Grinding device and pulverizing device

Abstract

In the polishing apparatus (10), a polishing mechanism (12) polishes a workpiece (W) to generate a polishing sheet (20A). Further, in a drainage mechanism (28), the polishing sheet (20A) is drained together with water into a pulverizing apparatus (50). Here, the pulverizing apparatus (50) pulverizes the polishing sheet (20A). Therefore, even if the polishing sheet (20A) is not recovered, it is possible to suppress clogging of the drainage mechanism (28).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a grinding apparatus for grinding workpieces and a crushing apparatus for crushing the grinding discs produced during grinding workpieces. Background Technology

[0002] In the machining system described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-142636, a rough grinding device and a fine grinding device grind the workpiece, generating machining chips.

[0003] In this processing system, when the outer periphery of the workpiece is formed into a thin wall, grinding the workpiece produces grinding discs that detach from the outer periphery. Therefore, when the drainage mechanism discharges the grinding discs along with water, a screen is needed to collect the grinding discs to prevent clogging of the drainage mechanism, and the grinding discs need to be removed from the screen periodically.

[0004] In the crushing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-236746, the crushing unit crushes polycrystalline silicon.

[0005] In this crushing apparatus, polysilicon is supplied to the crushing unit in the air by its own weight. Therefore, it is possible that the polysilicon may not be properly supplied to the crushing unit.

[0006] Furthermore, in this crushing device, polysilicon may break apart and scatter in the air. Therefore, it may be impossible to properly recover the polysilicon fragments. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above facts, the present invention aims to provide a grinding apparatus that can prevent clogging of the drainage mechanism even without recycling the grinding discs, and a pulverizing apparatus that can properly supply the grinding discs to the pulverizing mechanism.

[0008] The grinding apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention comprises: a grinding mechanism for grinding a workpiece; a drainage mechanism for discharging grinding discs generated by the grinding mechanism grinding the workpiece together with water; and a crushing device for crushing the grinding discs discharged by the drainage mechanism.

[0009] In the grinding apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the grinding mechanism grinds the workpiece to produce grinding discs. Furthermore, the drainage mechanism discharges the grinding discs along with water.

[0010] Here, the pulverizing device pulverizes the grinding discs discharged from the drainage mechanism. Therefore, even if the grinding discs are not recycled, clogging of the drainage mechanism can be prevented.

[0011] The second aspect of the present invention provides a crushing apparatus comprising: a supply unit that supplies abrasive discs produced by a grinding mechanism grinding a workpiece together with drainage from the grinding mechanism; and a crushing mechanism having a pair of crushing members, at least one of which rotates, wherein the abrasive discs in the drainage supplied by the supply unit are crushed between the pair of crushing members.

[0012] In the crushing apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the supply unit supplies abrasive discs generated by the grinding mechanism grinding a workpiece together with drainage from the grinding mechanism. Furthermore, in the crushing mechanism, at least one of a pair of crushing components rotates, and the abrasive discs in the drainage supplied by the supply unit are crushed between the pair of crushing components.

[0013] Here, as described above, the supply unit supplies the grinding discs along with the drainage from the grinding mechanism to the crushing mechanism. Therefore, the grinding discs can be properly supplied to the crushing mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a side view showing the grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the bottom wall of the discharge tank in the grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing a workpiece or the like in a grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4A This is a cross-sectional view showing the workpiece before grinding in the grinding apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4B This is a cross-sectional view showing the first stage of workpiece grinding in the grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4C This is a cross-sectional view showing the second stage of workpiece grinding in the grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the pulverizing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing the crushing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the tank unit of the pulverizing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing the pulverizing unit of the pulverizing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view showing the crushing unit of the crushing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the filter unit of the pulverizing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a side view of a grinding apparatus showing a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the pulverizing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view showing the crushing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a perspective view showing the pulverizing unit of the pulverizing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 This is a perspective view of a pulverizing mill representing a pulverizing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view of the pulverizing mortar of the pulverizing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] [First Implementation Method] exist Figure 1 The grinding apparatus 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown in a side view. Furthermore, in the drawing, the top of the grinding apparatus 10 is indicated by the arrow UP.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, the grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with a grinding mechanism 12, and a generally rectangular box-shaped base 14 serving as a mounting body is provided at the lower part of the grinding mechanism 12.

