Patent Description:
In particular, the present invention relates to the structure of said edgebanding machine equipped with a removing device for removing machining waste during the finishing phase of an edging tape applied to a panel, in which said removing device has a structure designed to reduce the possibility that said machining chips obstruct an aspiration duct included in said removing device.

An edgebanding machine is designed to apply an edging tape to a panel, work said edging tape, and remove the machining chips caused by the fact that said edging tape is subject to machining.

The edging tape applied by an edgebanding machine to a panel is often a edging tape made of a plastic material.

The panel may be a panel made of wood or another material.

An edgebanding machine comprises an edge banding station and a finisher station.

The edgebanding station comprises an edgebanding assembly for applying a edging tape to at least one side of the panel by gluing.

For example, in the case in which the edgebanding machine is designed to work panels during the movement of said panels on a work plane, the edgebanding station can comprise a first plurality of rollers for applying a quantity of glue on at least one lateral portion of the panel, while the panel moves on the worktable along a feed direction, as well as a second plurality of rollers for pressing the edging tape on the side portion of the panel, so that the edging tape is glued to said side portion.

In general, the edging tape applied to the panel is larger than the thickness of the panel.

In other words, the edging tape has one or more portions, which protrude with respect to the lateral portion of the panel on which the edging tape is applied.

The finisher comprises a plurality of substations, each of which is equipped with a respective cutting system.

Each cutting system comprises a trimming unit, a gleaning unit, a rounding unit, and an edge scraping group.

The trimming unit removes an upper portion and/or a lower portion of the edging tape, which exceeds the thickness of the panel.

The gleaning unit creates a connection between the edging tape applied to the thickness of the panel, and the upper surface and/or a connection between the edging tape applied to the thickness of the panel and the lower surface of the panel.

The rounding unit rounds off the vertical profile of the edging tape.

After the operations performed by the trimming unit, the gleaning unit, and the rounding unit, the surface of the edging tape is not smooth surface.

In fact, the surface of the edging tape has a plurality of surface irregularities, typically longitudinal, i.e., arranged along the length of the edging tape.

The edge scraping group is aimed at finishing the upper-end portion, which defines the upper edge of the edging tape, and/or the lower-end portion, which defines the lower edge of the edging tape by eliminating said surface irregularities on said end portions.

For this purpose, said edge scraping group is equipped with a cutting element.

The elimination of these surface irregularities produces machining waste.

A machining chip has the shape of a filament that is long and thin.

Furthermore, said filament can be corrugated due to deformations, which occur during the cutting of the edging tape.

Said machining chips cause malfunctions to the edgebanding machine.

For example, the edgebanding machine can jam and it is necessary to stop the edgebanding machine.

For this reason, the edge banding machine is equipped with a removing device to remove the machining chips, positioned near the edge scraping group.

Said removing device is designed to suck in said machining chips, through a duct, which is a suction duct, and to cut off said machining chips, by means of cutting means.

However, the machining chips tend to get caught at the inlet and/or inside the suction duct.

In particular, once a first machining chip has become entangled at the inlet and/or inside the suction duct, further machining chips become entangled in the first machining chip and form a bundle, which obstructs the suction duct.

Consequently, it is necessary to stop the edgebanding machine and remove said machining chips from the suction duct.

Various technical solutions are known designed to prevent the suction duct from being obstructed by machining chips.

For example, a first known type of technical solution is designed to increase the suction power with which the machining chips are sucked up.

A second technical solution is designed to increase the diameter of the intake duct.

A further technical solution provides at least one cutting device and an impeller equipped with blades, in which said cutting devices and said impeller are spaced apart and rotate around the same axis.

However, these technical solutions have not solved the problem of obstruction of the suction duct due to machining waste.

Consequently, a drawback of a known type of edgebanding machine is given by the fact that, although said edgebanding machine is equipped with a removing device for removing the machining waste, said edgebanding machine jams due to the machining waste present in the inlet and/or inside the suction duct, with the consequent loss of time due to the need to stop the edgebanding machine, and the costs to be incurred for the maintenance of said edgebanding machine.

Relevant prior art is disclosed in <CIT> which relates to a woodworking machine having a removing device for the chips.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome said disadvantage, providing an edgebanding machine equipped with a removing device for effectively removing machining chips, having a simple structure and a low manufacturing cost.

