Finishing unit provided with an adjustable set-up copying device

Abstract

The present invention refers to a finishing unit with an adjustable vertical set-up which allows the vertical position of the copying device with respect to the tool or, vice versa, of the tool with respect to the copying device to be automatically and / or remotely varied. An object of the present invention is therefore, in this context, to automate the fine vertical adjustment devices of the copying device with respect to the tool, or vice versa, of the tool with respect to the copying device as a function of both the machining tolerances and the management of multi-machining tool profiles, for which different corrections may be necessary depending on the selected machining. Another object of the present invention consists in creating a finishing unit with a vertical set-up that can be adjusted remotely and / or automatically, between copying device and tool or vice versa, which is structurally simple and reliable.

Description

[0001] Title: “Finishing unit provided with an adjustable set-up copying device”

[0002] Applicant: CASADEI INDUSTRIE WOOD S.r.l.

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] Field of the Invention

[0005] The present invention refers to a finishing unit provided with a copying device having an adjustable set-up. In particular, the present invention refers to a rounder provided with a copying device having a remotely and / or automatically adjustable set-up, to avoid production shutdowns in the complete processing of edged panels on edgebanders and squaring edgebanders.

[0006] State of the Art.

[0007] Nowadays, rounders equipped with variable set-up copying device are known, i.e. they have a relative position, with respect to the tool of the finishing unit, adjustable to take into account the clearances of the kinematic chain that connects the tool to the copying device and / or to compensate for the tool wear.

[0008] In particular, in known in the art two motors rounders, i.e. equipped with two mirrorimage independent units - tool and copying device - each with its own motor, the copying device position with respect to the tool can be reset to be optimized in the two opposing working positions of the finishing group, horizontally along the advancement direction (L) of the piece to be worked (or panel) to be machined.

[0009] These known in the art two-motor finishing units have a rounder which has a copying device mounted onto an arm which can oscillate or translate with respect to the tool between two limit positions substantially along this horizontal direction (L). These limit positions are defined by adjustable end stops to consistently establish the copying device position with respect to the tool, when the latter is in a machining setup.

[0010] When the finishing unit is in this set-up condition, i.e. the rounding unit is placed in contact with the first face of the piece to be worked, the copying device is moved by interaction with the piece to be worked itself and in contrast with elastic means, keeping it in a predefined intermediate position, until the travel end relating to a first working set-up is reached.

[0011] In this first working set-up, the contact point of the copying device with the first face to be machined is aligned with the contact point between the tool (for example, a milling cutter) and the face to be machined such that the tool machining (the milling cutter) allows a precise machining, without perceptible steps, between the first face and the piece to be obtained.

[0012] When the rounding unit is placed in a position such as to allow the second face of the piece to be to be worked, the copying device is brought into a second working set-up condition by interaction with this face and in contrast with the aforementioned elastic means. In this condition, the contact point of the copying device with the second face to be machined is aligned with the contact point between the tool (milling cutter) and this second face to be machined, so as to obtain a precise machining without perceptible steps in this case, too.

[0013] In other words, since the two copying device set-ups are pre-set with respect to the tool, the first one spontaneously assumes one or the other of these set-ups depending on the side of the rounding unit that is brought into contact with the piece to be worked, i.e. being it in contact with one or the other one of the faces to be machined. It is also known that it is possible to remotely and / or automatically vary the two described above copying device set-ups, simultaneously eliminating the action of the aforementioned elastic means and the interaction of the piece to be worked to move the copying device itself into the two pre-established positions.

[0014] Devices allowing multiple different processing geometries and multiple edge thicknesses to be simultaneously managed are also known in the art.

[0015] In each of the known described above solutions, the relative vertical position between the copying device and the tool is fixed, i.e. only manually adjustable by moving either the copying device or the motor on whose shaft the tool is firmly fixed.

[0016] A limitation of the aforementioned known in the art two-motor rounders, in the complete panel processing on edgebanders and squaring edgebanders, precisely consists in the fixed copying device vertical positioning, i.e. only manually adjustable, with respect to the tool or vice versa.

[0017] To better understand and describe such a limitation, it’s to be noted that the entire processing of an edge applied to a panel to be machined always requires the following characteristics: a) processing of the panel front face, or head, and of the panel rear face, or tail, must be always precise and therefore in perfect alignment with the relevant panel faces without perceptible steps; b) processing of the upper and lower panel faces must also be precise and therefore in perfect alignment with the relevant panel faces without perceptible steps; c) processing of the upper and lower panel face must leave a predefined surplus, compared to the relevant panel faces, for subsequent processing; d) type b) processing for the upper face and type c) processing for the lower face or vice versa. The European patent application no. EP 2.181.799A1 describes a trimming unit that can work (in a flat and parallel manner to the panel thickness, bevelled or radiused) the material strips previously fixed on the external edges of a panel having a plan profile with straight, curved or mixed straight-curved sides with constant thickness. However, in radius processing along the entire panel contour, the trimming unit described therein cannot perform neither the head processing of the strips at their ends, nor the processing of the radii intersection of two adjacent strips.

