Patent Description:
In general, resin products are manufactured by injection molding, blow molding, or the like. In this case, because a workpiece is molded by using molds, unnecessary protrusions (burrs) are formed on surfaces of the workpiece.

Deburring apparatuses have been proposed for removing burrs or chamfering (hereinafter referred to as deburring) (for example, see <CIT> or <CIT>). There, and in <CIT>, the orientation of the profiling guide member needs to be adjusted while processing is continued as mentioned for the comparative examples in <FIG> and <FIG>.

<CIT> merely discloses the hand-held deburring tool and does not assume profiling processing itself.

However, for conventional deburring apparatuses, if the contact angle between the deburring tool and the workpiece changes, the deburring tool cannot follow the workpiece and perform uniform deburring. Hence, to continue deburring, the angle of the deburring tool needs to be changed. In addition, contraction, deformation, and strain of resin products make uniform deburring difficult.

An object of the present invention is to provide a deburring tool and a deburring apparatus capable of, when the contact angle between the deburring tool and the workpiece changes, following the portions to be deburred, and thus always capable of performing uniform deburring against contraction, deformation, and strain of resin products.

To solve the above problem, the present invention provides a deburring apparatus according to claim <NUM>.

The deburring apparatus includes a profiling guide member in which a cutting tool is inserted and fitted and that has an opening exposing a blade portion of the cutting tool, an opening edge portion of the opening includes a profiling guide portion expanding, in the circumferential direction of the profiling guide member, in a sector shape that is centered on the center axis of the profiling guide member, and the profiling guide portion is formed to have a conical shape.

Since in the present invention, the opening edge portion of the opening of the profiling guide member includes a profiling guide portion formed to have a conical shape, even when the contact angle between the deburring tool and a workpiece changes, the deburring tool can follow the portions to be deburred, making deburring easy. In addition, this makes it possible to always perform uniform deburring against contraction, deformation, and strain of resin products.

<FIG> is a side view of a deburring apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment.

The deburring apparatus <NUM> includes an articulated robot <NUM>. The articulated robot <NUM> is an arm robot and capable of moving in <NUM>-axis (J1 to J6) directions. The articulated robot <NUM> has an arm <NUM> having a distal end portion <NUM> to which a deburring tool <NUM> is attached.

Near the articulated robot <NUM> is fixed a workpiece placement jig <NUM>, on which a workpiece W to be processed is placed.

The deburring tool <NUM> includes a supporting tool <NUM>. The supporting tool <NUM> has one end fixed to the distal end portion <NUM> of the arm <NUM>. The supporting tool <NUM> has the other end to which a floating mechanism <NUM> is attached. The floating mechanism <NUM> includes a frame <NUM>, which has a lower end that supports a first slider <NUM> having an L-shaped cross section via a slide mechanism <NUM>.

The frame <NUM> supports an air cylinder <NUM>. The air cylinder <NUM> has a rod 57A having a distal end connected to the first slider <NUM>. The first slider <NUM> is reciprocated in the direction of arrow X by the expansion and contraction of the rod 57A of the air cylinder <NUM>. The urging force of the first slider <NUM> can be adjusted by adjustment of the air pressure.

The first slider <NUM> has a motor <NUM> attached to it. The motor <NUM> has an output shaft to which a cutting tool <NUM> is attached via a chuck <NUM>. The cutting tool <NUM> is, for example, an end mill. The cutting tool <NUM> is driven by the motor <NUM> and rotates at high speed. The cutting tool <NUM> is not limited to an end mill but may be any tool having blades around its peripheral surface. The cutting tool <NUM> is urged to the workpiece W with an appropriate urging force by the floating mechanism <NUM>.

The first slider <NUM> has a lower surface to which a second slider <NUM> is attached via an L-shaped member <NUM>. The second slider <NUM> includes a not-illustrated spring in its inside. The second slider <NUM> is supported by a not-illustrated spring and reciprocates in the direction of arrow Y within the range of a specified dimension.

The second slider <NUM> has a cylindrical navigation tool (hereinafter, a nav. tool, a profiling guide member) <NUM> attached to it. tool <NUM> is supported by the second slider <NUM> and is capable of reciprocating in the direction of arrow Y in the same manner as the second slider <NUM> does.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the nav. tool <NUM>, and <FIG> is a side view of the nav. tool <NUM>. The cutting tool <NUM> is inserted and coaxially fitted in the nav. tool <NUM>.

tool <NUM> has an opening <NUM> that exposes the blade portion of the cutting tool <NUM> around its peripheral surface. The opening <NUM> has a pair of opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM>.

tool <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, has a discharge hole <NUM> having an appropriate size for discharging chips, on the opposite side from the opening <NUM>. tool <NUM> is suitable for chamfering edge portions formed after molding a resin or the like.

The opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> extend in the circumferential direction of the cutting tool <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>. The opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> each include a profiling guide portion <NUM> located at the center portion and extending in the circumferential direction and recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM> located on both sides of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and extending in the circumferential direction.

<FIG> is a top view of the nav. tool <NUM>, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in <FIG>. The profiling guide portion <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, expands (opens) in a sector shape centered on the center axis P of the nav. tool <NUM> (cutting tool <NUM>) and having an opening angle θ1 of <NUM>°. The angle θ1 is within a range of <NUM>° ≤ θ1 ≤ <NUM>°. As illustrated in <FIG>, the profiling guide portion <NUM> is formed by cutting the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> such that the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> become a conical shape in side view. The shape of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is part of the conical shape, and the profiling guide portion <NUM> is formed to be a conical shape in side view.

The recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, expand on both sides of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and have opening angles θ2 and θ3 of <NUM>°, respectively.

The pair of opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> each expand at an opening angle of <NUM>° which is the combination of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and the recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM>. The sizes of angles θ1, θ2, and Θ3 may be changed as appropriate. But in consideration of the stiffness that the total of angles θ1, θ2, and Θ3 do not exceed <NUM>°. The shapes of the recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM> do not have to be conical shapes. The recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, may have curved surfaces close to flat surfaces.

In <FIG>, an imaginary line L10 indicates the tangent line of an inner end P10 of the profiling guide portion <NUM>. An imaginary line L20 indicates the tangent line of an inner end P20 of the profiling guide portion <NUM>. An imaginary line L11 and an imaginary line L21 extend inside the cutting tool <NUM> and parallel to the imaginary line L10 and the imaginary line L20, respectively.

The recessed portion <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, is formed by cutting the opening edge portion <NUM> or <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> so as to connect between an outer end point 45B of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and an end point 41B of the opening <NUM>. The end point 41B of the opening <NUM> is located on the extension line of the imaginary line L11. However, the end point 41B may be located on the extension line of the imaginary line L10.

Although illustration is omitted, the recessed portion <NUM> is formed by cutting the opening edge portion <NUM> or <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> so as to connect between an outer end point 45A of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and an end point 41A of the opening <NUM>. The end point 41A of the opening <NUM> is located on the extension line of the imaginary line L21. However, the end point 41A may be located on the extension line of the imaginary line L20.

The deburring apparatus <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, includes a control unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> performs orientation control of the cutting tool <NUM> (<FIG>). The control unit <NUM> is configured to receive teaching of positional data on a workpiece or the like. In a deburring or chamfering process, the orientation control of the cutting tool <NUM> is executed based on the teaching data.

Next, chamfering (deburring) of the workpiece W will be described.

First, by the orientation control of the articulated robot <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, the cutting tool <NUM> is positioned at a work surface M of the workpiece W to be deburred. The work surface M of the workpiece W enters between the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM>. In a deburring or chamfering process, the cutting tool <NUM> is pushed against the work surface M of the workpiece W by the floating mechanism <NUM>. In addition, the nav. tool <NUM> is moved by the second slider <NUM> in the direction of the rotation axis.

Thus, the profiling guide portion <NUM> is moved keeping in contact with the profile reference surface M1 of the workpiece W without coming apart from the profile reference surface M1 of the workpiece W.

Since in the present embodiment, the floating mechanism <NUM> keeps pressing the nav. tool <NUM> against the profile reference surface M1 of the workpiece W at a specified pressure, the portions to be deburred or chamfered can be removed accurately without being affected by the curved shape of the workpiece W or the like, even in the case in which the amount of heat contraction of the workpiece W is large.

In addition, since the second slider <NUM> allows the nav. tool <NUM> to move in the direction of the rotation axis, even in the case in which the shape of the workpiece W has a curved surface shape such as a warped or bent shape, the nav. tool <NUM> can follow this curved surface shape, so that burrs or the portions to be chamfered can be removed accurately.

Since the blade portion of the cutting tool <NUM> around its peripheral surface is exposed through the opening <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM>, when the nav. tool <NUM> starts coming in contact with the workpiece W, the cutting tool <NUM> cuts the work surface M of the workpiece W to remove burrs.

In the present embodiment, when the contact angle between the cutting tool <NUM> and the workpiece W changes in a deburring or chamfering process, the cutting tool <NUM> follows the work surface M of the workpiece W.

<FIG> illustrates, as an example, the case in which the work surface M of the workpiece W changes along a line L1. The arrow Q indicates the direction of progress during processing.

At position A, as illustrated in <FIG>, the center T1 of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W. At position B, as illustrated in <FIG>, the right end T2 of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W. In this case, the extension portion of the work surface M of the workpiece W enters the recessed portion <NUM>.

At position C, as illustrated in <FIG>, the center T1 of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W. At the position D, as illustrated in <FIG>, the left end T3 of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W. In this case, the extension portion of the work surface M of the workpiece W enters the recessed portion <NUM>.

At position E, as illustrated in <FIG>, the center T1 of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W.

For the first comparative example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the opening <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> does not have the profiling guide portion <NUM> but has a V-shaped groove <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, in the case of using the nav. tool <NUM> to cut the portions to be chamfered of the workpiece W, processing is possible around position A, position C, and position E because the nav. tool <NUM> is oriented to be perpendicular to the work surface M, as described with reference to <FIG>.

However, because the nav. tool <NUM> is not oriented to be perpendicular to the work surface M of the workpiece W around positions B and D, the orientation of the nav. tool <NUM> needs to be controlled to be perpendicular to the work surface M as illustrated in the figure.

In the present embodiment, in comparison to the first comparative example, the profiling guide portion <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> extends in its circumferential direction and has a conical shape, and thus in the case in which the contact angle between the cutting tool <NUM> and the workpiece W changes in a deburring or chamfering process, one of the portions in the profiling guide portion <NUM> (including, for example, the center T1, the right end T2, and the left end T3) comes in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W as illustrated in <FIG>, so that the cutting tool <NUM> can follow the work surface M.

Thus, it is possible to process the work surface M of the workpiece W easily with almost no orientation control of the nav. tool <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates, as an example, a case in which the work surface M of the workpiece W changes along a line L2 in the present embodiment. The line L2 is an approximately circular arc centered on point O. The arrow Q indicates the direction of progress during processing. <FIG> illustrates a second comparative example in which the opening <NUM> of the nav. tool <NUM> has a V-shaped groove <NUM> as in the first comparative example.

For the second comparative example (the V-shaped groove <NUM>), as illustrated in <FIG>, the orientation of the nav. tool <NUM> needs to be adjusted at all positions S1 to S6 such that the nav. tool <NUM> is oriented in the direction of the tangent line of the line L2.

In the present embodiment, the profiling guide portion <NUM> extends in the circumferential direction and has a conical shape. Thus, in the case in which the contact angle between the cutting tool <NUM> and the workpiece W changes in a deburring or chamfering process as illustrated in <FIG>, the center T1 or its vicinities of the profiling guide portion <NUM> is in contact with the work surface M of the workpiece W at all the positions (including, for example, position R1, position R2, and position R3). Thus, while processing is continued, it is possible to process the work surface M of the workpiece W without adjusting the orientation of the nav. tool <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate a nav. tool <NUM> according to a second embodiment, <FIG> is a perspective view of the nav. tool <NUM>, <FIG> is a side view of the nav. tool <NUM>, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in <FIG>. In <FIG>, the same portions as in <FIG> and <FIG> are denoted by the same signs, and description thereof is omitted.

The opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, each have a profiling guide portion <NUM> located at the center portion and extending in the circumferential direction and recessed portions <NUM> and <NUM> located on both sides of the profiling guide portion <NUM> and extending in the circumferential direction.

The recessed portion <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, is formed by cutting the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> along the tangent line direction of an inner end point 145B of the profiling guide portion <NUM>. The recessed portion <NUM> is formed by cutting the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM> along the tangent line direction of an inner end point 145A of the profiling guide portion <NUM>. In addition, at each end of the opening <NUM> is provided an auxiliary recessed portion <NUM> in a rectangular shape in side view so as to connect the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM>.

The auxiliary recessed portion <NUM> may have any shape that connects both ends of the opening edge portions <NUM> and <NUM>; thus, it is not limited to a rectangular one, but, for example, it may be an arc shape, an elliptical shape, or the like.

Since the second embodiment has the rectangular auxiliary recessed portions <NUM>, there can be wide margins for the work surface M of the workpiece W.

In <FIG>, the nav. tool <NUM> includes an opening <NUM> having the same configuration as in <FIG> and an opening <NUM> larger than the opening <NUM> at an interval in between in the axis direction. Depending on the size of the work surface M of the workpiece W, it is possible to selectively use the two openings <NUM> and <NUM>. Besides the two openings <NUM> and <NUM>, the opening <NUM> in <FIG> or the like may be combined with them.

In <FIG>, the nav. tool <NUM> has an opening <NUM> having the same configuration as in <FIG>. tool <NUM> also has a cut portion <NUM> at its distal end that exposes the blade portion of the cutting tool <NUM>. The cut portion <NUM> has an open distal end, but its shape is not limited to this one. The cut portion <NUM> may be formed at a center portion of the nav. tool <NUM> in the axis direction.

The cut portion <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>, has profiling surfaces <NUM> extending in the tangent line direction of the blade portion of the cutting tool <NUM>. The cut portion <NUM> is suitable for removing burrs formed at parting lines of resin molded parts or the like. Besides the opening <NUM> and the cut portion <NUM>, the opening <NUM> in <FIG> or the like may be combined with them.

The deburring apparatus <NUM> in the above embodiments includes the deburring tool <NUM> at the distal end portion <NUM> of the arm <NUM> of the articulated robot <NUM>. The above embodiments show configurations in which the cutting tool <NUM> of the deburring tool <NUM> is pressed against the workpiece W placed on the workpiece placement jig <NUM> to remove burrs of the workpiece W.

In the fourth embodiment, a deburring tool <NUM> is set near the articulated robot <NUM>. The deburring tool <NUM> is fixed to a fixing portion <NUM>. Although description is omitted, other detailed configurations are almost the same as those in the above embodiments. At the distal end portion <NUM> of the arm <NUM> of the articulated robot <NUM> is attached a chuck <NUM>, which holds the workpiece W.

In the fourth embodiment, the workpiece W held at the distal end portion <NUM> of the arm <NUM> of the articulated robot <NUM> is pressed against the deburring tool <NUM>, and thereby burrs of the workpiece W are removed.

Claim 1:
A deburring apparatus (<NUM>) comprising a deburring tool (<NUM>) at a distal end portion (<NUM>) of an arm (<NUM>) of an articulated robot (<NUM>);
wherein the deburring tool (<NUM>) includes a profiling guide member (<NUM>) in which a cutting tool (<NUM>) is inserted and fitted and that has an opening (<NUM>;<NUM>) exposing a blade portion of the cutting tool, wherein
each of opening edge portions (<NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>) of the opening includes
a profiling guide portion (<NUM>; <NUM>) and
recessed portions (<NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>) located on both sides of the profiling guide portion and extending in the circumferential direction,
wherein the deburring apparatus is configured to press the deburring tool against a workpiece (W) placed at a workpiece placement jig (<NUM>) so that the profiling guide portion (<NUM>) is moved keeping in contact with a profile reference surface (M1) of the workpiece, to remove burrs of the workpiece;
wherein the profiling guide portion expands, in the circumferential direction of the profiling guide member at an angle (θ1) of <NUM>°-<NUM>°, in a sector shape that is centered on the center axis (P) of the profiling guide member,
each of the recessed portions expands in the circumferential direction at an angle (θ2, Θ3) of <NUM>° centered on the center axis (P), the recessed portion being formed such that the opening edge portion is cut along at least the tangent line direction of an inner end point of the profiling guide portion, and
the profiling guide portion is formed to have a conical shape in side view.