Workpiece Support of a Machine Tool for Flat Workpieces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020406400-A1
Application number	US-201816757913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Oct 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a workpiece support for a processing machine for flat workpieces, wherein the workpiece support has support elements forming a plurality of support points for the workpieces which span a workpiece support plane for the flat workpiece, wherein a transfer device for transferring at least one of the support elements from a first position into at least one further position is provided. At least one support element is thus configured to be transferred from the first position into the at least one further position even when a workpiece is loaded, by a movement parallel to the workpiece support plane. The disclosure also relates to a processing machine including such a workpiece support and a method for processing a workpiece.

First claim

1 . A workpiece support for a processing machine for flat workpieces, wherein the workpiece support includes support elements, each of which form a plurality of support points for the workpieces and which span a workpiece support plane for the flat workpiece, wherein a transfer device for transferring at least one of the support elements from a first position into at least one further position is provided, wherein at least one support element is configured to be transferred under load of a workpiece by a movement parallel to the workpiece support plane from the first position into the at least one further position, wherein:
the at least one support element has an axis of rotation around which the at least one support element is rotatable, wherein the axis of rotation is aligned parallel to the workpiece support plane; and the entire workpiece support is displaceable along the plane.

2 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support elements each have an axis of rotation around which the respective support element is rotatable, wherein the axes of rotation are aligned parallel to the workpiece support plane.

3 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , wherein the support points of the at least one support element are equipped with a friction-reducing coating selected from a group comprising molybdenum coating, molybdenum sulfide coating, graphite coating, diamond coatings, plastic coatings and ceramic coatings.

4 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , further comprising a workpiece fixing device configured for fixing the flat workpiece.

5 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element is circular cylindrical, and wherein the support points are formed on a cylindrical outer surface of the at least one support element.

6 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , further comprising for detecting at least one support element in a work area of a tool of the processing machine, which forward detection data to the transfer device in order to initiate a transfer of the at least one support element from a first position to at least one further position.

7 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the support elements has a plurality of disc sections arranged at a distance from one another, the disc sections being arranged on a common axis of rotation, wherein the support points are formed circumferentially on the disc sections of the at least one support element.

8 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two adjacent support elements connected to one another in a spring-loaded manner.

9 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one recess element for a tool of the processing machine, wherein the at least one recess element is displaceable relative to the workpiece support plane for transferring at least one of the support elements.

10 . The workpiece support according to claim 1 , wherein at least one support element is designed to be magnetic or magnetisable and the at least one support element is arranged to be transferred by means of a displaceable magnetising device as a transfer device along a plane running parallel to that of the workpiece support plane.

11 . A processing machine for flat workpieces comprising:
a workpiece support for a processing machine for flat workpieces, the workpiece support comprising support elements, each of which form a plurality of support points for the workpieces and which span a workpiece support plane for the flat workpiece; a transfer device for transferring at least one of the support elements from a first position into at least one further position is provided, wherein:
at least one support element is configured to be transferred under load of a workpiece by a movement parallel to the workpiece support plane from the first position into the at least one further position;
the at least one support element has an axis of rotation around which the at least one support element is rotatable; and
the axis of rotation is aligned parallel to the workpiece support plane; and an entire workpiece support is displaceable along the plane,
at least one tool for processing the flat workpiece, the tool being displaceable relative to the workpiece support.

12 . A method for processing a flat workpiece using a processing machine comprising the steps of:
providing a workpiece support for a processing machine for flat workpieces, the workpiece support comprising support elements, each of which form a plurality of support points for the workpieces and which span a workpiece support plane for the flat workpiece; providing a transfer device for transferring at least one of the support elements from a first position into at least one further position is provided, wherein: providing at least one support element is configured to be transferred under load of a workpiece by a movement parallel to the workpiece support plane from the first position into the at least one further position;
i. wherein the at least one support element has an axis of rotation around which the at least one support element is rotatable; and
ii. wherein the axis of rotation is aligned parallel to the workpiece support plane; and an entire workpiece support is displaceable along the plane,
providing at least one tool for processing the flat workpiece, the tool being displaceable relative to the workpiece support;
positioning the flat workpiece to be processed on the workpiece support;
positioning of the tool for processing the flat workpiece ( 24 ; 124 ; 224 ); and
at least one of transferring and moving at least one of the support elements of the workpiece support along a plane that runs parallel to the workpiece support plane, starting from the work area, if at least one support element is determined in the work area of the tool, positioned for processing, of the processing head of the processing machine, the entire workpiece support being displaced along the plane; and execution of the processing process.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps of, after positioning the flat workpiece to be processed on the workpiece support, fixing the flat workpiece to be processed by means of the workpiece fixing device.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps of displacing the recess element for the tool relative to the workpiece support plane, wherein at least one support element is transferred from a first position into at least one further position.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps of providing a non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computer-based data processing units cause the step of at least one transferring or moving to be performed when the computer program is loaded or executed on the computer-based data processing unit.

16 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Bystronic Laser Ag

Inventors

• Stadler Peter
• Bossoni Sergio

Classifications

• B23K37/0461

  Welding tables · CPC title

• B23Q2240/002

  Flat workpieces · CPC title

• B23K2103/42

  Plastics other than composite materials · CPC title

• B23K26/38 Primary

  by boring or cutting · CPC title

• B23Q1/037

  comprising series of support elements whose relative distance is adjustable · CPC title