A further aim is to provide an edgebanding machine equipped with a removing device, in which said removing device is sized to occupy a smaller volume than the volume of a removing device installed on a known type of edgebanding machine.

It is, therefore, specific object of the present invention an edgebanding machine for applying an edging tape on at least one panel, comprising:.

Further preferred embodiments of the edgebanding machine are described in the dependent claims.

In the various Figures, similar parts will be indicated with the same reference numbers.

With reference to the Figures, a first embodiment of an edgebanding machine <NUM> is described for applying a beading tape N to a panel P.

In particular, in the example described, the edgebanding machine <NUM> is configured to apply a beading tape N to a panel P, when said panel P moves on a working plane along a forward direction.

Furthermore, in the example described, said panel P is a wooden panel.

However, said panel can be made of a material other than wood.

Said removing device <NUM> is configured in such a way that, when said suction device <NUM> is connected to said removing device <NUM>, and is in use, said one or more machining chips F enter said casing <NUM>, through said first opening 20A of the casing <NUM>, along a first direction, which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first wall <NUM>, are cut by said at least one cutting element <NUM>, and exit from said casing <NUM>, through the second opening 20B along a second direction, different from said first direction.

The machining chips F are generated by the need to make a surface of the edging tape N or a surface of the panel P a smooth surface, free from surface irregularities.

In the example described, said working group R is an edge scraping group for finishing a lower end portion, which defines the lower edge of the edging tape N.

<FIG> is a schematic view of an edgebanding machine <NUM> including the removing device <NUM>.

In particular, a suction device <NUM> is connected to the removing device <NUM>.

In the example described, said removing device <NUM> is connected to said suction device <NUM> via a tube <NUM>.

In particular, said duct <NUM> is a flexible tube.

However, said tube need not be a flexible tube.

In an alternative, said removing device <NUM> can be connected to said suction device <NUM> via a plurality of ducts connected to each other.

<FIG> shows a detail referring to a compartment of the edgebanding machine <NUM>, in which the removing device <NUM> is positioned.

With reference to the casing <NUM>, as already mentioned, said casing <NUM> comprises a first wall <NUM>, which is a front wall, and a second wall <NUM>, which is a side wall.

The first wall <NUM> has a first surface or internal surface 21A, and a second surface or external surface 21B, opposite to said first surface 21A.

The second wall <NUM> has a first surface or internal surface 22A, and a second surface or external surface 22B, opposite to said first surface 22A.

Furthermore, said casing <NUM> comprises a third wall <NUM>, which is a rear wall.

The third wall <NUM> has a first surface or internal surface 23A and a second surface or external surface 23B, opposite to said first surface 23A.

The second wall <NUM> extends from said third wall <NUM>.

Furthermore, as already mentioned, said casing <NUM> has a first opening 20A, arranged on said first wall <NUM>, and a second opening 20B, arranged on said second wall <NUM>, and said second opening 20B is to be connected in use to said suction device <NUM>.

With reference to the position of said first opening 20A with respect to the reference axis X, said first opening 20A has a center A, which is spaced with respect to said reference axis X.

In other words, the reference axis X does not pass through the center A of said first opening 20A.

Said reference axis X is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first wall <NUM> of the casing <NUM>.

With reference to said one or more blades <NUM>, each blade <NUM> comprises a respective first lateral portion 24A facing said first wall <NUM>, in particular, the internal surface 21A of said first wall <NUM>.

Each blade <NUM> further comprises a respective second lateral portion 24B, facing the second wall <NUM>, in particular, the internal surface 22A of said second wall <NUM>, as well as a respective third lateral portion 24C, facing the third wall <NUM>, in particular the internal surface 23A of said third wall <NUM>.

A respective fourth side portion 24D of each blade <NUM> contacts a housing <NUM> (in particular a portion of the outer surface 29A of said housing <NUM>), in which the motor <NUM> for rotating the blades <NUM> is housed, as described further on.

Each blade <NUM> further comprises a respective first face <NUM> and a respective second face <NUM>, opposite to said first face <NUM>.

With particular reference to the lateral portions mentioned above, the second lateral portion 24B is perpendicular to the first lateral portion 24A, the third lateral portion 24C is perpendicular to the second lateral portion 24B, and opposite to the first lateral portion 24A and the fourth lateral portion 24D is perpendicular to the third side portion 24C and opposite the second side portion 24B.