[0017] On the upper wall of the base 14, a generally cylindrical rotor 16, which serves as the rotating part, is supported in such a way that it can rotate around the central axis. The axial direction of the rotor 16 is formed in the vertical direction and penetrates the upper wall of the base 14.

[0018] On the upper side of the rotor 16, a circular plate-shaped chuck stage 18 serving as a holding part is fixed coaxially, and the chuck stage 18 rotates integrally with the rotor 16. Above the chuck stage 18, a circular plate-shaped porous suction cup 18A serving as an adsorption part is embedded coaxially, with its upper surface exposed on the upper side of the chuck stage 18. The porous suction cup 18A is made of a porous material such as alumina, and a vacuum source (not shown) serving as a suction source is connected to the lower surface of the porous suction cup 18A.

[0019] On the upper side of the porous chuck 18A, a workpiece W (refer to the figure) in the shape of a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer, is conveyed by a conveying device (illustration omitted). Figure 3The workpiece W is mounted on a coaxial surface. A roughly rectangular trimming section 20 (edge ​​trimming) is formed on the outer periphery of the workpiece W along its entire circumference, resulting in a thin-walled outer periphery. When the trimming section 20 is formed on the outer periphery of the workpiece W, the workpiece W rotates around its central axis, and the annular plate-shaped tool 22 also rotates around its central axis. Furthermore, the central axis of the tool 22 is perpendicular to the central axis of the workpiece W, and the outer periphery of the workpiece W is ground through contact with the tool 22 (see reference). Figure 3 When the workpiece W is placed on the upper side of the porous chuck 18A, the surface side (the side of the trimming section 20) of the workpiece W is positioned on the lower side (see reference). Figure 4A ).

[0020] A moving mechanism 24 is provided on the upper part of the grinding mechanism 12, and the moving mechanism 24 is fixed to the upper side of the base 14. The moving mechanism 24 supports the grinding machine 26 and moves the grinding machine 26 in the vertical direction. A circular plate-shaped grinding wheel 26A, which serves as the grinding part, is provided at the lower end of the grinding machine 26 and is horizontally arranged on the upper side of the chuck table 18. When the moving mechanism 24 moves the grinding machine 26 downward, the grinding wheel 26A moves to the workpiece W on the upper side of the chuck table 18 (perforated suction cup 18A). In addition, when the grinding machine 26 is working, the grinding wheel 26A rotates around the central axis.

[0021] A drainage mechanism 28 is provided in the grinding mechanism 12.

[0022] A rectangular cylindrical drain cylinder 30A is provided on the upper part of the grinding mechanism 12. The drain cylinder 30A is fixed to the upper side of the base 14 with the rotor 16 and the chuck worktable 18 housed inside. A bottom wall 30B is provided inside the drain cylinder 30A. The rotor 16 rotatably passes through the bottom wall 30B, and the bottom wall 30B and the rotor 16 are sealed together. The upper part of the drain cylinder 30A, including the bottom wall 30B, constitutes a drain bucket 30. A drain pipe 32 is connected to the lower side of the bottom wall 30B. The bottom wall 30B is inclined downwards towards the drain pipe 32, and the drain pipe 32 communicates with the inside of the drain bucket 30 (the upper side of the bottom wall 30B). The bottom wall 30B is embossed to form a plurality of protrusions 30C (see reference). Figure 2 Multiple protrusions 30C are evenly arranged at small intervals. The protrusions 30C protrude upwards, and the upper surface of the protrusions 30C is formed as a curved surface. The drain pipe 32 extends from inside the base 14 to outside the grinding mechanism 12, and the drain pipe 32 is arranged inclined downwards from the drain tank 30 side.

[0023] Inside the drain tank 30, a grinding water nozzle 34A of a grinding water supply mechanism 34 is provided on the upper side of the chuck worktable 18. The grinding water supply mechanism 34 supplies grinding water from the grinding water nozzle 34A to the workpiece W on the upper side of the chuck worktable 18. Inside the drain tank 30, a discharge water nozzle 36A of a discharge water supply mechanism 36 is provided on the upper side of the upper part of the bottom wall 30B. The discharge water supply mechanism 36 supplies discharge water from the discharge water nozzle 36A to the lower side along the bottom wall 30B.

[0024] A pulverizing device 50 is provided on the side of the grinding mechanism 12 (see reference). Figure 5 and Figure 6 ).