[0018] From the above reported processing characteristics, it can be seen that the known in the art copying devices provided with oscillating or translating movement satisfy a) processing characteristic, while to move from processing b) to processing c) or to processing d) characteristics, it is necessary to manually intervene on one or both the units, to vertically reposition the copying device or the tool through the motor onto which it is rigidly mounted.

[0019] The Applicant of the present invention has therefore found that the technical problem is to allow a precise remote and / or automatic optimal vertical repositioning of the copying devices with respect to the tool, or vice versa, or both, upon change from processing b) to processing c) or from processing b) to processing d) described above characteristics, without manual intervention, during normal production, even without any interruption between one panel being processed and the next one panel.

[0020] Therefore, the Applicant has faced the technical problem of how to effectively and economically create a finishing unit with a vertical set-up that can be remotely and / or automatically adjusted, between a copying device and a tool moving one or the other one or both of them, in order to find a solution to the limitation of the above described finished group by resolving the complained production shutdowns occurring when the above described known in the art rounders are used, wherein the manual adjustment of the relative vertical set-up between copying device and tool inevitably requires a production shutdown.

[0021] Summary of the Invention

[0022] In a first aspect, the present invention refers to a finishing unit such as that one indicated in claim 1.

[0023] The Applicant of the present application has in fact surprisingly found that the above highlighted technical problem can be effectively and reliably solved by means of a finishing unit for a piece to be worked equipped with:

[0024] - a frame;

[0025] - a copying device with variable vertical set-up integral with said frame;

[0026] - a motor fixed on said frame and equipped with a shaft arranged along a longitudinal axis Al of the motor;

[0027] - a tool integrally mounted on said shaft of the motor so that said shaft of the motor, when actuated, allows the rotation of said tool around said longitudinal axis Al,

[0028] - a guide portion arranged in such a way as to allow, during use of the finishing unit, the contact between said piece to be worked and said tool.

[0029] Furthermore, said finishing group also includes:

[0030] - a first driving device able to adjust the vertical position of said copying device with respect to said tool along an axis A2, orthogonal to said longitudinal axis Al; and / or,

[0031] - a second driving device adapted to adjust the vertical position of said motor with respect to said copying device along an axis A3, orthogonal to said longitudinal axis Al.

[0032] The copying device with variable vertical set-up integral with said frame is mounted on an oscillating arm supported by a support. Said copier is integral with said oscillating arm and its axis is at the same height as the axis Al; the oscillating arm has its fulcrum, integral with the support, arranged on an axis parallel to said tool axis Al and placed vertically below it along said axis A2. The arm can thus oscillate, substantially moving the copier horizontally in two pre- established positions. The movement of the copier therefore occurs from the contact of the head of the piece to be worked which advances with the copier itself in one direction, and from the contact of the copier itself with the tail of the piece to be worked which in this case occurs due to the fact that the entire copier chases the piece to be worked until reaching it.

[0033] In this way, in addition to leaving intact the functionality of the oscillating arm, the copying device vertical adjustment is also obtained, thus fulfilling the previously indicated b), c) and d) processing characteristics without production shutdowns due to interventions which manually occur nowadays.

[0034] Furthermore, in this way it is therefore possible to automate the fine vertical adjustment devices of the copying device with respect to the tool, or vice versa, of the tool with respect to the copying device based on both the machining tolerances and the management of multi-machining tool profiles, for which different corrections depending on the selected processing may be required.

[0035] Finally, in this way it is possible to create such a finishing unit that is structurally simple and reliable.

[0036] In particular, thanks to the presence of said oscillating arm, the finishing unit of the present invention can work in a flat and parallel manner to the piece to be worked (also called herein “panel”) thickness, bevelled or rounded, the material strips previously fixed on: a) four external panel edges having a square or rectangular plan profile with a constant thickness; or b) three external panel edges having a square or rectangular plan profile with a constant thickness on the three sides where the strips have been fixed, and the fourth side with a variable thickness creating at the end a shaping and / or profiling with a surface already finished that does not require the application of the stripes; or c) two opposing external panel edges having a square or rectangular plan profile with a constant thickness on the two sides where the strips are applied and the other two opposing sides with a variable thicknesses creating at each end shaping and / or profiling that are the same or different with an already finished surface that does not require the application of stripes. None of such processing was possible to be obtained using the trimming unit described in EP 2.181.799A1, not being provided with such an oscillating arm.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention further comprises: i) a first carriage integral with said support, and ii) a guide integral with said frame, along which said first carriage is able to translate, wherein said first driving device is able to adjust the vertical position of said first carriage along said axis A2 from a first position (S) to a second position (SI).

