Abstract:
A method for machining a hole in a metallic member includes the following steps: providing a metallic member and a machining equipment, the metallic member includes a machining portion, and the machining equipment includes a first support member, a second support member, a cutter, and a fixing member; placing the first and second support members on two sides of the metallic member covering the machining portion, and then placing the metallic member and the first and second support members on the fixing member; machining at least one through hole in the machining portion and the first and second support members by the cutter; and removing the first and second support members machined to obtain the metallic member having the at least one through hole.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to methods and equipment for machining hole, and particularly to a method for machining hole in a metallic member. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Housings of many electronic devices are made of metal. A plurality of small holes is usually machined in the metal housing. However, burrs may occur in a periphery of the small holes, which are difficult to remove, thus affecting an aesthetic appearance and a touch feeling. Additionally, the housings are usually curved, so it is difficult to machine holes with a same size and a same shape in different positions of the housing which also negatively affects the aesthetic appearance. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a flowchart of a method for machining a hole in a metallic member of a first embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of an original metallic member to be machined by the method for machining a hole in a metallic member of the first embodiment or of the second embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows an assembled, isometric view of an equipment used in the method for machining a hole in a metallic member of the first embodiment, on which the original metallic member of  FIG. 2  is placed. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded, isometric view of the equipment of  FIG. 3  with the original metallic member of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart of a method for machining a hole in a metallic member of a second embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows an assembled, isometric view of an equipment used in the method for machining a hole in a metallic member of the second embodiment, on which an original metallic member of the second embodiment is placed. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is similar as  FIG. 6 , but shows a hole has been machined in one of the predetermined machining portions of the metallic member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , a first embodiment of a method for machining a hole in a metallic member is illustrated as follows. 
         [0015]    In step S 101 , a metallic member  11  and machining equipment  10  are provided. The metallic member  11  includes a machining surface  111 . The machining surface  111  includes a plurality of machining portions  112  arranged in a line. In the illustrated embodiment, the machining surface  111  is arcuate, and each of the machining portions  112  is substantially circular. In other embodiments, the machining surface  111  of the metallic member  11  is not arcuate, and can be planar, or other irregular curved pieces. The machining portions  112  can be square or other shapes. 
         [0016]    The machining equipment  10  includes a first support member  12 , a second support member  15  opposite to the first support member  12 , a cutter  13  placed above the first and second support members  12 ,  15 , and a fixing member  14 . The metallic member  11  is sandwiched between the first and second support members  12 ,  15 . The first and second support members  12 ,  15  installed with the metallic member  11  are placed on the fixing member  14 . The first support member  12  is away from the cutter  13 . The second support member  15  is adjacent to the cutter  14 . The first support member  12  includes a first resisting surface  121  resisted against the metallic member  11  and a first outer surface  123  opposite to the first resisting surface  121  and away from the metallic member  11 . The first resisting surface  121  points to outside the curvature. The first outer surface  123  points to inside the curvature. The first resisting surface  121  and the first outer surface  123  have a similar shape to the machining surface  111 . A curvature of the first resisting surface  121  and the first outer surface  123  is substantially the same as that of the machining surface  111 . A thickness of the first support member  12  is equal to or smaller than that of the metallic member  11 . The first support member  12  is made of metal or plastic. The second support member  15  has a similar shape to the first support member  12 . However, the second resisting surface  151  points to inside the curvature. The second outer surface  153  points to outside the curvature. A thickness of the second support member  15  is equal to or smaller than that of the metallic member  11 . The second support member  15  is made of metal or plastic. In the illustrated embodiment, the first support member  12  is made of plastic, and the second support member  15  is made of metal. 
         [0017]    The cutter  13  includes a cutter bracket  131  and a cutter head  132  fixed to the cutter bracket  131 . The cutter  13  can be a punch cutter, a drilling cutter, or a milling cutter. In the illustrated embodiment, the cutter  13  is a punch cutter, and the cutter bracket  131  is a hollow cylinder. 
         [0018]    The fixing member  14  has a structure in accordance with the cutter  13 . In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing member  14  is a stepped platform, and includes a fixing surface  141 . A curvature of the fixing surface  141  is substantially the same as that of the first outer surface  123 , such that when the first support member  12  is placed on the fixing member  14 , the whole of the first outer surface  123  is supported on the fixing surface  141 . A through hole  142  is defined in the fixing surface  141 , matched with the cutter  13 . In other embodiments, the fixing member  14  may have other structures to match with the cutter  13 . For example, when the cutter  13  is a drilling cutter, the fixing member  14  is configured as a grasper, and opposite ends of the metallic member  11  and the first and second support members  12 ,  15  are securely grasped by the fixing member  14 . 
