Electrode polishing device

Abstract

To improve efficiency of recovering chips generated due to polishing.SOLUTION: An electrode polishing device 1 includes: a rotary polishing tool 6; a cover 20 which covers a periphery of the rotary polishing tool 6; and an air suctioning part 30 and polishes electrodes 110, 120 for spot welding. The cover 20 has: air discharge ports 21b, 22b, 23b for discharging air to a space E in which the rotary polishing tool 6 is disposed in the cover 20; and an air suctioning port 27a for suctioning air from the space E. The air suctioning part 30 suctions air from the air suctioning port 27a, thereby generating a negative pressure in the space E.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrode polishing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Spot welding electrodes are subjected to a large pressure, a large current, and high temperatures during welding, so repeated use can cause the tip of the electrode to wear down and become flattened, or the metal from the workpiece to adhere to it. If left untreated, this can cause poor welding, so the tip of the electrode must be periodically reshaped (polished) to a specified shape.

[0003] For example, in the electrode polishing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, an air outlet is provided in a cover that covers the electrode polishing tool. By discharging air into the cover from this air outlet, chips from the polished electrodes are suspended within the cover and discharged via an inclined portion to the outside of the cover through a discharge portion provided in the cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-3727 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The electrode polishing device of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that turbulent air flow generated inside the cover causes mainly small chips to fly up and scatter inside the cover, preventing them from being sufficiently collected.

[0006] In particular, indirect spot welding, where the electrode is inserted into the electrode grinder from only one side and ground, does not allow for a large grinding pressure compared to direct spot welding, where the electrode is inserted into the electrode grinder from both sides and the electrode grinder is held in place by clamping it. As a result, indirect spot welding is more likely to produce small chips, making the above problem particularly pronounced.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of collecting chips generated by polishing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an electrode grinding device for grinding electrodes for spot welding, comprising a grinding tool, a cover that covers the periphery of the grinding tool, and an air suction section, wherein the cover has an air discharge port that discharges air into the space within the cover in which the grinding tool is placed, and an air suction port that sucks air from the space, and the space is made negative pressure by sucking air from the air suction port using the air suction section.

[0009] In the present invention, negative pressure is created inside the cover by sucking air from inside the cover through the air suction port. This creates an airflow inside the cover that flows toward the air suction port, and can guide chips toward the air suction port. Therefore, even small chips can be collected without being scattered inside the cover and remaining inside the cover. This improves the efficiency of collecting chips from polishing by the electrode polishing device.

[0010] The present invention can also provide an electrode polishing apparatus including an air supply unit that supplies air to the air discharge port and the air suction port, and the air suction port generates a suction force from the air suction port using air supplied from the air supply unit. This allows a common air supply unit to supply air discharged from the air discharge port and air for generating a suction force from the air suction port. This simplifies the configuration of the electrode polishing apparatus. Furthermore, a configuration for suctioning air in the electrode polishing apparatus of the present invention can be realized by utilizing an air supply unit of an electrode polishing apparatus having only an air discharge port.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention can provide an electrode polishing apparatus in which the amount of air sucked in through the air suction port is greater than the amount of air discharged through the air discharge port, thereby enabling efficient collection of chips through the air suction port.

[0012] The present invention may also provide an electrode polishing apparatus in which the cover has an electrode insertion hole for inserting the electrode, and air is supplied into the cover from the electrode insertion hole. The electrode insertion hole also functions as a supply hole for supplying air into the cover, thereby simplifying the configuration of the cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the efficiency of collecting chips generated by polishing can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of an electrode polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover as seen from the rear side. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 3. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B1, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B2-B2, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B3-B3. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an electrode polishing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode grinding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment grinds electrodes 110, 120 used in indirect spot welding. The electrode grinding apparatus 1 includes a drive motor 2, a reducer 3, a dresser body 4 having a rotary grinding tool 6, a support 5 supporting these components, a cover 20 surrounding the dresser body 4, and an air suction unit 30. The electrodes 110, 120 are made of a copper alloy (e.g., chromium copper). However, the electrode grinding apparatus 1 may also be used to grind electrodes for other types of spot welding, such as direct spot welding.

