connecting piece  41  moves along with the working end  11 , and can be quick-detachably combined with or disengaged from the third quick-connecting piece  43 , and when combined, a second axial direction SA that is coaxial with the force control axial direction CA is defined (as shown in  FIG.  3   ), the first axial direction FA is not parallel to the second axial direction SA and has an included angle  0 , so that the spindle  20  can select the first axial direction FA or the second axial direction SA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA to process the workpiece W. The first axial direction FA and the second axial direction SA are not be limited to the present embodiment, and in different embodiments, the first axial direction FA may be the second axial direction SA, and the second axial direction SA may also be the first axial direction FA. 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIG.  4   , the quick-connecting piece  41  has a first seat part  411 , a convex part  412  and a first quick-detach part, the convex part  412  protrudes from a side of the first seat part  411 , the first quick-detach part is set in the first seat part  411  and/or the convex part  412 . Preferably, the first quick-detach part of the embodiment is a plurality of spheres  413 , the plurality of spheres  413  are set in a circumference of the convex part  412 , and the actuation of the plurality of spheres  413  is linking relative to a radial direction of the convex part  412  and protrudes from or retracts into the convex part  412 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIG.  4   , the second quick-connecting piece  42  has a second seat part  421 , a concave part  422  and a second quick-detach part, wherein the concave part  422  is recessed from a side of the second seat part  421 ; the third quick-connecting piece  43  has a second seat part  431 , a concave part  432  and a second quick-detach part, wherein the concave part  432  is recessed from a side of the third seat part  431 , the convex part  412  and the concave parts  422 ,  432  have the shapes that are protruded and recessed correspondingly, and can be connected, the quick-detachably combining or disengaging is caused by the first quick-detach part actuating relative to the second quick-detach part. Preferably, the second quick-detach parts of the second quick-connecting piece  42  and the third quick-connecting piece  43  are respectively a groove  423  and a groove  433 , the groove  423  is set in the concave part  422  of the second seat part  421 , the groove  433  is set in the concave part  432  of the second seat part  431 . When the convex part  412  and the concave part  422  are connected, the plurality of spheres  413  are protruding to fasten into the groove  423  and combine; also, when the convex part  412  and the concave part  432  are connected, the plurality of spheres  413  are protruding to fasten into the groove  433  and combine. The plurality of spheres  413  are recessed and can be disengaged from the corresponding grooves  423 ,  433 , so that the convex part  412  and each concave part  422 ,  432  as connected can be detached. 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the convex part  412  of the first quick-connecting piece  41  is set in the center of the first seat part  411 , and the first seat part  411  in the embodiment has a pair of pins  414  at two opposite sides of the convex part  412 ; the concave part  422  of the second quick-connecting piece  42  is set in the center of the second seat part  421 , and the second seat part  421  has a pair of sockets  424  at two opposite sides of the concave part  422 , when the convex part  412  and the concave part  422  are connected, the pin  414  is correspondingly inserted into the socket  424  to assist in positioning; the concave part  432  of the third quick-connecting piece  43  is set in the center of the second seat part  431 , and the second seat part  431  also has a pair of sockets  434  at two opposite sides of the concave part  432 , the convex part  412  and the concave part  432  are connected, the pin  414  is correspondingly inserted into the socket  434  to assist in positioning. 
     The fixed seat  50  has a first plate part  51  and a second plate part  52 , and is L-shaped, the first plate part  51  and/or the second plate part  52  has a clamping seat  53  on one side, the spindle  20  is clamped and fixed by the clamping seat  53 ; the second quick-connecting piece  42  and the third quick-connecting piece  43  are respectively set on the first plate part  51  and the second plate part  52  at the inner corner side of the fixed seat  50 , and connected to the spindle  20 , and the included angle is 90 degrees. Preferably, the clamping seat  53  in the embodiment is set on the second plate part  52  and the setting orientation is opposite to that of the third quick-connecting piece  43 , the clamping seat  53  can be fixed by, for example, a fixing element such as a bolt (not shown in the figures) to clamp the spindle  20 . The included angle  0  of the present disclosure is not limited to 90 degrees of the above embodiment, and under the predictable angle transformation, it shall still fall within the protection scope desired by the present disclosure. 