         [0019]    In step S 102 , the first and second support members  12 ,  15  are respectively placed on two sides of the metallic member  11 , and cover the machining portion  112 . And then, the metallic member  11  and the first and second support members  12 ,  15  are placed on the fixing member  14 , and one of the machining portions  112  is opposite to the cutter  13 . 
         [0020]    In step S 103 , a through hole is machined in one of the machining portions  112  of the metallic member  11  and the first and second support members  12 ,  15  by the cutter  13 . In the illustrated embodiment, the second support member  15  is marked in positions according to the machining portions  112 , to facilitate the cutter  13  positioning during machining. 
         [0021]    In step S 104 , the first and second support members  12 ,  15  machined are removed to obtain the metallic member  11  having the through hole without burrs. 
         [0022]    After machining, the first and second support members  12 ,  15  and the metallic member  11  are unloaded from the fixing member  14 , and then the metallic member  11  is separated from the first and second support members  12 ,  15 , because the first and second support members  12 ,  15  abut against two sides of the metallic member  11  covering the machining portion  112 , and the first and second support members  12 ,  15  are made of metal or plastic, such that burrs caused by machining occur in peripheries of through holes in the first and second support members  12 ,  15 , preventing burrs from occurring in peripheries of through holes in the metallic member  11 . Thus, an aesthetic appearance of the metallic member  11  is fine. 
         [0023]    When another metallic member  11  is required to be machined, another first and second support members  12 ,  15  are provided, and the above-mentioned steps are repeated to continuously machine through holes in the metallic member  11 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , a second embodiment of a method for a hole machining in a metallic member includes steps of S 201 , S 202 , S 203 , S 204 , and S 205 . 
         [0025]    In step S 201 , a metallic member  21 , and a machining equipment  20  are provided. The metallic member  21  is substantially the same as the metallic member  11  of the first embodiment. The machining equipment  20  is similar as the machining equipment  10  of the first embodiment. However, the machining equipment  20  further includes two light sets consisting of light emitters  25  and light sensors  26 . The two light sets of light emitters  25  and light sensors  26  are symmetrically placed on an end surface of a cutter bracket  231  around a cutter head  232 . In other embodiments, the number of the light sets can be changed as needed, such as one, three, or more. 
         [0026]    Step S 202  is substantially the same as step S 102  of the first embodiment. 
         [0027]    In step S 203 , the metallic member  21  and the first and second support members  22 ,  27  are moved relatively to the cutter  23 , to make a tangent plane to a surface at a center position of the machining portion  212  perpendicular to an axis of the cutter  23 . 
         [0028]    Step S 204  is substantially the same as step S 103  of the first embodiment. Step S 205  is substantially the same as step S 104  of the first embodiment. 
         [0029]    In the second embodiment, the first and second support members  22 ,  27  abut against two sides of the metallic member  21 , and the metallic member  21  and the first and second support members  22 ,  27  are movably placed on the fixing member  24 . 
         [0030]    When the cutter  23  is placed above the fixing member  24 , the light emitters  25  emit light toward the second support member  27 , according to the center of the machining portion  212 . When the tangent plane to the surface at the center position of the machining portion  212  is perpendicular to the axis of the cutter  23 , the light is reflected to the light sensors  26 , and then a through hole  213  is machined in the metallic member  21 . When the tangent plane to the surface at the center position of the machining portion  212  is slanted to the axis of the cutter  23 , a position of the metallic member  21  and the second support member  27  relative to the fixing member  24  is adjusted until the tangent plane is perpendicular to the axis of the cutter  23 , and then a through hole  213  is machined in the metallic member  23 . 
         [0031]    After machining one of the machining portions  212 , the metallic member  21  and the first and second support members  22 ,  27  are moved to make a tangent plane to a surface at a center position of another machining portion  212  perpendicular to the axis of the cutter  23 , such that a plurality of machining portions  212  are machined respectively to obtain the metallic member  21  having a plurality of circle through holes  123 . Because in each hole machining process, the axis of the cutter  23  is perpendicular to the tangent plane to the surface at the center position of the machining portion  212 , an axis of the through hole  213  machined in the metallic member  21  overlaps with a normal at the center position of the machining portion  212 . Thus, sizes and shapes of through holes  213  machined in the metallic member  21  are the same, and the metallic member  21  has a better aesthetic appearance. 
         [0032]    In other embodiments, the metallic member  21  and the first and second support members  22 ,  27  can be securely placed on the fixing member  24 , and the fixing member  24  can be moveable relatively to the cutter  23 . In an alternative embodiment, the metallic member  21 , the first and second support members  22 ,  27 , and the fixing member  24  cannot be moveable, and the cutter  23  is moveable relatively to the metallic member  22  to make the axis of the cutter  23  perpendicular to the tangent plane to the surface at the center position of the machining portion  212 . 
         [0033]    Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. It is also to be understood that the description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps. However, the indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps. 
         [0034]    It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.