Flexible abrasive rotary tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906156-B2
Application number	US-201615758192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

An abrasive rotary tool includes a tool shank a flexible planar section positioned opposite the tool shank. The flexible planar section forms a first abrasive external surface on a first side of the flexible planar section and a second abrasive external surface on a second side of the flexible planar section. The flexible planar section facilitates abrading, corners of a workpiece across multiple angles relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool through bending of the flexible planar section when the abrasive external surfaces are applied to a corner of the workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An abrasive rotary tool comprising:
a tool shank defining an axis of rotation for the rotary tool; and
a flexible planar section positioned opposite the tool shank,
wherein the flexible planar section forms a first abrasive external surface on a first side of the flexible planar section, the first side of the flexible planar section facing generally away from the tool shank,
wherein the flexible planar section forms a second abrasive external surface on a second side of the flexible planar section, the second side of the flexible planar section facing in the general direction of the tool shank,
wherein the flexible planar section includes a set of non-overlapping, flexible flaps that include the abrasive external surfaces,
wherein the flexible planar section facilitates abrading, with the first abrasive external surface, a first corner adjacent to a first side of a workpiece across multiple angles relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool through bending of the flexible planar section when the first abrasive external surface is applied to the first corner of the workpiece, and
wherein the flexible planar section facilitates abrading, with the second abrasive external surface, a second corner adjacent to a second side of the workpiece, the second side of the workpiece opposing the first side of the workpiece, across multiple angles relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool through bending of the flexible planar section when the second abrasive external surface is applied to the second corner of the workpiece;
further comprising a cylindrical section attached to the tool shank, wherein the cylindrical section forms a third abrasive external surface surrounding the axis of rotation for the rotary tool,
wherein the cylindrical section facilitates abrading an edge of the workpiece between the first side of the workpiece and the second side of the workpiece while operating of the abrasive rotary tool from the tool shank, and
wherein the flexible planar section extends past the outer diameter of the cylindrical section relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool.

2. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the third abrasive external surface of cylindrical section provides at least two portions with different abrasive grain sizes from one another.

3. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the flexible planar section is a first flexible planar section, the abrasive rotary tool further comprising a second flexible planar section positioned between the tool shank and the cylindrical section,
wherein the second flexible planar section extends past the outer diameter of the cylindrical section relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool, wherein the second flexible planar section forms a fourth abrasive external surface on a first side of the second flexible planar section, the first side of the second flexible planar section facing generally away from the tool shank, wherein the second flexible planar section forms a fifth abrasive external surface on a second side of the second flexible planar section, the second side of the second flexible planar section being adjacent to the cylindrical section and facing in the general direction of the tool shank,
wherein the second flexible planar section facilitates abrading, with the fourth abrasive external surface, the first corner of the workpiece across multiple angles relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool through bending of the second flexible planar section when the fourth abrasive external surface is applied to the first corner of the workpiece, and
wherein the second flexible planar section facilitates abrading, with the fifth abrasive external surface, the second corner of the workpiece across multiple angles relative to the axis of rotation for the rotary tool through bending of the second flexible planar section when the fifth abrasive external surface is applied to the second corner of the workpiece.

4. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 3 , wherein the first abrasive external surface and the fourth abrasive external surface each provide larger abrasive grain sizes than each of the second abrasive external surface and the fifth abrasive external surface.

5. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 4 , wherein the third abrasive external surface of cylindrical section provides at least two portions with different abrasive grain sizes from one another.

6. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , further comprising an elastically compressible layer backing the third abrasive external surface of cylindrical section.

7. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface includes an abrasive coating.

8. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface includes an abrasive film.

9. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface includes an abrasive secured to a substrate of the tool with an epoxy.

10. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface provides an abrasive grain size of less than 20 micrometers.

11. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface provides an abrasive grain size of between about 10 micrometers and about 1 micrometer.

12. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface provides an abrasive grain size of about 2 micrometers.

13. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface includes a resin-bonded diamond abrasive.

14. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface provides a diamond agglomerate.

15. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface includes a TRIZACT patterned abrasive.

16. The abrasive rotary tool of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive of at least one of the first abrasive external surface and the second abrasive external surface comprises:
a resin;
a plurality of ceramic abrasive agglomerate dispersed in the resin, the ceramic abrasive agglomerate comprising individual abrasive particles dispersed in a porous ceramic matrix,
wherein at least a portion of the porous ceramic matrix comprises glassy ceramic material; and
metal particles dispersed in the resin.

17. An assembly comprising:
a CNC machine comprising computer controlled a rotary tool holder and a workpiece platform;
a workpiece representing partially-finished a cover glass for an electronic device secured to the workpiece platform, the cover glass forming at least one hole; and
an abrasive rotary tool according to claim 1 .

18. A method of abrading a surface of a hole in a partially-finished cover glass for an electronic device, the method comprising:
securing an abrasive rotary tool according to claim 1 within a rotary tool holder of a CNC machine; and
operating the CNC machine to abrade the surface of the hole in the cover glass

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Sventek Bruce A
• Baird David G
• Painter Adam J
• Engfer Tammy J
• Stapleton Dennis J

Classifications

• B24B5/313

  involving work-supporting means carrying several workpieces to be operated on in succession · CPC title

• B24D3/10 Primary

  for porous or cellular structure, e.g. for use with diamonds as abrasives · CPC title

• B24D11/02

  Backings, e.g. foils, webs, mesh fabrics · CPC title

• B24D3/18

  for porous or cellular structure · CPC title

• B24D13/12

  comprising assemblies of felted or spongy material, e.g. felt, steel wool, foamed latex · CPC title