[0038] In this way, in the first position (S), a precise machining is obtained, perfectly aligned with the face of the piece to be worked without perceptible steps; furthermore, in the second position (SI), by decreasing the part removed by the tool, a precise machining is also obtained which fully generates the desired predefined surplus, compared to the relative faces of the piece to be worked itself, for subsequent machining.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention further comprises a second carriage able to support said shaft of the motor and to fix it on said frame, wherein said second driving device is able to adjust the vertical position of said second carriage along said axis (A3) from a first position (U) to a second position (Ul).

[0040] In this way, the vertical adjustment of the motor with respect to the copying device is further improved. According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention includes both said first driving device able to adjust the vertical position of said copying device with respect to said tool along a direction A2 and said second driving device able to adjust the vertical position of said motor with respect to said copying device.

[0041] In this way, a greater versatility and amount of adjustment is achieved.

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment, each of said first driving device and of said second driving device is remotely and / or automatically managed.

[0043] In this way, manual interventions to manage any maintenance interventions are eliminated, thus reducing or eliminating production shutdowns.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention also includes a solenoid valve suitable for remotely and / or automatically allowing the management of each of said first and second driving devices.

[0045] According to a preferred embodiment, each of said first driving device and of said second driving device is constituted by a pneumatic cylinder that can be activated by compressed air.

[0046] According to a first alternative embodiment, at least one of said first driving device and of said second driving device is constituted by a hydraulic cylinder or by an electric linear actuator, which can be activated by electrical energy.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention further comprises at least one external solenoid valve suitable for activating said pneumatic cylinder or said hydraulic cylinder or said electric linear actuator.

[0048] According to another alternative embodiment, at least one of said first driving device and of said second driving device is constituted by an electric motor combined with a "screw - lead screw" system managed by numerical control. According to a further alternative embodiment, at least one of said first driving device and of said second driving device is constituted by a deformation system which acts by deforming or lengthening the support of the copying device and / or the motor.

[0049] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing unit of the present invention also includes at least one chamber specifically positioned inside said support suitable for housing a very high-pressure oil at its inside for said deformation system activation.

[0050] In this way it is possible to obtain a small lengthening (of approximately 0.15 mm max) of the copying device support and / or motor without difficulty.

[0051] According to a preferred embodiment, the finishing assembly of the present invention is a rounder.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, said tool is a milling cutter.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment, said piece to be worked is a panel having a substantially parallelepiped shape made up of substantially flat faces.

[0054] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be better highlighted by examining the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the finishing unit having a remote and / or automatic adjustable vertical set-up copying device, but not exclusive, illustrated only for indicative purposes and not limited with the support of the attached drawings. In particular, in such drawings:

[0055] - figure 1 illustrates a simplified diagram in perspective view of a finishing unit in a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] - figure 2 illustrates a front view of the finishing unit of figure 1;

[0057] - figure 3.1 illustrates the finishing unit of figures 1 and 2 in a working condition according to the previously indicated b) processing characteristic; - figure 3.2 illustrates the finishing unit of figures 1 and 2 in a working condition according to the previously indicated c) processing characteristic;

[0058] - figure 3.3 illustrates an enlarged detail of the M portion of the finishing unit in figure 3.1;

[0059] - figure 3.4 illustrates an enlarged detail of the N portion of the finishing unit in figure 3.2;

[0060] - figure 4 illustrates a simplified diagram in perspective view of a finishing unit in a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] - figure 5 illustrates the front view of the finishing unit of figure 4;

[0062] - figure 6.1 illustrates the finishing unit of figure 4 in a working condition according to the previously indicated b) processing characteristic;

[0063] - figure 6.2 illustrates the finishing unit of figure 4 in a working condition according to the previously indicated c) processing characteristic;

[0064] - figure 6.3 illustrates an enlarged detail of the Q portion of the finishing unit of figure 6.1;

[0065] - figure 6.4 illustrates an enlarged detail of the R portion of the finishing unit of figure 6.2;

[0066] - figure 7.1 shows a known in the art Fl and / or F2 processing flush with the panel face;

