Work holders – With fluid means – Vacuum-type holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-07-24
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Work holders
With fluid means
Vacuum-type holding means
C269S020000, C269S309000, C294S064200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264185
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suction pad adapted to be placed on a suction table of a machine tool for sucking and fixing a work piece.
2. Description of Background Art
The suction table of the machine tool used to position and fix a work piece such as a plank by sucking the work piece on a plurality of openings communicated with negative pressure generating means. In order to avoid the interference between cutting tools such as cutters and the suction table, suction pads are usually placed on the suction table to suck and fix the work piece. That is, the interference between the cutting tools and the suction table can be prevented by interposing the suction pads between the work and the suction table in order to form a space therebetween.
The suction pad of the prior art is connected to a suction hose also connected to the negative pressure generating means (one connected to the suction table or another one separately provided) to generate the negative pressure on the top surface of the suction pad for sucking and fixing the work piece thereon. The fixation of the suction pad to the suction table is carried out by using bolts or by fitting a portion of the suction pad to a guide portion formed in the suction table.
In such structure of the suction pad of the prior art, the working efficiency is lowered because of its requirement of additional cumbersome operations for preventing the twist or tangle of the suction hose connected to the suction pad during its fixation to the suction table as well as the mounting position of the suction pad is limited in a particular point defined by the bolt bores or the guide portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a suction pad which can be easily fixed to the suction table at any desirable position on the suction table without using any connecting means such as the suction hose which would cause troubles such as twist or tangle thereof.
According to claim
1
of the present invention, there is provided a suction pad adapted to be placed on a suction table formed therein a plurality of openings connected to a negative pressure generating means and also to be able to suck and fix a work piece placed on a top surface of the suction pad characterized in that the suction pad comprises a communicating passage for communicating said top surface with a bottom surface of the suction pad to be placed on a top surface of the suction table and for leading the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating means and applied to the openings of the suction table to the top surface of the suction pad when the suction pad is placed on any one of the openings of the suction table; and a magnet for attracting a plug for normally closing each of the openings of the suction table to open the opening so as to communicate the negative pressure generating means with the communicating passage.
According to this structure, it is possible to apply the negative pressure onto the work piece placed on the top surface of the suction pad by connecting the communication passage to the negative pressure generating means via the plug within the opening attracted by the magnet when the suction pad is placed on any position on the suction table. Since the negative pressure also acts to suck and fix the suction pad onto the suction table, it is possible to eliminate any fixing means such as bolts or guiding means.
According to claim
2
of the present invention, said plug is a steel ball.
According to claim
3
of the present invention, there is arranged a suction actuating pin at the open end of the communicating passage at the side of the top surface, the suction actuating pin is adapted to close the communicating passage when the work piece is not placed on the top surface of the suction pad and to open the communicating passage when the work piece is placed on the suction pad.
According to this structure, it is possible to actuate the suction pad by connecting the communicating passage to the negative pressure generating means only when the work piece is placed on the suction pad.
According to claim
4
of the present invention, said magnet is a permanent magnet.
According to claim
5
of the present invention, a top surface of the suction table is made of steel.
According to this structure, it is possible to more securely fix the suction pad to the suction table with the aid of the attractive force of the magnet of the suction pad acting on the steel top surface of the suction table in addition to the suction force acting between the suction pad and the suction table.
According to claim
6
of the present invention, the suction pad is formed by an upper member of wood or plastics and a lower member of metal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4828304 (1989-05-01), No et al.
patent: 5035409 (1991-07-01), Mulliner
patent: 5048804 (1991-09-01), Ito
patent: 5344202 (1994-09-01), Ramler
patent: 5738574 (1998-04-01), Tolles et al.
patent: 5853169 (1998-12-01), Hern et al.
patent: 5906363 (1999-05-01), Reis et al.
patent: 6056825 (2000-05-01), Sumnitsch
patent: 63-208459 (1988-08-01), None
Isobe Kazuo
Shoda Hiroshi
Hail III Joseph J.
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Shanley Daniel
Shoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
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