Work holders – With fluid means – Vacuum-type holding means
Patent
1997-10-14
1999-05-04
Eley, Timothy V.
Work holders
With fluid means
Vacuum-type holding means
269296, 269293, B25B 1100
Patent
active
058994459
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the machining arts and more particularly to a safety and control system for manipulating a workpiece above the surface of a vacuum bed worktable for machining while protecting the vacuum bed from damage during the machining process.
There are three vacuum clamping concepts presently known to the field, all of which rely on a vacuum source and an enclosure (vacuum bed) upon which the clamping device is located. The "vacuum bed", which may or may not be an integral part of the computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining center, creates a negative pressure environment and transfers it, via a series of holes, to its surface. In the following documentation, the term "vacuum bed" is understood to be the above described method of achieving vacuum.
The most common method of achieving vacuum clamping is to use a spoilboard. The spoilboard is secured to the vacuum bed and a series of holes are drilled (within the boundaries of a foam gasket) through it to allow vacuum pressure to be transferred to its surface from the vacuum chamber. Once the workpiece is securely held by vacuum pressure to the spoilboard, the CNC machining center can perform a varied number of operations such as routing, cutting or drilling. As the spoilboard is made of relatively inexpensive materials, any damage to the spoilboard would be negligible compared to the cost of repairing or replacing the vacuum bed itself.
The second method of achieving vacuum clamping is to use flip pods. Presently, there are two known variations of this application: the Effner flip pod system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,719 and the Carter flip pod system marketed by the Carter Company.
Each flip pod system includes a spoilboard having an array of cavities machined therethrough. Depending upon the size and shape of the workpiece which is to be machined and the machining process desired, a pod is selectively placed into each cavity in either its "deactivated" position (flush with its host spoilboard) or its "activated" position (elevated and sitting upon its host spoilboard). The pod is designed to sit flush with the surface of its host spoilboard cavity, and to create a seal, thus preventing the transfer of negative atmospheric pressure to the general atmosphere, when it is in its deactivated position. Prior to machining, the machine operator manually turns the pod over in a predetermined configuration to create an elevated clamping surface. Once the workpiece is placed on the activated pods, the vacuum pump is turned on, thereby creating a vacuum clamping action between the pod and the workpiece laid on it. Machining is then commenced in such a manner as to direct the tool path of the machining center through its milling process without coming in contact with the pods themselves.
The Effner and Carter flip pod systems have several disadvantages. This process is necessarily time-intensive since each pod must be manually activated or deactivated for machining. Also, these pods require a workpiece that is nearly straight in order to achieve vacuum. If a workpiece is warped, some pods will not make contact with the under surface of the workpiece. This has the undesired effect of either reducing the clamping force because of vacuum leakage or does not draw sufficient vacuum pressure to hold the part at all. Another disadvantage of the flip pod systems is their inability to accommodate many irregular shapes or small work pieces, and because of this they exclude a substantial market share of CNC manufacturing.
The third method of achieving vacuum clamping is the "pop-up" system. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,766 to Beeding. However, currently known "pop-up" systems such as Beeding are complex and prohibitively expensive compared to other systems.
The pop-up pod systems have the same general components and activation concepts and mechanisms. They are all placed within the vacuum bed or a vacuum container and are "activated" or "deactivated" in principally the s
REFERENCES:
patent: 4723766 (1988-02-01), Beeding
patent: 4805887 (1989-02-01), Ray
patent: 5553837 (1996-09-01), Kahle
Eley Timothy V.
Skinner Sinclair
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