Cutting apparatus for cutting workpiece with cutting blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11404303-B2
Application number	US-202117149155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2021
Priority date	Feb 4, 2020
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece includes a cutting unit for cutting the workpiece with a cutting blade, a moving unit for moving the cutting unit, a delivery pad for delivering the workpiece, and a counterbalance assembly connected to the delivery pad, for applying a pull-up force to the delivery pad. The delivery pad holds the workpiece under suction while being mounted on the moving unit and delivers the workpiece by being moved by the moving unit while holding the workpiece under suction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece with a cutting blade, comprising:
a chuck table having an upwardly exposed holding surface, for holding the workpiece on the holding surface;
a cutting unit for cutting the workpiece held on the holding surface of the chuck table with the cutting blade that is mounted on a spindle;
a processing-feed unit for moving the chuck table in a processing-feed direction parallel to the holding surface between a processing area in which the workpiece is cut by the cutting blade and a loading/unloading area in which the workpiece is loaded and unloaded;
a moving unit for moving the cutting unit in an indexing-feed direction parallel to the holding surface and perpendicular to the processing-feed direction and a direction perpendicular to the holding surface;
a placing area disposed adjacent to the loading/unloading area, for placing the workpiece to be cut therein;
an unloading table for supporting the workpiece that has been cut, the unloading table being movable between an area directly above the loading/unloading area and an unloading area disposed adjacent to the loading/unloading area;
a delivery pad for delivering the workpiece to be cut that is placed in the placing area onto the chuck table that is positioned in the loading/unloading area and delivering the workpiece that has been cut that is placed on the chuck table to onto the unloading table; and
a counterbalance assembly connected to the delivery pad, for applying a pull-up force to the delivery pad,
wherein the delivery pad is detachably mounted on the moving unit in a standby area disposed adjacent to the loading/unloading area, holds the workpiece under suction while being mounted on the moving unit, and delivers the workpiece by being moved by the moving unit while holding the workpiece under suction.

2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a magnitude of the pull-up force applied to the delivery pad by the counterbalance assembly is equal to or smaller than a magnitude of a gravitational force imposed on the delivery pad.

3. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the counterbalance assembly includes
a fluid pressure cylinder having an end fixed to an upper portion of the delivery pad and housing part of a piston rod therein over a variable length, and

the fluid pressure cylinder is extensible and contractible by varying the variable length over which the part of the piston rod is housed in the fluid pressure cylinder.

4. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the counterbalance assembly includes
a fluid pressure cylinder having an end fixed to an upper portion of the delivery pad and housing part of a piston rod therein over a variable length, and

the fluid pressure cylinder is extensible and contractible by varying the variable length over which the part of the piston rod is housed in the fluid pressure cylinder.

Assignees

• Disco Corp

Inventors

• Fukuoka Takeomi

Classifications

• H10P72/78 Primary

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• B26D7/018 Primary

  Holding the work by suction · CPC title

• B26D7/04

  providing adjustable clamping pressure · CPC title

• B26D7/02

  with clamping means {(B26D7/018 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B28D5/0094

  the supporting or holding device being of the vacuum type · CPC title