Curved plate machining apparatus, and method of manufacturing curved plate with machined outer circumference

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11090767-B2
Application number	US-201916414320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A machining apparatus for a curved plate includes a holder that holds a main surface of a curved plate having curved surfaces on both main surfaces; a machining device that machines an outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder; a movable frame that retains the machining device; a driver that moves the movable frame to move a machining point of the curved plate held by the holder; a controller that controls the driver; and a guide that guides the movable frame along the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machining apparatus for a curved plate, comprising:
a holder that holds a main surface of a curved plate having curved surfaces;
a machining device that machines an outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder;
a movable frame retaining the machining device with respect to the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder;
a driver that moves the movable frame such that the machining device retained by the movable frame moves a machining point of the curved plate held by the holder;
a controller comprising circuitry configured to control the driver such that the driver moves the movable frame along the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder; and
a guide that guides the movable frame along the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder such that the guide restricts a rotational motion of the movable frame pressed against the guide with respect to a moving direction of the movable frame.

2. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the guide restricts the rotational motion of the movable frame pressed against the guide with respect to a Y-direction and allows a rotational motion of the movable frame with respect to an X-direction and a rotational motion of the movable frame with respect to a Z-direction, where the Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, the Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and the X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

3. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the guide includes a plurality of guide surfaces configured to be brought into contact with the movable frame in a cross section perpendicular to a Y-direction, where the Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, a Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and an X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

4. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic deformer positioned between the movable frame and the driver such that the elastic deformer is elastically deformed by the driver and presses the movable frame against the guide by a restoration force from an elastic deformation of the elastic deformer.

5. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a deformation restrictor that restricts a deformation of the elastic deformer in the moving direction of the movable frame.

6. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a deformation restrictor that restricts a torsion of the elastic deformer with respect to an X-direction, where a Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, a Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and the X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

7. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a deformation restrictor that restricts a torsion of the elastic deformer with respect to a Z-direction the Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point.

8. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , wherein the elastic deformer includes an X-direction elastic deformer that elastically deforms by a translation of the movable frame with respect to the driver in an X-direction, where a Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, a Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and the X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

9. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , wherein the elastic deformer includes a Z-direction elastic deformer that elastically deforms by a translation of the movable frame with respect to the driver in the Z-direction, where a Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, the Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and an X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

10. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 4 , wherein the elastic deformer includes a θ direction elastic deformer that elastically deforms by the rotational motion of the movable frame with respect to the driver around a rotational axis parallel to a Y-direction, where the Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, a Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and an X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

11. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an X-direction position changer that moves an X-direction position of the machining device with respect to the movable frame, where a Y-direction is the moving direction of the movable frame, a Z-direction is a plate thickness direction of the curved plate held by the holder at the machining point, and the X-direction is a direction orthogonal to the Y-direction and to the Z-direction.

12. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the machining device includes a grinding device that grinds an outer periphery of the curved plate held by the holder.

13. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 12 , wherein the grinding device is a rotating grinding wheel that grinds the outer periphery of the curved plate held by the holder.

14. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the machining device cuts the curved plate held by the holder.

15. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 14 , wherein the machining device includes a cutting device that is pressed against the main surface of the curved plate held by the holder.

16. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 14 , wherein the machining device includes a light source that irradiates the main surface of the curved plate held by the holder with laser light.

17. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the machining device, the movable frame, the driver, and the controller are provided in a plurality of sets such that one machining device machines a part of the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder, and another machining device machines another part of the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder.

18. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of machining devices machines the outer circumference of the curved plate held by the holder over an entire periphery.

19. The machining apparatus for a curved plate according to claim 1 , wherein the driver and the controller are an industrial robot.

20. A method of manufacturing a curved plate with a machined outer circumference, comprising:
machining the outer circumference of the curved plate by the machining apparatus of claim 1 .

21. A machining apparatus for a curved plate, comprising:
a holder that holds a main surface of a curved plate having curved surfac

Assignees

• Agc Inc

Inventors

• Ito Masabumi
• Watanabe Itsuro
• Ezura Hiroyuki
• Deguchi Masahiro
• Kato Keisuke

Classifications

• B24B17/02

  involving mechanical transmission means only · CPC title

• B23Q35/10

  mechanically only · CPC title

• C03B33/027

  Scoring tool holders; Driving mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B24B27/00

  Other grinding machines or devices · CPC title

• C03B33/09

  by thermal shock · CPC title