[0025] A tank unit 52 is provided on the upper part of the crushing device 50 (see reference). Figure 7 A generally cylindrical tank 54 is provided in tank unit 52, with the lower part of tank 54 tapering coaxially downwards. An upper wall is provided at the upper end of tank 54, enclosing the upper surface of tank 54. Inside tank 54, a cylindrical inner cylinder 56 is provided coaxially, and the inner cylinder 56 is fixed to the upper wall of tank 54. Two drain pipes 32 are branched and connected to the upper part of tank 54, with each branch of the drain pipe 32 opening in the same circumferential direction inside tank 54.

[0026] A crushing unit 58, which serves as a crushing mechanism, is provided on the lower side of the tank unit 52 (see reference). Figure 8 and Figure 9 The grinding unit 58 includes a roughly rectangular box-shaped grinding chamber 60. Inside the grinding chamber 60 is a roughly rectangular grinding chamber 60A. The side surfaces 60B of the grinding chamber 60A in the width direction are formed with arc-shaped cross-sections and protrude outwards in the width direction of the grinding chamber 60A. The lower end of a tank 54 is connected to the upper wall of the grinding chamber 60, and the grinding chamber 60A communicates with the inside of the tank 54.

[0027] A pair of generally cylindrical grinding rollers 62, serving as grinding components, are disposed within a grinding chamber 60A. The axial direction of the pair of grinding rollers 62 is parallel to the length direction of the grinding chamber 60A, and they are arranged in the width direction of the grinding chamber 60A. A very small gap is formed between the pair of grinding rollers 62, and the circumferential surfaces of each grinding roller 62 are arranged along the respective side surfaces 60B of the grinding chamber 60A. The pair of grinding rollers 62 are connected to a motor 66 via a gear mechanism 64. By driving the motor 66, the pair of grinding rollers 62 rotate in opposite directions, with each grinding roller 62 rotating in a direction that causes its upper part to face towards the space between the grinding rollers 62. The pair of grinding rollers 62 rotate at different speeds; for example, the rotational speed of one grinding roller 62 is twice that of the other. A plurality of rectangular plate-shaped stirring blades 62A, serving as water flow generating mechanisms, are integrally disposed on the outer circumference of both ends of the grinding rollers 62. The plurality of stirring blades 62A are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the grinding rollers 62 and are arranged perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the grinding rollers 62.

[0028] At the lower end of the grinding chamber 60, a plurality of spray holes 68A, which serve as water flow generating mechanisms, are formed on the lower side of one side 60B of the grinding chamber 60A. The plurality of spray holes 68A are equally spaced at positions inward of both ends of the grinding roller 62 along its axial direction. The lower ends of the spray holes 68A are positioned vertically on the lower surface of the grinding chamber 60A and open into the grinding chamber 60A parallel to its width direction. The spray mechanism 68 sprays water from the spray holes 68A toward the other side 60B at the lower end of the grinding chamber 60A.

[0029] A filter unit 70 is provided on the side of the tank unit 52 and the pulverizing unit 58 (see reference). Figure 10 A generally cylindrical discharge pipe 72 is provided in the filter unit 70. The upper part of the discharge pipe 72 passes through the lower part of the tank 54 and is inserted into the inner cylinder 56 of the tank 54, and the tank 54 and the discharge pipe 72 are sealed. The upper end of the discharge pipe 72 is formed into a discharge port 72A, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and is located on the lower side compared to the lower ends of each branch of the drain pipe 32. A bottomed cylindrical filter 74 is provided in the middle part of the discharge pipe 72. The interior of the filter 74 is open to the upper side of the discharge pipe 72 and closes the interior of the discharge pipe 72.

[0030] Next, the function of this embodiment will be explained.

[0031] In the grinding apparatus 10 with the above structure, in the grinding mechanism 12, the workpiece W is conveyed by the conveying device and placed coaxially on the upper side of the perforated chuck 18A on the chuck table 18. Furthermore, when the workpiece W is placed on the upper side of the perforated chuck 18A, the surface side of the workpiece W (the dressing section 20 side) is positioned on the lower side (see reference). Figure 4AThen, the vacuum source operates, and air (fluid) is drawn in through the porous chuck 18A, thereby creating a negative pressure between the porous chuck 18A and the workpiece W. On the upper surface of the porous chuck 18A, the workpiece W is adsorbed and held coaxially. Subsequently, the rotor 16 and the chuck stage 18 rotate, thereby rotating the workpiece W.

[0032] Next, the moving mechanism 24 moves the grinding machine 26 downward, and the grinding machine 26 operates, thereby moving the grinding wheel 26A of the grinding machine 26 onto the workpiece W. The circumferential surface of the grinding wheel 26A is arranged on the central axis of the workpiece W, and the grinding wheel 26A rotates. Therefore, the workpiece W is ground from the back side (opposite to the dressing section 20) by the grinding wheel 26A (see reference). Figure 4B When grinding workpiece W, the grinding water supply mechanism 34 supplies grinding water to workpiece W from the grinding water nozzle 34A. Therefore, workpiece W is cooled by the grinding water.

[0033] Furthermore, during the grinding of workpiece W, powdery grinding debris is generated. Moreover, since the outer periphery of workpiece W is formed into a thin wall due to the dressing section 20, when workpiece W is ground, the outer periphery of workpiece W detaches, producing grinding discs 20A (see reference). Figure 4C The grinding disc 20A is formed as an extremely thin-walled plate (sheet), and its length direction is bent in the direction of the plate surface.

[0034] The grinding shavings and grinding discs 20A generated during the grinding of workpiece W flow down into the drain tank 30 together with the grinding water from the grinding water nozzles 34A of the grinding water supply mechanism 34. Furthermore, during the grinding of workpiece W, the discharge water supply mechanism 36 supplies discharge water from the discharge water nozzles 36A to the bottom wall 30B of the drain tank 30. Therefore, the grinding discs 20A, along with the drainage (grinding waste liquid) which consists of grinding water, discharge water, and grinding shavings, flow down from the drain tank 30 into the drain pipe 32.

[0035] However, in the pulverizing device 50, the drainage flowing down the drain pipe 32 and the grinding discs 20A flow down from each branch of the drain pipe 32 into the tank 54 of the tank unit 52, and are supplied to the pulverizing chamber 60A in the pulverizing box 60 of the pulverizing unit 58. Therefore, the drainage accumulates in the pulverizing chamber 60A and the tank 54, and is discharged from the outlet 72A at the upper end of the discharge pipe 72 of the filter unit 70, so that the water level of the drainage is located in the vertical direction of the outlet 72A.

[0036] In the grinding chamber 60A, a pair of grinding rollers 62 rotate, and the grinding discs 20A in the drained water are fed between the grinding rollers 62 and pulverized between them, thereby forming grinding powder with a particle size of, for example, 10 μm to 50 μm. The grinding debris and grinding powder in the drained water are relatively light, so they float on the surface of the drained water, while the grinding discs 20A in the drained water are relatively heavy, so they do not float on the surface of the drained water.

[0037] Here, as described above, in the pulverizing apparatus 50, the tank 54 of the tank unit 52 supplies the grinding discs 20A together with the drainage from the grinding mechanism 12 to the pulverizing chamber 60A of the pulverizing unit 58 (pulverizing box 60). Therefore, the grinding discs 20A can be properly supplied to the pulverizing chamber 60A.

[0038] Furthermore, in the tank unit 52, each branch of the drain pipe 32 of the grinding mechanism 12 opens in the same circumferential direction within the tank 54. Therefore, by moving the drainage from each branch of the drain pipe 32 in the circumferential direction of the tank 54, the grinding disc 20A within the drainage can move well from the outer circumferential side to the inner circumferential side within the tank 54, thereby ensuring that the grinding disc 20A is well supplied to the grinding chamber 60A.

[0039] Furthermore, the upper part of the discharge pipe 72 is inserted into the inner cylinder 56 of the tank 54. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the grinding disc 20A in the drainage from the drain pipe 32 from being directly discharged into the discharge port 72A of the discharge pipe 72.

[0040] Furthermore, in the grinding chamber 60A, a pair of grinding rollers 62 rotate in opposite directions, with each grinding roller 62 rotating in a direction that causes its upper part to face towards the space between the grinding rollers 62. Therefore, the grinding discs 20A supplied from above to the space between the grinding rollers 62 are ground by the pressure between the grinding rollers 62, thereby enabling the grinding discs 20A to be effectively ground between the grinding rollers 62.