     The workbench  60  has a tool frame  61  and a jig  62 , wherein the tool frame  61  can be provided for placing a plurality of tools, such as the aforementioned sheet emery cloth wheel and wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel and other different processing types of tools, when the fixed seat  50  is fixed at the working end  11  at the first quick-connecting piece  41  combined with the second quick-connecting piece  42  or the third quick-connecting piece  43 , the spindle  20  can change a tool from any of the tools placed on the tool frame  61  along with the displacement of the working end  11 ; the fixed seat  50  can be separated from the working end  11  along with the first quick-connecting piece  41  disengaged from the second quick-connecting piece  42  or the third quick-connecting piece  43 , and is temporarily placed on the jig  62 . 
     The above embodiment provides the processing device  100  with a constant force spindle capable of quickly switching a force control axial direction, and a processing method thereof is carried out by automatic control, comprising the following steps: 
     Controlling the working end  11  by the multi-axial transfer unit  10  to move the first quick-connecting piece  41  to align and combine the second quick-connecting piece  42 , at this time the first axial direction FA is selected to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA and the spindle  20  is assembled to the working end  11 ; alternatively, controlling the working end  11  by the multi-axial transfer unit  10  to move the first quick-connecting piece  41  to align and combine the third quick-connecting piece  43 , at this time the second axial direction SA is selected to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA and the spindle  20  is assembled to the working end  11 . Next, controlling the working end  11  by the multi-axial transfer unit  10  to move to a tool frame  61  for placing the tools in order to take the tool; after the tool is taken, the multi-axial transfer unit  10  controls the working end  11  to move and process the workpiece W by the selected first axial direction FA or the selected second axial direction SA that is coaxial with the force control axial direction CA. After the completion of the processing, the multi-axial transfer unit  10  controls the working end  11  to move to the tool frame  61  for placing the tools in order to place the tool. 
     To give an example, it is assumed that the process of the tool processing the workpiece W at the time of processing is first grinding the surface of the workpiece W with a wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel T 1 , and then grinding the surface of the workpiece W with a sheet emery cloth wheel T 2 , the process can first select the first axial direction FA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA, so that the first quick-connecting piece  41  aligns and combines the second quick-connecting piece  42 , and the spindle  20  is assembled to the working end  11  (as shown in  FIG.  6   ); next, the working end  11  is controlled by the multi-axial transfer unit  10  to move to a tool frame  61  for placing the wheel-shaped emery cloth wheels T 1  to take the tool (as shown in  FIG.  7   ), and then the multi-axial transfer unit  10  controls the working end  11  to move and process the workpiece W with the wheel-shaped emery cloth wheels Ti by the first axial direction FA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA (as shown in  FIG.  8   ). 
     Continuously, after the processing of the wheel-shaped emery cloth wheel 
     T 1  is completed, the multi-axial transfer unit  10  controls the working end  11  to move to the tool frame  61  for placing the tool in order to place the tool, and then makes the first quick-connecting piece  41  align and combine the third quick-connecting piece  43 , and the spindle  20  is assembled to the working end  11  (as shown in FIG. 
       9 ), and the working end  11  is controlled by the multi-axial transfer unit  10  to move to the tool frame  61  for placing the sheet emery cloth wheels T 2  to take the tool (as shown in  FIG.  10   ), and then the multi-axial transfer unit  10  controls the working end  11  to move and process the workpiece W with the sheet emery cloth wheels T 2  by the second axial direction SA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA (as shown in  FIG.  11   ) to complete the above process. The executing sequence of steps of the processing method of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment or the claims, and the predictable change of the steps listed shall fall within the protection scope of the processing method of the present disclosure. 
     By the above description, it is not difficult to find that the characteristic of the present disclosure is that the processing device  100  of the present disclosure may select the first axial direction FA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA, or select the second axial direction SA to be coaxial with the force control axial direction CA through the spindle  20  with the needs of the processing direction, that is, it can quickly switch the force control axial direction CA at a large angle, and can maintain a constant force when switching the direction of processing the workpiece W. Compared to the traditional constant force control element and the spindle therebetween having a fixed connection, the processing device of the present disclosure can solve the problem of poor process efficiency and difficult to save manpower costs; in addition, compared to the traditional constant force control element connecting the spindle and connecting a pivotable angle adjusting element in series, the processing device of the present disclosure can solve the problems of the increase of processing errors and leading to a reduction in the sensitivity of constant force control caused by increasing the series connection of elements, therefore, the present disclosure can achieve the effects of processing accuracy stability and process efficiency improvement. 
     While the present disclosure has been described by means of specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand the above description is merely embodiments of the disclosure, and it should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure. It should be noted that all changes and substitutions which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the embodiments are intended to be embraced in the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims.