Patent ID: 8277282

Claim:
An ultrasonic trimming apparatus comprising: an articulated robot constituted by rotatably connecting an additional arm to an end arm of a six-axis type robot to increase the number of joints to seven; the additional arm can be rotationally moved around the seventh axis by means of a motor connected to the additional arm; an ultrasonic oscillator which is supported by the additional arm of the articulated robot so as to vibrate in a direction of a rotation axis of the additional arm; a cutter blade which has a flat plate shape and is supported by the ultrasonic oscillator; and a workpiece securing portion which secures a workpiece, wherein the additional arm is rotatable such that the cutter blade is always directed in a cutting direction; a grinding member is disposed, separately from the articulated robot, within a movable range of said articulated robot and is capable of bringing said cutter blade into contact with said grinding member while ultrasonically vibrating said cutter blade; the cutter blade held attached to the articulated robot is capable of being moved to the position of the grinding member and positioned such that a plane containing the cutting edge thereof is parallel to the grinding member in the state in which the grinding member is brought into pressure contact with the cutter blade; and a fluid pressure cylinder which urges the grinding member toward the cutter blade; and further comprising a connection arm which has a bent portion and is provided between the end arm and the additional arm, and wherein a crossing angle of the end arm and an arm on a base portion side of the end arm is 15 degrees or more.