Abrading – Machine – Rotary tool
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2003-06-24
Wilson, Lee D. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Rotary tool
C451S288000, C451S287000, C451S451000, C451S455000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06582287
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a processing machine such as a grinding machine for grinding the rear surface of a semiconductor wafer or a cutting machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer and to a protective member used to protect required constituent elements in the processing machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The above processing machine such as a grinding machine or a cutting machine comprises a movable support means which can reciprocate between a first position and a second position and a reciprocating means for reciprocating the movable support means. There is generally provided a guide means extending in the reciprocating direction of the movable support means, and a to-be-guided means provided on the movable support means is slidably engaged with the guide means so that the movable support means can slide along the guide means. Either one of a processing tool such as a grinding wheel or cutting blade and a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is mounted to the movable support means. The processing tool mounted to the movable support means is applied to the workpiece by moving forward and/or backward the movable support means, or the processing tool is applied to the workpiece mounted to the movable support means to make desired processing on the workpiece by means of the processing tool. A typical example of the reciprocating means for reciprocating the movable support means comprises a male screw member extending in the reciprocating direction of the movable support means, a female screw member mounted to the movable support means and screwed with the male screw member, and a motor for turning the male screw member. A circulating ball is generally provided between the male screw of the male screw member and the female screw of the female screw member. The reciprocating means provided with the circulating ball is called “ball thread mechanism”.
When the workpiece is processed, namely, ground or cut by the processing tool, swarf is produced. If the swarf is adhered to the male screw member or the guide means, the smooth reciprocation of the movable support means is prevented. To cope with this, a bellows member for covering the male screw member and the guide means is arranged on the upstream side and/or downstream side when seen from the forward moving direction of the movable support means. The bellows member can be formed of cloth such as canvas cloth or a combination of cloth and a metal plate.
Therefore, the above bellows member is relatively expensive and the operation of exchanging it is not always easy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved processing machine which prevents swarf from adhering to constituent elements to be protected such as a male screw member and guide means by means of protective means which can be used in place of a bellows member or in addition to the bellows member, is very inexpensive and can be easily exchanged.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective member which can be used in place of a bellows member or in addition to the bellows member to protect required constituent elements of a processing machine, is much more inexpensive than the bellows member and can be easily exchanged.
The inventor of the present invention has found that the above principal object can be attained by a protective means from at least one protective member formed of a synthetic resin sheet or film which can be kept rolled in a free state that tensile force is not applied and can be unrolled when tensile force is applied. The protective member itself which attains the above object can be formed by rolling a synthetic resin sheet or film and heating it for a predetermined period of time in a state where it is rolled. In this specification, the synthetic resin sheet or film which can be kept rolled in a free state that tensile force is not applied and can be unrolled by applying tensile force is referred to as a “rolled sheet or film”.
That is, according to the present invention, there is provided a processing machine comprising a movable support means which can reciprocate between a first position and a second position and a reciprocating means for reciprocating the movable support means, either one of a processing tool and a workpiece being mounted to the movable support means, wherein
a protective means including at least one protective member formed of a synthetic sheet or film which can be kept rolled in a free state that tensile force is not applied and unrolled when tensile force is applied is provided on the upstream side and/or downstream side of the movable support means when seen from the forward moving direction from the first position to the second position of the movable support means, and the protective member is unrolled by the forward movement of the movable support member and rolled by the backward movement of the movable support member on the upstream side of the movable support means and/or rolled by the forward movement of the movable support member and unrolled by the backward movement of the movable support member on the downstream side of the movable support means.
The protective means is preferably provided on both upstream and downstream sides of the movable support means. In a preferred embodiment, there is generally provided a guide means extending in the reciprocating direction of the movable support means and a to-be-guided means to be slidably engaged with the guide means is provided on the movable support means, the reciprocating means comprises a male screw member extending in the reciprocating direction of the movable support means, a female screw member to be screwed with the male screw member and mounted to the movable support means and a motor for turning the male screw member, the protective means includes a main protective members located opposite to the male screw member and the guide means and two sub-protective members situated on both sides of the male screw member and the guide means, and the male screw member and the guide means are covered by the main protective members and the sub-protective members on three sides.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a protective member constituted by a synthetic resin or film which can be kept rolled in a free state that tensile force is not applied and can be unrolled when tensile force is applied, as the protective member for attaining the above object.
Preferably, the protective member is formed by folding back a synthetic resin sheet or film in two in a lengthwise direction, then rolling it from the folded portion and heating it for a predetermined period of time in a state where it is rolled. When this protective member is used in a processing machine, one end thereof can be fixed to the movable support means and the other end thereof can be fixed to the static member. The protective member may also be formed by fixing one end of a synthetic sheet or film to a support shaft, rolling the synthetic resin sheet or film round the support shaft and heating it for a predetermined period of time in a state where it is rolled. When this protective member is used in a processing machine, the support shaft can be rotatably mounted to the static member or the movable support means and the free end of the protective member can be fixed to the movable support means or the static member.
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Disco Corporation
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Wilson Lee D.
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