In the first embodiment described, each blade <NUM> has the shape of a respective rectangle in a longitudinal section.

Therefore, a first short side of the rectangle faces the first wall <NUM> (i.e., the internal surface 21A of the first wall <NUM>), a first long side of the rectangle faces the second wall <NUM> (i.e., the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM>), and a second short side of the rectangle (opposite the first short side) faces the third wall <NUM> (i.e., the inner surface 23A of the third wall <NUM>).

The second long side of the rectangle contacts the outer surface 29A of the housing <NUM>, in which the motor <NUM> is housed, as described further on.

Consequently, each cutting element <NUM> is positioned on a respective first short side of said rectangle.

In the first embodiment described, the removing device <NUM> comprises a plurality of blades <NUM> and a plurality of cutting elements <NUM>.

It is preferable that the number of said cutting elements <NUM> is equal to the number of said blades <NUM>.

With reference to said cutting elements <NUM>, each cutting element <NUM> is positioned on a respective blade <NUM>.

In particular, each cutting element <NUM> is positioned on a first lateral portion 24A of a respective blade <NUM>.

Advantageously, since each cutting element <NUM> is positioned on a respective first lateral portion 24A of a respective blade <NUM>, the rotation of the blades <NUM> causes the rotation of the cutting elements <NUM>.

The machining chips F are cut by said cutting elements <NUM>, and each machining chip is divided into a plurality of portions generated by the cut performed by said cutting elements.

An advantage due to the presence of a plurality of cutting elements <NUM> (in particular a cutting element <NUM> for each blade <NUM>) is given by the fact that said machining chips F are shredded and the portions derived from said cut machining chips have reduced dimensions, so that the second opening 20B of the casing <NUM> or the outlet duct <NUM> (mentioned later) is unlikely to be obstructed.

With particular reference to the suction device <NUM>, said suction device <NUM> is connected to the second opening 20B of the casing <NUM>, so that the machining chips F are sucked up and enter inside the removing device <NUM>.

Although it is not necessary, the suction device <NUM> can be included in said edgebanding machine <NUM>.

Furthermore, said removing device <NUM> comprises a first duct <NUM>, which is a first inlet duct, through which the machining chips F enter the casing <NUM> by means of suction.

<FIG> shows the removing device <NUM> and the suction device <NUM> connected to the removing device <NUM>.

In particular, the removing device <NUM> comprises an outlet duct <NUM>, which is positioned at the second opening 20B of the casing <NUM>.

The outlet duct <NUM> is connected to the suction device <NUM> through said duct <NUM>, so that a quantity of air and a quantity of machining chips F come out of the casing <NUM> of the removing device <NUM> when the suction device <NUM> is in use.

<FIG> respectively show a rear perspective view, a front view, and a top view of the removing device <NUM>.

<FIG> is an exploded view of the removing device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a side view of the removing device <NUM> to show the second opening 20B on the casing <NUM> of the removing device <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the first duct <NUM> is arranged on the casing <NUM>, in such a way that its outlet 26B is positioned in correspondence with the first opening 20A of the casing <NUM>.

The blades <NUM> of said plurality of blades are arranged radially inside the casing <NUM>.

The rotation of said blades <NUM> around said reference axis X (which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first wall <NUM>) defines a circumference.

The second opening 20B of the casing <NUM> (designed to allow the machining chips to exit the removing device <NUM>) is arranged on a first plane, perpendicular to said first wall <NUM>, and the first opening 20A (designed to allow the chips to process entering the removing device <NUM> and connected to the first duct <NUM>) is arranged on a second plane, perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to said first plane.

In the embodiment described, said casing <NUM> is shaped in such a way that said second opening 20B is above said first opening 20A and said reference axis X.

Furthermore, the rotation direction D of the blades <NUM> is a clockwise direction.

However, said casing <NUM> can be shaped in such a way that said second opening 20B is below said first opening 20A and said reference axis X, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, the rotation direction D of the blades <NUM> can be a counterclockwise direction.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second wall <NUM> comprises an end portion 223D perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first wall <NUM> and arranged on a plane perpendicular to a straight line tangent to the circumference defined by the rotation of said blades <NUM>.