[0067] - figure 7.2 shows a known in the art Fl and / or F2 processing flush with the panel face as in figure 7.1 and a known in the art F3 and / or F4 processing with an excess compared to the panel face;

[0068] - figure 7.3 shows a Fl and / or F2 processing flush with the panel face and a F3 and / or F4 processing flush with the panel face using the finishing unit with adjustable vertical set-up according to the present invention; - figure 8 shows a finishing unit with adjustable vertical set-up according to the present invention wherein there are two distinct driving devices;

[0069] - figure 9 illustrates a front view of the finishing unit of figure 8;

[0070] - figure 10.1 illustrates the finishing unit of figure 8-9 in a working condition according to the previously indicated b) processing characteristic;

[0071] - figure 10.2 illustrates the finishing unit of figure 8-9 in a working condition according to the previously indicated c) processing characteristic;

[0072] - figure 10.3 illustrates an enlarged detail of the T portion of the finishing unit of figure 10.1;

[0073] - figure 10.4 illustrates an enlarged detail of the U portion of the finishing unit of figure

[0074] 10.2.

[0075] Detailed

[0076] The following detailed description refers to particular embodiments of the finishing unit 1 with remotely and / or automatically adjustable vertical set-up between copying device and tool, or vice versa, of the present invention, without limiting its content.

[0077] In a first embodiment of the present invention, with particular reference to figures 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, and 4, G1 generally indicates a finishing unit of a piece (or panel) P to be worked.

[0078] The G1 finishing unit with remote and / or automatic variable vertical set-up includes: a frame 02; a copying device 01 integral with the frame 02, wherein the copying device 01 is mounted on an oscillating arm 05 supported by a support 06 which defines two predefined horizontal positions suitable for carrying out the previously mentioned a) processing characteristic. The G1 finishing unit with variable vertical set-up also includes: a motor 04 fixed on the frame 02 and equipped with a shaft arranged along the longitudinal axis Al of the motor 04; a tool 03 integrally mounted on the shaft of the motor 04 so that the shaft of the motor 04, when operated, allows the rotation of the tool 03 around the axis Al; and a guide portion 14 arranged so as to allow, during the use of the finishing unit Gl, a contact between the piece to be worked P and the tool 03.

[0079] Furthermore, in the first embodiment shown with reference to figures 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4, the finishing group Gl includes: a first carriage 08 integral with the support 06; a guide 09 integral with the frame 02, along which the first carriage 08 is able to translate; and a first driving device 07, of a pneumatic type, capable of regulating the vertical position of the first carriage 08 along the axis A2.

[0080] The copier 01 is integral with the oscillating arm 05 and its axis is at the same height as the axis of the tool Al. The oscillating arm 05 has its fulcrum on an axis parallel to the axis of the tool Al and placed vertically below it along the axis A2 in a position approximately intermediate with respect to the height of the support 06. The fulcrum of the oscillating arm 05 it is integral with the support 06 and allows it to oscillate, substantially moving the copier 01 horizontally along the L axis in two pre-established positions. The movement of the copier 01 occurs from the contact at the head of the panel which advances with the copier 01 itself in one direction, and from the contact of the copier 01 itself at the tail of the panel which in this case occurs by the fact that the entire device chases the panel which advances up to reach it.

[0081] In this way the first carriage 08 translates from a first position S (shown in figure 3.1 and in detail in figure 3.3) to a second position SI (shown in figure 3.2 and in detail in figure 3.4), leaving a predefined surplus E, compared to the relevant faces of the panel itself, for subsequent processing.

[0082] As an alternative to the first embodiment described above, in a second embodiment of the present invention, with particular reference to figures 4, 5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4, a finishing group Gl of a piece to be worked (or panel) P substantially identical to the finishing group G1 of the first embodiment described above with reference to figures 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 is disclosed. Unlike the first embodiment, where the finishing unit G1 includes a first driving device 07 suitable for regulating the vertical position of the copying device 01 with respect to the tool 03, in this second embodiment, the finishing unit G1 shows a second driving device 12 suitable for regulating the vertical position of the motor 04 with respect to the copying device 01 along the direction A3, orthogonal to the axis Al arranged along the motor 04.

[0083] Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the finishing unit G1 includes a second carriage 10 suitable for supporting the shaft of the motor 04 and fixing it on the frame 2. In this way, the second driving device 12 is suitable for adjust the vertical position of the second carriage 10. In this case the support 06 is mounted on the block 11 which is integral with the frame 02.

[0084] Through each of the first and second embodiments described above, it is possible to fully achieve the previously indicated d) processing characteristics (i.e., b) processing characteristic for the upper face and c) processing characteristic for the lower face, or vice versa), without production shutdown due to nowadays manual interventions (not possible by using the known in the art devices), while maintaining the previously indicated a) processing characteristic.