[0017] A servo motor capable of controlling the rotation speed and direction is used as the drive motor 2. In order to achieve compactness, it is desirable that the drive motor 2 has an output of 1000 W or less, preferably 800 W or less.

[0018] For example, a parallel shaft gear reducer, a planetary gear reducer, or a combination of these may be used as the reducer 3. In order to reduce the size (output) of the drive motor 2 while ensuring a torque sufficient to cut the electrodes 110, 120, it is preferable to increase the reduction ratio of the reducer 3.

[0019] The dresser body 4 has a rotary polishing tool 6 that rotates around the axis of the electrodes 110, 120, and a case 11 that rotatably holds the rotary polishing tool 6. The rotary polishing tool 6 is provided inside a cover 20, and cuts the electrodes inside the cover 20. The case 11 has holes for inserting the electrodes 110, 120.

[0020] The rotary grinding tool 6 has upper and lower cutting blades for cutting the electrodes 110, 120, respectively. By pressing the tips of the electrodes 110, 120 against the rotating cutting blades, the electrodes 110, 120 can be cut and shaped into a desired shape. The upper cutting blade cuts the electrode 110 with its tip facing downward, and the lower cutting blade cuts the electrode 120 with its tip facing upward. Note that the orientation of the cutting blades and the insertion direction of the electrodes are not limited to these. For convenience, FIG. 1 shows a case where both electrodes 110, 120 are inserted into the holes in the case 11. However, in this embodiment, grinding using the rotary grinding tool 6 is basically performed with only one of the electrodes inserted into the hole in the case 11. However, grinding may also be performed with electrodes inserted on both sides.

[0021] The cover 20 has a duct-shaped discharge part 27 on its bottom side. The discharge part 27 is connected to the air suction part 30 via the discharge pipe 12.

[0022] Next, the cover 20 and its internal structure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cover 20 as seen from the rear side, Figure 3 is a plan view of the cover 20, Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 3, Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B1 in Figure 3, Figure 4(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B2-B2 in Figure 3, and Figure 4(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B3-B3 in Figure 3.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the cover 20 has an upper air supply hole 21a, a lower air supply hole 22a, and a discharge-side air supply hole 23a. The cover 20 also has a dresser insertion hole 24 on the rear side for inserting the dresser body. In Fig. 2, direction X is referred to as the left-right direction of the cover 20, direction Y as the front-rear direction, and direction Z as the up-down direction. However, these directions do not limit the actual use of the cover 20 or the electrode polishing apparatus. Directions X, Y, and Z are perpendicular to one another.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, cover 20 has an electrode insertion hole 25 at its upper part for inserting electrode 110 (see Figure 1). A brush 40 is provided in electrode insertion hole 25 as a blocking means that covers electrode insertion hole 25 and elastically deforms to allow insertion of electrode 110. Cover 20 also has an electrode insertion hole 26 (see Figure 4(a)) at its lower part for inserting electrode 120 (see Figure 1). A brush is also provided in electrode insertion hole 26.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c), the cover 20 is provided with an upper air supply pipe 21 having an upper air supply hole 21a at one end. The upper air supply hole 21a opens to the outside of the cover 20. The other end of the upper air supply pipe 21 is formed with an upper air discharge port 21b that opens to the inside of the cover 20. The cover 20 also has a lower air supply pipe 22 that forms a lower air supply hole 22a at one end and a lower air discharge port 22b at the other end. And as shown in FIG. 4(a), the cover 20 has a discharge air supply pipe 23 that forms a discharge air supply hole 23a (see FIG. 2) at one end and a discharge air discharge port 23b at the other end.

