Center shaft machining apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845159-B2
Application number	US-202217589099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2022
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A center shaft machining apparatus includes: a grinding structure that moves on a machining central axis while rotating about the machining central axis and machines an end surface on one end side of a workpiece arranged on the machining central axis; an end portion support structure that supports an opposite end side of the workpiece; and a shaft portion support structure that supports a shaft support portion set at an intermediate portion of the workpiece. The end portion support structure includes an eccentric mechanism capable of supporting an opposite end of the workpiece in a state where a workpiece central axis of the workpiece is eccentric with respect to the machining central axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A center shaft machining apparatus for re-machining a shaft workpiece formed as a rotating body centered around a workpiece central axis, the shaft workpiece including:
a first end portion having a first opening,
a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, and having a second opening,
an intermediate portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion, the second end portion, and the intermediate portion being located along the workpiece central axis,
wherein the shaft workpiece includes a distortion with respect to the workpiece central axis such that a center of the first opening does not coincide with a center of the second opening,
the center shaft machining apparatus comprising:
a grinding structure that moves along a machining central axis while rotating about the machining central axis and machines an end surface that defines the first opening of the first end portion of the shaft workpiece to form a machined first opening, the shaft workpiece being supported along the machining central axis;
an end support structure that supports the second end portion of the shaft workpiece; and
an intermediate support structure that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the shaft workpiece such that the workpiece central axis of the shaft workpiece coincides with or intersects the machining central axis, wherein
the end support structure includes an eccentric mechanism capable of supporting the second end portion of the shaft workpiece in a state where the workpiece central axis is eccentric with respect to the machining central axis by an eccentric amount based on the distortion of the shaft workpiece with respect to the workpiece central axis, and a rotating unit that rotates the eccentric mechanism about the machining central axis, and
wherein a straight line connecting a center of the machined first opening and the center of the second opening is reconstructed as a new workpiece central axis.

2. The center shaft machining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the intermediate support structure includes three or more abutting units capable of abutting on the intermediate portion, the abutting units being arranged at equiangular intervals about the machining central axis and radially movable about the machining central axis.

3. The center shaft machining apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the abutting units are biased and held radially inward toward the machining central axis using a biasing unit.

4. The center shaft machining apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the abutting units are arranged on C-shaped surfaces of base members each having a C-shape in plan view.

5. The center shaft machining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the intermediate support structure is configured to be vertically invertible between a normal posture where the intermediate portion is supported with the abutting units face upward toward the first end portion of the shaft workpiece and an inverted posture where the intermediate portion is supported with the abutting units face downward toward the second end portion of the shaft workpiece.

6. A center shaft machining apparatus for re-machining a shaft workpiece formed as a rotating body centered around a workpiece central axis, the shaft workpiece including:
a first end portion having a first opening,
a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, and having a second opening,
an intermediate portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion, the second end portion, and the intermediate portion being located along the workpiece central axis,
wherein the shaft workpiece includes a distortion with respect to the workpiece central axis such that a center of the first opening does not coincide with a center of the second opening,
the center shaft machining apparatus comprising:
a grinding structure that moves along a machining central axis while rotating about the machining central axis and machines an end surface that defines the first opening of the first end portion of the shaft workpiece to form a machined first opening, the shaft workpiece being supported along the machining central axis;
an end support structure that supports the second end portion of the shaft workpiece; and
an intermediate support structure that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the shaft workpiece such that the workpiece central axis of the shaft workpiece coincides with or intersects the machining central axis, wherein
the end support structure includes an eccentric mechanism capable of supporting the second end portion of the shaft workpiece in a state where the workpiece central axis is eccentric with respect to the machining central axis by an eccentric amount based on the distortion of the shaft workpiece with respect to the workpiece central axis, and a rotating unit that rotates the eccentric mechanism about the machining central axis,
wherein a straight line connecting a center of the machined first opening and the center of the second opening is reconstructed as a new workpiece central axis, and
the grinding structure includes:
an AE sensor that detects sound and vibration during grinding machining; and
a determination control unit that determines a grinding state from an output signal of the AE sensor.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hamamatsu Shinya
• Inamori Kazunari

Classifications

• B24B5/08 Primary

  involving a vertical tool spindle · CPC title

• B24B5/14

  for grinding conical surfaces, e.g. of centres · CPC title

• B24B5/185

  for internal surfaces · CPC title

• B24B5/35 Primary

  Accessories · CPC title

• B24B5/40

  for grinding tubes internally · CPC title