Grinding tool

Abstract

A grinding tool is provided with a central plate (2) delimited by two end faces (4, 5) opposite one another, and an outer grinding wheel (11), which is mounted on the central plate (2), and extends around a longitudinal axis (3) of the central plate (2); the central plate (2) having a plurality of distribution channels (8), which extend between the longitudinal axis (3) and the outer grinding wheel (11), and are delimited by a bottom wall (6), which is defined by one of the end faces (4, 5), and has a curved shape, in particular a spherical shape, with a concavity facing the distribution channels (8).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000001194 filed on 23 January 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a grinding tool.

[0003] In particular, the present invention relates to a grinding tool of the type comprising a central plate, which has a longitudinal axis, and is axially delimited by two end faces opposite one another; and an outer annular grinding wheel, which is fixed on the central plate, and extends around the longitudinal axis.BACKGROUND

[0004] Generally, the outer grinding wheel is provided with an annular coupling flange, which radially projects towards the inside of the outer grinding wheel and is clamped against the central plate.

[0005] In use, the central plate is fixed to a drive shaft of a machine tool, normally a grinding machine, is rotated around its longitudinal axis, and is cooled, during the machining of stone, glass, metal components, by a cooling system comprising at least one nozzle configured to feed a flow of cooling water against a corresponding end face of the central plate.

[0006] As the flow of cooling water bounces off the corresponding end face of the central plate, known grinding tools of the type described above involve certain drawbacks mainly resulting from the fact that the outer grinding wheel is cooled with a relatively small amount of cooling water and that, as a result, the cooling system has a relatively low effectiveness and efficiency.

[0007] In addition, known grinding tools of the type described above further have the drawback that the horizontal or inclined orientation of the central plate results in cooling water collected on the corresponding end face of the central plate.SUMMARY

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a grinding tool that is free of the drawbacks described above and that is simple and cheap to implement.

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a grinding tool as claimed in the appended claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which show a nonlimiting embodiment thereof, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view, with parts removed for clarity's sake, of a preferred embodiment of the grinding tool of the present invention; Figures 2 and 3 are two schematic perspective views of a detail of the grinding tool in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal section of the detail in Figures 2 and 3. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0011] With reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, 1 denotes, as a whole, a grinding tool comprising a central plate 2, which has a longitudinal axis 3, and is configured to be clamped on a drive shaft (not shown) of a machine tool (not shown), for example a grinding machine.

[0012] In this case, the plate 2 is clamped on the drive shaft (not shown) by means of three clamping screws (not shown).

[0013] The plate 2 is axially delimited by two end faces 4, 5, opposite one another and face 4 comprises a central portion 6 having a curved shape, in particular a spherical shape, and a side annular portion 7 with a plane shape formed around the portion 6 itself.

[0014] The plate 2 is provided with a plurality of distribution channels 8, which are distributed around the axis 3, in particular evenly distributed around the axis 3, are formed on the portion 6, and extend between the axis 3 and the portion 7.

[0015] Each channel 8 has, in this specific case, a curved shape with a concavity facing the adjacent channel 8, is delimited by a bottom wall defined by the portion 6, and is also delimited by two side walls 9 axially projecting from the portion 6 itself.

[0016] With regard to the above, it should be specified that: the portion 6 has a curved shape with a concavity facing the channels 8; the walls 9 of the channels 8 are axially delimited by a single containing plane P perpendicular to the axis 3; and each channel 8 has a height H, measured parallel to the axis 3, decreasing along the channel 8 itself from the axis 3 to the portion 7.

[0017] According to a variant not shown, the channels 8 have a straight shape and radially extend between the axis 3 and the portion 7.

[0018] The plate 2 also has a central collector 10, which is formed between the channels 8, is substantially coaxial to the axis 3, and is axially delimited by the portion 6.

[0019] The grinding tool 1 further comprises an outer grinding wheel 11 made of abrasive material, which has an annular shape coaxial to the axis 3, extends around the axis 3 and channels 8, and is coupled to the portion 7 so as to axially project from the portion 7 itself.

[0020] According to a variant not shown, the portion 7 is eliminated and the grinding wheel 11 is provided with a coupling flange, which radially projects towards the inside of the grinding wheel 11 and is clamped against the plate 2.

[0021] In use, the grinding tool 1 is clamped on the aforementioned drive shaft (not shown) of the machine tool (not shown) and rotated around the axis 3.

[0022] When machining stone, glass, metal components, the grinding tool 1 is cooled by a cooling system (not shown) comprising at least one nozzle configured to feed a flow of cooling water against the face 4 of the plate 2.

[0023] The presence of the distribution channels 8 and collector 10 allows to direct the flow of cooling water directly to the outer grinding wheel 11 by exploiting the centrifugal force, to avoid cooling water bouncing off face 4, and to feed cooling water along the channels 8 from the collector 10 to the grinding wheel 11.

[0024] The height H of the channels 8 decreasing from the collector 10 to the grinding wheel 11 also allows to impart a helical motion to the cooling water around, and along, the mentioned axis 3 with a motion component around the axis 3 and a motion component parallel to the axis 3, thus ensuring a relatively high effectiveness and efficiency of the cooling system of the grinding wheel 11.

Claims

1. A grinding tool comprising a central plate (2), which has a longitudinal axis (3) and is axially delimited by two end faces (4, 5) opposite one another; and an outer annular grinding wheel (11), which is mounted on the central plate (2) and extends around the longitudinal axis (3); and characterized in that the central plate (2) has a plurality of distribution channels (8), which extend between the longitudinal axis (3) and the outer grinding wheel (11) and are delimited by a bottom wall (6), which is obtained on one of the end faces (4, 5) and has a curved shape, in particular a spherical shape, with a concavity facing the distribution channels (8).

2. The grinding tool according to claim 1, wherein each distribution channel (8) has a height (H), measured parallel to the longitudinal axis (3), decreasing along the distribution channel (8) from the longitudinal axis (3) to the outer grinding wheel (11).

3. The grinding tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the central plate (2) further has a central collector (10), which is obtained between the distribution channels (8), is substantially coaxial to the longitudinal axis (3) and is delimited by the bottom wall (6).

4. The grinding tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distribution channels (8) are axially delimited by one single containing plane (P), which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (3) .

5. The grinding tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distribution channels (8) are distributed around the longitudinal axis (3), have a substantially straight shape and radially extend between the longitudinal axis (3) and the outer grinding wheel (11) .

6. The grinding tool according to any one of the claims from 1 to 4, wherein the distribution channels (8) are distributed around the longitudinal axis (3) and each have a respective curved shape with a concavity facing the adjacent distribution channel (8).

7. The grinding tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central plate (2) has an annular coupling flange (7) extending around the distribution channels (8); the outer grinding wheel (11) being fixed to the coupling flange (7).

8. The grinding tool according to any one of the claims from 1 to 6, wherein the outer grinding wheel (11) has an annular coupling flange radially projecting towards the inside of the outer grinding wheel (11); the central plate (2) being fixed to the coupling flange of the outer grinding wheel (11).

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