The second opening 20B of the casing <NUM> is arranged on said end portion 223D.

With reference to the shape of the second wall <NUM>, said second wall <NUM> is shaped in such a way that a space S, present between the blades <NUM> and the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM>, forms a channel for the passage of the machining chips, in which the width of said channel tends to increase in the rotation direction D of said blades <NUM>, and said channel ends on the end portion 223D of the second wall <NUM> of the casing <NUM>.

In other words, the channel is formed by the space S present between the circumference defined by the rotation of the blades <NUM> and the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM>.

Advantageously, when the blades <NUM> rotate in the rotation direction D, the machining chips F entering the casing <NUM> are conveyed by the rotation of the blades <NUM>, through said channel, towards the second opening 20B positioned on said end portion 223D.

The distance between the blades <NUM> and the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM> (in particular the distance between the second lateral portion 24B of the blades <NUM> and the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM>) tends to increase along the rotation direction D of the blades <NUM>.

Consequently, the width of the space S between the blades <NUM> and the inner surface 22A of the second wall <NUM> increases along the rotation direction D of the blades themselves towards the end portion 223D of the casing <NUM>.

In particular, the removing device has a radius of curvature CR defined by the distance between the reference axis X and the internal surface 22A of the second wall <NUM>.

As shown in particular in <FIG>, with reference to the shape of the second wall <NUM>, in longitudinal section said second wall <NUM> comprises not only the end portion 223D but also the following portions arranged in succession:.

The third portion 223C precedes, in the rotation direction D of the blades, the end portion 223D, on which the second opening 20B is arranged.

A fifth portion 223E with a rectilinear shape connects said end portion 223D to the first portion 223A.

Since the space S between the blades <NUM> and the inner surface 22A of the second wall <NUM> tends to increase in the rotation direction D of the blades <NUM>, the radius of curvature CR tends to increase in the rotation direction D of the blades <NUM> from said first portion 223A to said third portion 223C.

The space S between the blades <NUM> and the inner surface 22A of the second wall <NUM> comprises a plurality of portions:.

Consequently, the width of the channel formed by said space S gradually increases from the first portion 223A to the third portion 223C of the casing <NUM>.

With such a shape of the second wall <NUM> it is possible to obtain a greater suction effect than with a suction effect of a known type of removing device.

However, said second wall <NUM> can have any shape, for example a circular or substantially circular shape, without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the first embodiment described, the first lateral portion 24A of each blade <NUM> has a first length and each cutting element <NUM> has a second length equal to said first length, so that each cutting element <NUM> is completely overlapped on a respective first lateral portion 24A of a respective blade <NUM>.

Furthermore, the removing device <NUM> comprises a motor <NUM>, preferably an electric motor, for rotating said blades <NUM> about said reference axis X.

Said removing device <NUM> comprises a housing <NUM>, in which said motor <NUM> is housed, arranged inside the casing <NUM> in such a way that said reference axis X passes through said housing <NUM>.

In particular, said housing <NUM> has a center and said reference axis X passes through said center.

Advantageously, the fact that the motor <NUM> is housed in said housing <NUM> allows the removing device <NUM> to have a reduced size compared to a removing device of the known type.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, said housing <NUM> has an outer surface 29A, and the blades <NUM> extend from said housing <NUM> outwards in a radial direction.

As stated above, each blade <NUM> has a side portion 24D (i.e., the fourth side portion), which contacts the outer surface 29A of the housing <NUM>.

Accordingly, each blade <NUM> extends from the outer surface 29A of the housing <NUM> outward, in a radial direction.

In the first embodiment described, said housing <NUM> occupies a substantially central position with respect to the casing.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment described, the housing <NUM> has a cylindrical shape.

<FIG> shows an application example of the removing device <NUM> of the edgebanding machine <NUM>.

In the example described, said machining unit R is an edge scraping group.

An edging tape N has been applied to a side portion of a panel P and is finished by means of said edge scraping group R (whose respective cutting element can be seen in <FIG>) to eliminate the surface irregularities present on the lower end portion of the edging tape itself.

In order to eliminate said surface irregularities, said edge scraping group R is equipped with a cutting element.

The removal of said surface irregularities by means of said edge scraping group R creates a machining chip F, which is sucked up by the removing device <NUM>.