[0041] Furthermore, in the grinding chamber 60A, the rotational speeds of the pair of grinding rollers 62 are different. Therefore, it is possible to cut the grinding disc 20A between the grinding rollers 62 and to effectively grind the grinding disc 20A between the grinding rollers 62.

[0042] Furthermore, within the grinding chamber 60A, the agitator blades 62A at both axial ends of the grinding roller 62 rotate. Therefore, the agitator blades 62A cause the drainage from the grinding chamber 60A to generate a water flow towards the upper side between the grinding rollers 62, thereby enabling the grinding discs 20A in the drainage to move effectively to the upper side between the grinding rollers 62, and efficiently grinding the grinding discs 20A between the grinding rollers 62. Moreover, since the agitator blades 62A rotate integrally with the grinding roller 62, the structure for generating the water flow from the drainage is simplified.

[0043] Furthermore, the spraying mechanism 68 sprays water from the spray hole 68A on the lower side of one side 60B of the grinding chamber 60A toward the other side 60B towards the lower end of the grinding chamber 60A. Therefore, a water flow is generated from the lower side of the pair of grinding rollers 62, via the other side 60B, toward the upper side between the grinding rollers 62, enabling the grinding discs 20A in the drained water to move well to the upper side between the grinding rollers 62, and efficiently grinding the grinding discs 20A between the grinding rollers 62.

[0044] Furthermore, within tank 54, grinding debris and powder float on the surface of the drained water. The surface portion of the drained water is discharged from outlet 72A of discharge pipe 72, while the grinding debris and powder are discharged into discharge pipe 72 along with the drained water. Therefore, it is possible to prevent grinding discs 20A that do not float on the surface of the drained water from being discharged from outlet 72A of discharge pipe 72, and to prevent grinding discs 20A from settling at the discharge destination of the drained water in discharge pipe 72.

[0045] Furthermore, in the filter unit 70, the filter 74 inside the discharge pipe 72 allows the drainage discharged into the discharge pipe 72 to pass through, filtering out grinding debris and grinding powder in the drainage. Therefore, grinding debris and grinding powder can be removed from the drainage discharged from the discharge pipe 72.

[0046] Furthermore, as described above, the grinding disc 20A is pulverized in the pulverizing apparatus 50. Therefore, the pulverized grinding disc 20A can be discharged into the discharge pipe 72, and clogging of the drainage mechanism 28 can be prevented even if the grinding disc 20A is not recycled. Thus, it is not necessary to periodically remove the grinding disc 20A from the screen where it has been recycled, and downtime caused by the grinding process of the workpiece W can be suppressed.

[0047] Furthermore, when the workpiece W is ground to produce grinding discs 20A, the water supply mechanism 36 supplies discharge water from the water discharge nozzle 36A to the bottom wall 30B of the drain tank 30. Therefore, the grinding discs 20A can flow down from the drain tank 30 through the drain pipe 32 into the tank 54 along with the grinding water and the discharge water, effectively preventing the grinding discs 20A from remaining in the drain tank 30 and the drain pipe 32, and ensuring that the grinding discs 20A flow smoothly into the tank 54.

[0048] Furthermore, the drain water supply mechanism 36 supplies drain water to the bottom wall 30B of the drain tank 30 only during the time when the grinding disc 20A is generated during the grinding of the workpiece W. Therefore, the drain water supply mechanism 36 can supply drain water only when it is necessary to drain the grinding disc 20A, and can suppress the drain water supply mechanism 36 from supplying unnecessary drain water.

[0049] In addition, multiple protrusions 30C are provided on the bottom wall 30B of the drain tank 30 (see reference). Figure 2Therefore, the protrusion 30C can be used to prevent the grinding disc 20A from sticking to the bottom wall 30B, and the grinding disc 20A can be effectively prevented from remaining in the drain tank 30, so that the grinding disc 20A can flow smoothly into the tank 54.

[0050] Furthermore, the crushing device 50 and the grinding mechanism 12 are configured separately. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibrations caused by the operation of the crushing device 50 to the grinding mechanism 12, and to suppress the reduction of the grinding accuracy of the workpiece W (the thickness accuracy caused by the grinding of the workpiece W) by the grinding mechanism 12.