[0026] The upper air supply hole 21a, the lower air supply hole 22a, and the discharge side air supply hole 23a are each connected to an air supply pipe via a connector such as a nipple, and are supplied with air from the air supply pipe.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the upper air outlet 21b is disposed above the dresser insertion hole 24, i.e., the upper electrode polishing position, and is inclined downward. Air is discharged from the upper air outlet 21b toward the upper electrode polishing position, and chips generated by polishing the upper electrode can be blown away. The lower air outlet 22b is disposed below the dresser insertion hole 24, i.e., the lower electrode polishing position, and is inclined upward. Air is discharged from the lower air outlet 22b toward the lower electrode polishing position, and chips generated by polishing the lower electrode can be blown away. The dotted line in FIG. 4(b) indicates an example of the electrode pressing position (polishing position) of the rotary polishing tool 6 inserted into the dresser insertion hole 24.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4(d), an air suction port 27a is formed inside the discharge portion 27 provided below the cover 20. An inclined portion 20a is provided on the bottom surface of the cover 20. In FIG. 4(d), the inclined portion 20a is inclined downward from one side in the direction X toward the air suction port 27a on the other side. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the inclined portion 20a is inclined downward from one side in the direction Y toward the air suction port 27a on the other side (the right side in FIG. 4(a)). The inclined portion 20a allows chips to be guided toward the air suction port 27a by their own weight. The air suction port 27a also serves as a discharge port for discharging chips outside the cover 20.

[0029] The discharge-side air outlet 23b opens toward the air suction port in direction X (from the left to the right in FIG. 4(b)). By discharging air from the discharge-side air outlet 23b, chips that have fallen from the electrode polishing position can be blown away toward the air suction port.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(c), a rectifying plate 28 is provided inside the cover 20. As shown in Figure 4(c), the rectifying plate 28 is inclined downward from one side in direction X toward the other side, the air suction port side (the left side in Figure 4(c)). The rectifying plate 28 rectifies the airflow inside the cover 20 toward the bottom side of the cover 20, which is the air suction port side, and prevents turbulence from occurring inside the cover 20. The rectifying plate 28 is located in a portion of the cover 20 in direction Y where the rotary polishing tool 6 (see Figure 1) is not located.

[0031] As described above, by blowing air toward each polishing position, the chips can be blown away. Furthermore, the chips fall due to their own weight, and are collected toward the air suction port 27a by the air discharged from the discharge-side air outlet 23b and guided by the inclined portion 20a. However, small chips are blown up by the air blown and scattered inside the cover 20. This causes the problem of small chips remaining inside the cover 20, reducing the chip collection efficiency of the electrode polishing device.

[0032] In contrast, in this embodiment, the chip collection efficiency is improved by sucking air through air suction port 27a. The configuration of the air suction unit in the electrode polishing apparatus of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrode polishing apparatus.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the electrode polishing apparatus 1 has an air suction unit 30, a collection unit 31, and an air supply unit 32.

[0034] The air suction unit 30 is connected midway along the discharge pipe 12 and generates a suction force on the discharge pipe 12 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5. The suction force of the air suction unit 30 sucks air through the discharge pipe 12 and into the air suction port 27a (see Fig. 4(d)). This creates a negative pressure in the space E in the cover 20 where the rotary polishing tool 6 (see Fig. 1) is located. The air suction unit 30 performs a suction operation while the rotary polishing tool 6 is polishing the electrode.

[0035] In this embodiment, negative pressure is created inside the cover 20 by suction from the air suction unit 30, thereby creating an airflow toward the air suction port 27a. This allows chips generated during the grinding of each electrode and blown away by the ejected air to be actively collected toward the air suction port 27a, preventing the chips from flying up and scattering inside the cover 20 and remaining inside the cover 20. This improves the efficiency with which the electrode grinding device 1 collects chips generated during electrode grinding.

[0036] In this embodiment, air can be taken into the cover through the upper and lower electrode insertion holes 25, 26 (see FIG. 4(b)). In this way, the electrode insertion holes 25, 26 function both as holes for inserting electrodes and as air intake holes. By creating a negative pressure inside the cover 20, it is possible to prevent chips from falling out of the cover 20 through the gaps in the electrode insertion holes 26 that open downward in the direction of gravity.