As can be seen from <FIG>, the removing device <NUM> is positioned close to the edging tape N applied on the panel P, so that each machining chip F easily enters the removing device <NUM> when the suction device <NUM> is in use.

In the example described, a suction head <NUM> is connected to the inlet 26A of the first duct <NUM> of the removing device <NUM> to facilitate the suction of the machining waste F.

<FIG> show a variant of the edgebanding machine <NUM>, in which the first length of the first lateral portions 24A of the blades <NUM> is different from the second length of the cutting elements <NUM>.

In particular, the first lateral portion 24A of each blade <NUM> has a first length and each cutting element <NUM> has a second length, greater than said first length, so that each cutting element <NUM> is partially superimposed on a respective first lateral portion 24A of a respective blade <NUM>. A portion of each cutting element <NUM> protrudes with respect to the respective first lateral portion 24A of a respective blade <NUM> in a radial direction.

<FIG> show a second embodiment of the edgebanding machine <NUM>, in which the casing <NUM> of the removing device <NUM> has a third opening 20C arranged on the first wall <NUM>.

Said removing device <NUM> comprises a second duct <NUM> that is a second inlet duct, through which one or more further machining chips can enter inside the removing device <NUM> by means of suction.

Said second duct <NUM> is different from the first duct <NUM> and comprises:.

With reference to the third opening 20C, said third opening 20C has a center C, different from the center A of the first opening 20A and spaced from said reference axis X.

In other words, the reference axis X does not pass through the center C of said third opening 20C.

Although not shown in the Figures, said second inlet duct can be connected to said edge scraping group.

Although not shown in the Figures, said edgebanding machine <NUM> can comprise a cyclone separator for separating said one or more machining chips F from a quantity of air.

Said cyclone separator has at least a first inlet connected to said removing device <NUM> and a first outlet to be connected in use to the suction device <NUM>.

In particular, said cyclone separator has a first outlet connected to the outlet duct <NUM> of the removing device <NUM>.

Furthermore, the edgebanding machine <NUM> can include a container for collecting the machining chips F.

In particular, said cyclone separator has a second outlet (different from said first outlet), and said container has an inlet, connected to said second outlet, for receiving the machining chips which are separated by a quantity of air through the cyclone separator.

After the machining chips are separated from said quantity of air by means of the cyclone separator, said machining chips F fall by gravity inside said container.

Advantageously, the edgebanding machine <NUM> object of the invention is equipped with a removing device <NUM> for effectively removing machining chips.

The structure of the removing device <NUM> is simple and is designed for the strong suction power to be high.

A further advantage is given by the fact that the removing device <NUM> has a small size.

Claim 1:
Edgebanding machine (<NUM>) for applying an edging tape on at least one panel (P), comprising:
- at least one working group (R) for working a portion of said edging tape (N) or a surface portion of said panel (P), so that one or more machining chips (F) are created,
- at least one removing device (<NUM>) for removing said one or more machining chips (F) by suction, wherein said removing device (<NUM>) is connected to said working group (R) and comprises:
a casing (<NUM>) comprising a first wall (<NUM>) and a second wall (<NUM>), different from said first wall (<NUM>), wherein said casing (<NUM>) has a first opening (20A), arranged on said first wall (<NUM>), and a second opening (20B), arranged on said second wall (<NUM>), to be connected in use with a suction device (<NUM>),
one or more blades (<NUM>) arranged inside said casing (<NUM>) for rotating around a reference axis (X) in a rotation direction (D), said reference axis being perpendicular or
substantially perpendicular to said first wall (<NUM>),
at least one cutting element (<NUM>) for cutting said one or more machining chips (F), positioned on a blade (<NUM>) of said one or more blades (<NUM>), so that the rotation of said one or more blades (<NUM>) causes the rotation of said at least one cutting element (<NUM>),
wherein
said first opening (20A) has a center (A) spaced from said reference axis (X),
wherein
said removing device (<NUM>) is configured in such a way that, when said suction device (<NUM>) is connected to said removing device (<NUM>) and is in use, said one or more machining chips (F) enter said casing (<NUM>) through said first opening (20A) along a first direction being perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to said first wall (<NUM>),
are cut by said at least one cutting element (<NUM>) and exit from said casing (<NUM>) trough said second opening (20B) along a second direction, different from said first direction.