[0051] In addition, such as Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment (which may also be the second embodiment described below), the grinding device 50 may be provided on the grinding mechanism 12 by means of a predetermined number of supports 76 as mounting components. In this case, the supports 76 are made of rubber and are elastic. As a result, the vibration caused by the operation of the grinding device 50 can be suppressed from being transmitted to the grinding mechanism 12, and the reduction in the grinding accuracy of the workpiece W (the thickness accuracy caused by the grinding of the workpiece W) can be suppressed.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment (which may also be the second embodiment described below), the crushing device 50 can be operated even when the grinding mechanism 12 is not grinding the workpiece W. This effectively suppresses the reduction in the grinding accuracy (thickness accuracy caused by grinding the workpiece W) of the grinding mechanism 12 on the workpiece W due to vibrations caused by the operation of the crushing device 50.

[0053] [Second Implementation] Figure 12 The pulverizing apparatus 80 of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown in a perspective view. Figure 13 The crushing device 80 is shown in cross-sectional view.

[0054] The grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment has a structure that is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment described above, but differs in the following aspects.

[0055] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the grinding apparatus 10 of this embodiment has a generally cylindrical outer cylinder 82 in its pulverizing apparatus 80. An upper wall and a lower wall are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the outer cylinder 82, and the upper and lower surfaces of the outer cylinder 82 are closed by the upper and lower walls, respectively. The lower end of a drain pipe 32 from the grinding mechanism 12 is connected to the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82, and the lower end of the drain pipe 32 coaxially penetrates the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82.

[0056] Inside the upper part of the outer cylinder 82, a can 54, a can unit 52, is fixed coaxially. A gap is formed between the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82 and the upper end of the can 54. The outer circumferential surface of the can 54 is formed as a cylindrical surface, the inner circumferential surface of the upper part of the can 54 is formed as a cylindrical surface, and the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the can 54 is coaxially tapered as it faces downward. Inside the can 54, the lower end of a drain pipe 32 is inserted coaxially, and the lower end of the drain pipe 32 is positioned at the midpoint of the vertical direction of the can 54.

[0057] A pulverizing mill 84, serving as the first pulverizing mechanism, is provided on the upper side of the pulverizing unit 58 (see reference). Figure 14 and Figure 15 A ceramic, generally cylindrical outer mill 84A, serving as a pulverizing component, is provided in a pulverizing mill 84. The outer mill 84A is coaxially fixed to the lower side of a tank 54 and communicates internally with the tank 54. The middle portion of the outer mill 84A expands coaxially towards the lower direction, with the diameter of the lower end of the outer mill 84A being larger than the diameter of the upper end. Inside the outer mill 84A, a ceramic, generally cylindrical inner mill 84B, also serving as a pulverizing component, is coaxially arranged. The portion of the inner mill 84B, except for its lower part, narrows coaxially towards the upper direction. A gap is formed between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B, with the gap being extremely small in a portion between the middle portions of the outer and inner mills 84A and 84B. In addition, circumferential irregularities are formed, for example, on the inner peripheral surface of the middle part in the vertical direction of the outer mill 84A and the outer peripheral surface of the middle part in the vertical direction of the inner mill 84B.

[0058] A pulverizing mortar 86, serving as a second pulverizing mechanism, is provided on the lower side of the pulverizer 84 (see reference). Figure 14 and Figure 16 A ceramic, generally annular plate-shaped upper mortar 86A, serving as a pulverizing component, is disposed on the upper side of the pulverizing mortar 86. The upper mortar 86A is coaxially positioned on the lower side of the pulverizing mill 84. The upper mortar 86A is movable vertically relative to the outer mill 84A, and is subjected to downward force by a spring (not shown). On the lower side of the upper mortar 86A, a ceramic, generally annular plate-shaped lower mortar 86B, also serving as a pulverizing component, is disposed coaxially. The outer diameter of the lower mortar 86B is the same as that of the upper mortar 86A, and the inner diameter of the lower mortar 86B is smaller than that of the upper mortar 86A. The lower mortar 86B cannot move vertically, and its upper surface abuts against the lower surface of the upper mortar 86A by force. Furthermore, circumferential irregularities are formed, for example, on the lower surfaces of the upper mortar 86A and the upper surfaces of the lower mortar 86B.