[0037] The chips are collected in the collection unit 31 via the air suction port and the discharge pipe 12. The collection unit 31 is, for example, a collection bag connected to the discharge pipe 12.

[0038] The air suction unit 30 is a vacuum flow that generates a suction force greater than (for example, three times greater than) the supplied air when air is supplied to it. However, the configuration of the air suction unit 30 is not limited to this, and any known configuration can be appropriately adopted.

[0039] The air supply unit 32 branches its path at the branching unit 33, and supplies air to the upper air supply hole 21a, the lower air supply hole 22a, the discharge side air supply hole 23a, and the air suction unit 30 via each of the air supply pipes 33a to 33d.

[0040] In this way, the air to be discharged into the cover 20 and the air to generate the suction force of the air suction unit 30 are supplied by a common air supply unit 32. This simplifies the configuration of the electrode polishing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the electrode polishing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be configured using a conventional configuration in which air is discharged into the cover 20 without suction. However, air may be supplied to the air discharge port and the air suction unit by different supply units.

[0041] The amount of air sucked through the air suction port 27a (see FIG. 4(d)) is greater than the amount of air discharged from each of the upper air discharge port 21b, the lower air discharge port 22b, and the discharge-side air discharge port 23b. In particular, the amount of air sucked through the air suction port 27a is greater than the total amount of air discharged from these three discharge ports. This allows chips to be efficiently collected through the air suction port. In particular, in this embodiment, the diameters of the air supply pipes 33a to 33c connected to each discharge port are set to φ6, and the diameter of the air supply pipe 33d connected to the air suction unit 30 is set to φ12. The cross-sectional area of ​​the air supply pipe 33d is set to be greater than the total cross-sectional area of ​​the air supply pipes 33a to 33c. However, the diameter of each air supply pipe 33a to 33d is not limited to this, and for example, the cross-sectional area of ​​air supply pipe 33d may be smaller than the total cross-sectional area of ​​air supply pipes 33a to 33c, and larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​each of air supply pipes 33a to 33c.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0043] While the above embodiment illustrates an electrode grinding device for grinding a single electrode for indirect spot welding, the present invention is not limited to this. It may also be an electrode grinding device for simultaneously grinding two electrodes for direct spot welding, or an electrode grinding device for grinding a pair of parallel electrodes (e.g., electrodes for series S spot welding). However, an electrode grinding device that grinds by inserting only one electrode into a cover, such as in indirect spot welding, uses a relatively smaller grinding pressure than an electrode grinding device configured to grind by sandwiching the grinding tool between two electrodes. Therefore, the chips generated by grinding tend to be smaller, and the chips are more likely to scatter and remain inside the cover. Therefore, the configuration of the present invention is suitable for use with such electrode grinding devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Electrode polishing device 6 Rotary grinding tools 20 Cover 21b Upper air outlet 22b Lower air outlet 23b Discharge side outlet 25,26 Electrode insertion hole 27a Air suction port 30 Air suction part 32 Air supply unit E Space inside the cover where the polishing tools are placed

Claims

1. Abrasive tools and a cover that covers the periphery of the grinding tool; An electrode grinding device for grinding a spot welding electrode, the electrode grinding device comprising: an air suction unit; The cover is an air outlet that discharges air into a space in the cover in which the grinding tool is disposed; an air suction port that sucks air from the space, The electrode polishing apparatus is characterized in that the air suction unit sucks air through the air suction port, thereby creating a negative pressure in the space.

2. an air supply unit that supplies air to the air discharge port and the air suction unit; 2. The electrode polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air suction unit generates a suction force from the air suction port by using air supplied from the air supply unit.

3. 3. An electrode polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the amount of air sucked through said air suction port is greater than the amount of air discharged through said air discharge port.

4. the cover has an electrode insertion hole into which the electrode is inserted, 2. An electrode polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein air is supplied into said cover through said electrode insertion hole.

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