Processing apparatus for guiding workpiece using bellows with floating means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631745-B2
Application number	US-201414549852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A processing apparatus including an expansible and contractable bellows unit mounted on a workpiece holding unit for covering an area of movement of the workpiece holding unit in a feeding direction and a guide unit for guiding the expansion and contraction of the bellows unit in the feeding direction. The guide unit has an opening for allowing the movement of the workpiece holding unit in the feeding direction and a gutter extending in the feeding direction adjacent to the opening. The bellows unit has a bellows member having one end connected to the workpiece holding unit and the other end connected to the guide unit. The processing apparatus further includes a floating unit for floating the bellows member along the gutter of the guide unit in a noncontact manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing apparatus comprising:
workpiece holding means for holding a workpiece;
processing means for processing said workpiece held by said workpiece holding means;
feeding means for moving said workpiece holding means in a feeding direction;
bellows means mounted on said workpiece holding means for covering an area of movement of said workpiece holding means in said feeding direction, said bellows means being expansible and contractable in said feeding direction; and
guide means for guiding the expansion and contraction of said bellows means in said feeding direction;
said guide means having an opening for allowing the movement of said workpiece holding means in said feeding direction, a gutter extending in said feeding direction adjacent to said opening, and an end wall provided at an end of said opening in said feeding direction;
said bellows means having a first connecting member connected to said workpiece holding means, a second connecting member connected to said end wall of said guide means, and a bellows member extending between said first connecting member and said second connecting member;
said processing apparatus further including floating means for floating said bellows member along said gutter of said guide means in a noncontact manner,
wherein said floating means includes a magnet rail extending along said gutter in said feeding direction and a floating magnet provided on said bellows member so as to be opposed to said magnet rail;
said magnet rail being composed of a plurality of magnets juxtaposed in said feeding direction, said plurality of magnets being oriented so that their N poles or S poles are opposed to said bellows member;
said floating magnet being opposed to said magnets of said magnet rail so that the poles having the same polarity face each other.

2. A processing apparatus comprising:
workpiece holding means for holding a workpiece;
processing means for processing said workpiece held by said workpiece holding means;
feeding means for moving said workpiece holding means in a feeding direction;
bellows means mounted on said workpiece holding means for covering an area of movement of said workpiece holding means in said feeding direction, said bellows means being expansible and contractable in said feeding direction; and
guide means for guiding the expansion and contraction of said bellows means in said feeding direction;
said guide means having an opening for allowing the movement of said workpiece holding means in said feeding direction, a gutter extending in said feeding direction adjacent to said opening, and an end wall provided at an end of said opening in said feeding direction;
said bellows means having a first connecting member connected to said workpiece holding means, a second connecting member connected to said end wall of said guide means, and a bellows member extending between said first connecting member and said second connecting member;
said processing apparatus further including floating means for floating said bellows member along said gutter of said guide means in a noncontact manner,
wherein said floating means includes an air discharge rail extending along said gutter in said feeding direction and a slider provided on said bellows member so as to be opposed to said air discharge rail;
said air discharge rail having a plurality of fine holes for discharging jets of air toward said slider.

Assignees

• Disco Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Shinichi
• Matsuyama Toshifumi
• Suwano Jun

Classifications

• H10P72/3204

  using magnetic elements · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• F16L11/11 Primary

  with corrugated wall · CPC title

• B23Q11/0816 Primary

  Foldable coverings, e.g. bellows · CPC title

• H01L21/67092

  Electricity · mapped topic