Electrochemical machining tool and electrochemical machining system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9403227-B2
Application number	US-201214343303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Nov 29, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An electrochemical machining tool includes a tool main body which includes an electrode having a tubular shape extending along an axis and formed of a conductive material having flexibility, the electrode through which an electrolyte flows toward a distal end side, and an insulating layer coated on an outer circumferential surface of the electrode so as to expose a distal end surface of the electrode. In the electrochemical machining tool, a hole part serving as a fluid discharge part configured to discharge the electrolyte flowing through inside of the electrode toward the outside in the radial direction of the tool main body is formed at a portion of a position in the circumferential direction of the tool main body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemical machining tool comprising:
a tool main body which comprises
an electrode having a tubular shape extending along an axis and formed of a conductive material having flexibility, the electrode being capable of flowing an electrolyte through an inside of the electrode toward a distal end side, and
an insulating layer coated on an outer circumferential surface of the electrode so as to expose a distal end surface of the electrode,

wherein a fluid discharge part configured to discharge the electrolyte flowing through the inside of the electrode toward an outside in a radial direction of the tool main body is formed at a portion of a position in a circumferential direction of the tool main body, and
wherein a non-insulating part configured to expose only part of an outer circumferential surface of the electrode to the outside in the radial direction is formed at a portion of an opposite side of the fluid discharge part at a position in the circumferential direction of the tool main body with the axis sandwiched therebetween.

2. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid discharge part is a hole part passing through the electrode and the insulating layer in the radial direction.

3. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid discharge part is a cutout part cut out from a distal end of the tool main body toward a rear end.

4. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the electrode at the portion of the opposite side of the fluid discharge part with the axis sandwiched therebetween is set to be larger than a thickness of the electrode at the portion of the fluid discharge part at the position in the circumferential direction of the electrode.

5. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , further comprising a distal end lid portion formed of a conductive material and configured to close a distal end opening of the electrode.

6. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 5 , wherein the distal end lid portion is stacked on the distal end surface to expose the portion of the fluid discharge part in the distal end surface of the electrode to the distal end side.

7. An electrochemical machining tool comprising a tool main body which comprises an electrode having a tubular shape extending along an axis and formed of a conductive material having flexibility, the electrode which is capable of flowing an electrolyte through an inside of the electrode toward a distal end side, and an insulating layer coated on only an outer circumferential surface of the electrode so as to expose a distal end surface of the electrode,
wherein a convex part protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the insulating layer toward an outside in a radial direction is formed at a portion in a circumferential direction of the tool main body, and
wherein a non-insulating part configured to expose only part of an outer circumferential surface of the electrode to the outside in the radial direction is formed at the distal end of the tool main body at a portion of an opposite side of the convex part at a position in the circumferential direction of the tool main body with the axis sandwiched therebetween.

8. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein the non-insulating part is formed at a position spaced apart from the distal end side of the tool main body to a rear end side of the tool main body.

9. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool main body is provided with a plurality of non-insulating parts formed to be spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the tool main body.

10. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tool main body is provided with a plurality of non-insulating parts formed to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the tool main body.

11. An electrochemical machining system comprising:
an electrochemical machining tool according to claim 1 ;
a guide unit configured to guide the electrochemical machining tool to a predetermined advancing direction with respect to a workpiece; and
a moving mechanism configured to move the electrochemical machining tool to advance.

12. An electrochemical machining tool comprising a tool main body which comprises an electrode having a tubular shape extending along an axis and formed of a conductive material having flexibility, the electrode which is capable of flowing an electrolyte through an inside of the electrode toward a distal end side, and an insulating layer coated on an outer circumferential surface of the electrode so as to expose a distal end surface of the electrode,
wherein a fluid discharge part configured to discharge the electrolyte flowing through the inside of the electrode toward an outside in a radial direction of the tool main body is formed at a portion of a position in a circumferential direction of the tool main body, and
wherein a thickness of the electrode at the portion of an opposite side of the fluid discharge part with the axis sandwiched therebetween is set to be larger than a thickness of the electrode at the portion of the fluid discharge part at the position in a circumferential direction of the electrode.

13. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 12 , wherein the fluid discharge part is a hole part passing through the electrode and the insulating layer in the radial direction.

14. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 12 , wherein the fluid discharge part is a cutout part cut out from a distal end of the tool main body toward a rear end.

15. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 12 , further comprising a distal end lid portion formed of a conductive material and configured to close a distal end opening of the electrode.

16. The electrochemical machining tool according to claim 15 , wherein the distal end lid portion is stacked on the distal end surface to expose the portion of the fluid discharge part in the distal end surface of the electrode to the distal end side.

17. An electrochemical machining system comprising:
an electrochemical machining tool according to claim 12 ;
a guide unit configured to guide the electrochemical machining tool to a predetermined advancing direction with respect to a workpiece; and
a moving mechanism configured to move the electrochemical machining tool to advance.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tamura Kazuhisa
• Mukai Yosuke
• Asano Shin
• KOBAYASHI Tetsuhei

Classifications

• B23H3/06

  Electrode material · CPC title

• B23H3/04 Primary

  Electrodes specially adapted therefor or their manufacture (B23H9/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23H9/14

  Making holes · CPC title

• B23H9/16

  using an electrolytic jet · CPC title

• B23H7/265

  Mounting of one or more thin electrodes · CPC title