[0059] On the inner circumference of the upper mortar 86A and lower mortar 86B of the pulverizing mortar 86, a generally bottomed cylindrical connecting cylinder 88 is coaxially arranged, with its interior opening downwards. The connecting cylinder 88 is fitted into the lower mortar 86B, and a gap is formed between it and the inner circumferential surface of the upper mortar 86A. The gap between the inner circumferential surface of the upper mortar 86A and the connecting cylinder 88 communicates with the gap between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B of the pulverizing mill 84. The connecting cylinder 88 is connected to a motor 66, and is also connected to the inner mill 84B and the lower mortar 86B. By driving the motor 66, the connecting cylinder 88, the inner mill 84B, and the lower mortar 86B rotate as a whole. The outer mill 84A and the upper mortar 86A, however, cannot rotate.

[0060] On the lower side of the lower mortar 86B, a generally annular plate-shaped stirring plate 90 is coaxially arranged, and the stirring plate 90 is located near the upper side of the lower wall of the outer cylinder 82. The stirring plate 90 is connected to the connecting cylinder 88, and the stirring plate 90 and the connecting cylinder 88 rotate integrally. On the lower part of the outer periphery of the stirring plate 90, a plurality of generally rectangular columnar stirring blades 90A are formed, which serve as water flow generating mechanisms, and the plurality of stirring blades 90A are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the stirring plate 90.

[0061] The upper end of the discharge pipe 72 of the filter unit 70 is connected to the upper part of the outer cylinder 82, and the discharge port 72A of the discharge pipe 72 is circumferentially open inside the outer cylinder 82. The lower end of the discharge port 72A is disposed on the lower side compared to the lower end of the drain pipe 32, and on the upper side compared to the lower end of the tank 54.

[0062] However, in the pulverizing device 80, the drainage flowing down the drain pipe 32 of the grinding mechanism 12 and the grinding discs 20A flow down from the lower end of the drain pipe 32 into the tank 54 of the tank unit 52. In the pulverizing unit 58, the drainage is supplied radially outward (inside the outer cylinder 82) between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B of the pulverizing mill 84, between the upper mortar 86A and the connecting cylinder 88 of the pulverizing mortar 86, and between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B. Therefore, the drainage accumulates in the outer cylinder 82 and is discharged from the outlet 72A at the upper end of the discharge pipe 72 of the filter unit 70, thereby the water level of the drainage is located in the vertical direction below the outlet 72A.

[0063] In the pulverizing mill 84, the inner mill 84B rotates, and the grinding discs 20A in the drained water are supplied between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B, where they are coarsely pulverized. Then, in the pulverizing mortar 86, the upper mortar 86A is subjected to downward force, and the lower mortar 86B rotates, supplying the grinding discs 20A in the drained water between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B, where they are finely pulverized, thus becoming grinding powder. Inside the outer cylinder 82, the grinding debris and grinding powder in the drained water are lighter and therefore float on the surface of the drained water, while the grinding discs 20A in the drained water are heavier and therefore do not float on the surface of the drained water.

[0064] Here, as described above, in the pulverizing apparatus 80, the tank 54 of the tank unit 52 supplies the grinding discs 20A, along with the drainage from the grinding mechanism 12, to the space between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B of the pulverizing mill 84 in the pulverizing unit 58, and between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B of the pulverizing mortar 86. Therefore, the grinding discs 20A can be appropriately supplied between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B, and between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B.

[0065] Furthermore, the lower end of the drain pipe 32 from the grinding mechanism 12 is inserted into the tank 54. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the grinding disc 20A in the drainage from the drain pipe 32 from being directly discharged into the discharge port 72A of the discharge pipe 72.

[0066] Furthermore, a gap is formed between the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82 and the upper end of the tank 54. Therefore, even assuming the water level in the drained water inside the tank 54 reaches the upper end of the tank 54, the drained water inside the tank 54 can be discharged to the outside of the tank 54 through the gap between the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82 and the upper end of the tank 54. Moreover, the abrasive discs 20A in the drained water inside the tank 54 do not float on the surface of the drained water, thus preventing the abrasive discs 20A inside the tank 54 from being discharged to the outside of the tank 54 through the gap between the upper wall of the outer cylinder 82 and the upper end of the tank 54 and discharged to the discharge port 72A of the discharge pipe 72.

[0067] Furthermore, in the grinding unit 58, the grinding disc 20A is coarsely ground between the outer mill 84A and the inner mill 84B of the grinding mill 84, and then finely ground between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B of the grinding mortar 86 to become grinding powder. Therefore, the grinding disc 20A can be effectively ground.