[0085] Another notable advantage of this invention is the possibility of automatically carrying out a process that known devices are not capable of carrying out.

[0086] With particular reference to figures 8, 9, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4, a third embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein both the first and second embodiments coexist simultaneously.

[0087] In fact, in this third embodiment, both the first driving device 07 (and the respective first carriage 08 and guide 09), capable of regulating the vertical position of the copying device 01 with respect to the tool 03 along the direction A2, and the second driving device 12 (and the respective second carriage 10 and block 11), capable of regulating the vertical position of the motor 04 with respect to the copying device 01 along the direction A3, are present.

[0088] In this way, by using both the first driving device 7 and the second driving device 12, greater versatility and amount of adjustment is obtained.

[0089] In the above described embodiments, the driving devices 07 and 12 have been designed as pneumatic for mere simplification: however, in other embodiments the first driving device 07 and / or the second driving device 12 can also be electric motors, numerically controlled axis systems, hydraulic actuators, electric actuators, deformation systems and similar.

[0090] As shown in figures. 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3, the finishing unit G1 of the present invention allows many types of different processing, such as the one disclosed in figure 7.1 (wherein a Fl and / or F2 processing flush with the panel face is disclosed), the one disclosed in figure 7.2 (wherein, in addition to Fl and / or F2 of figure 7.1, F3 and / or F4 processing with an excess compared to the panel face is also disclosed), and the one disclosed in figure 7.3 (wherein, in addition to Fl and / or F2 of figure 7.1, F3 and / or F4 processing, again flush with the panel face is also disclosed), the latter being an automatic processing only possible by using the finishing unit of the present invention where the copying device is mounted on an oscillating arm.

[0091] Where the construction characteristics and techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by signs, letters or reference numbers, these have been affixed with the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and, consequently, they do not constitute in any way a limitation to the interpretation of each element identified, merely by way of example, by such signs, letters or reference numbers. Of course, many modifications and variations of the above described preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, still remaining within the scope of the invention.

[0092] Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described preferred embodiments, illustrated for illustrative and non-limiting purposes only, but is defined by the following claims.

Claims

Claims.

1. Finishing unit (Gl) of a piece to be worked (P) equipped with:- a frame (02);- a copying device (01) with variable vertical set-up integral with said frame (02);- a motor (04) fixed on said frame (02) and equipped with a shaft arranged along a longitudinal axis (Al) of the motor (04);- a tool (03) integrally mounted on said shaft of the motor (04) so that said shaft of the motor (04), when actuated, allows rotation of said tool (03) around said longitudinal axis (Al),- a guide portion (14) arranged so as to allow, during use of the finishing unit (Gl), the contact between said piece to be worked (P) and said tool (03); wherein said finishing unit (Gl) further comprises:- a first driving device (07) able to adjust the vertical position of said copying device (01) with respect to said tool (03) along an axis (A2), orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (Al); and / or,- a second driving device (12) adapted to adjust the vertical position of said motor (04) with respect to said copying device (01) along an axis (A3), orthogonal to said axis (Al), characterized in that said copying device (01) is mounted on an oscillating arm (05) supported by a support (06), and said copier (01) is integral with said oscillating arm (05).

2. Finishing unit (Gl) according to claim 1 which further comprises: i) a first carriage (08) integral with said support (06), and ii) a guide (09) integral with said frame (02), along which said first carriage (08) is able to translate, wherein saidfirst driving device (07) is able to adjust the vertical position of said first carriage (08) along said axis (A2) from a first position (S) to a second position (SI).

3. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims which further comprises a second carriage (10) able to support said shaft of the motor (04) and to fix it on said frame (2), wherein said second driving device (12) is able to adjust the vertical position of said second carriage (10) along said axis (A3) from a first position (U) to a second position (Ul).

4. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises both said first driving device (07) and said second driving device (12).

5. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of said first driving device (07) and said second driving device (12) is managed remotely and / or automatically.

6. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of said first driving device (07) and of said second driving device (12) is selected from the group comprising a pneumatic device, an electromechanical actuator, an electric actuator, an hydraulic actuator, numerically controlled motor, plastic deformation system.

7. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises at least one external solenoid valve capable of activating said first driving device (07) and / or said second driving device (12).

8. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said finishing unit (Gl) is a rounder.

9. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said tool (03) is a milling cutter.

10. Finishing unit (Gl) according to any of the preceding claims wherein said piece to be worked (P) is a substantially parallelepiped shaped panel made up of substantially flat faces.

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