[0068] Furthermore, in the pulverizing unit 58, the inner mill 84B of the pulverizing mill 84 and the lower mortar 86B of the pulverizing mortar 86 rotate as a single unit. Therefore, even when the pulverizing mill 84 and the mortar 86 are provided in the pulverizing unit 58, the structure can be simplified.

[0069] Furthermore, near the upper side of the lower wall of the outer cylinder 82, the agitator blades 90A of the agitator plate 90 rotate. Therefore, the agitator blades 90A cause the drainage inside the outer cylinder 82 to flow from bottom to top, thereby enabling the grinding debris and grinding powder in the drainage to move effectively from bottom to top and to be efficiently discharged from the discharge port 72A of the discharge pipe 72. Moreover, since the agitator plate 90 rotates integrally with the inner mill 84B and the lower mill 86B, the structure for generating the drainage flow is simplified.

[0070] Furthermore, within the outer cylinder 82, grinding debris and powder float on the surface of the drained water. The surface portion of the drained water is discharged from the outlet 72A of the discharge pipe 72, while the grinding debris and powder are discharged into the discharge pipe 72 along with the drained water. Therefore, it is possible to prevent grinding discs 20A that do not float on the surface of the drained water from being discharged from the outlet 72A of the discharge pipe 72, and to prevent grinding discs 20A from settling at the discharge destination of the drained water in the discharge pipe 72.

[0071] Furthermore, in the filter unit 70, the filter 74 inside the discharge pipe 72 allows the drainage discharged into the discharge pipe 72 to pass through, filtering out grinding debris and grinding powder in the drainage. Therefore, grinding debris and grinding powder can be removed from the drainage discharged from the discharge pipe 72.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a displacement mechanism may be provided to displace the upper mortar 86A relative to the lower mortar 86B upwards within the mortar 86. For example, by providing a mechanism to release the downward force applied to the upper mortar 86A, the upper mortar 86A can be disengaged from the lower mortar 86B. In this case, the displacement mechanism displaces the upper mortar 86A upwards relative to the lower mortar 86B, thereby facilitating the removal of the grinding disc 20A, grinding debris, and grinding powder from between the upper mortar 86A and the lower mortar 86B. That is, maintainability can be improved.

Claims

1. A grinding apparatus, comprising: Grinding mechanism, which grinds the workpiece; A drainage mechanism that discharges the grinding discs produced by the grinding mechanism during the grinding of the workpiece along with water; and A crushing device that crushes the grinding discs discharged by the drainage mechanism.

2. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The crushing device is configured separately from the grinding mechanism.

3. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The crushing device operates when the grinding mechanism is not grinding the workpiece.

4. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The grinding apparatus includes: A grinding water supply mechanism supplies grinding water for grinding the workpiece, and a drainage mechanism discharges the grinding water; and A water supply mechanism supplies water for discharging the grinding discs, and a drainage mechanism discharges the water.

5. The grinding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, During the production of the grinding disc, the discharge water supply mechanism supplies the discharge water.

6. A pulverizing apparatus, comprising: The supply unit supplies grinding discs generated by the grinding mechanism during workpiece grinding, along with drainage water from the grinding mechanism; and A crushing mechanism having a pair of crushing components, at least one of which rotates, wherein the abrasive discs in the drain water supplied by the supply unit are crushed between the pair of crushing components.

7. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device includes a water flow generating mechanism, which causes the drainage to generate water flow, thereby moving the grinding disc or the pulverized grinding powder.

8. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The two crushing components rotate in opposite directions.

9. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device also includes another pair of pulverizing components disposed in the pulverizing mechanism, at least one of which rotates to pulverize the grinding disc between the other pair of pulverizing components, and one of the pair of pulverizing components rotates integrally with one of the other pair of pulverizing components.

10. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device includes a water flow generating mechanism, which rotates by the rotation of the pulverizing component, thereby causing the drainage to generate water flow and move the grinding disc or the pulverized grinding powder.

11. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device includes a water flow generating mechanism that causes the drainage to flow between the pair of pulverizing components, thereby moving the grinding discs.

12. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The water flow generating mechanism sprays water to generate water flow in the drainage.

13. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device has a discharge port that discharges the surface portion of the drained water and the pulverized grinding powder from the grinding disc.

14. The pulverizing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The pulverizing device includes a filter that allows the drainage discharged from the pulverizing mechanism to pass through and filter out the pulverized grinding powder.

Images