Ball guide device for an apparatus for lapping and / or grinding a ball
The ball guide device addresses uneven wear in lapping and grinding machines by guiding balls through sequential grooves with spacers, ensuring uniform machining and reducing manual transfer needs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025082912
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-06-24
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing ball lapping and grinding machines experience uneven wear across balls due to varying diameters in concentric ball grooves, requiring manual transfer or laborious sorting, which is time-consuming and prone to defects.
A ball guide device with sloped guide grooves and spacers ensures balls move sequentially through multiple grooves without manual transfer, using sloped portions to guide balls and spacers to prevent collisions, allowing for continuous machining.
Ensures uniform wear and high geometric accuracy across balls by maintaining a consistent machining order, reducing manual labor and defect rates.
Smart Images
Figure 2026003583000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The invention relates to a ball guiding device for an apparatus for lapping and / or grinding balls as set forth in the preamble of patent claim 1. [Background technology]
[0002] Balls can be used in a variety of applications, and depending on the application, different requirements may be imposed on the geometric and / or surface properties of the ball, such as the roundness, surface roughness, diameter tolerance, and / or shape error of the ball, which may be influenced in particular by the machining of the ball.
[0003] A lapping and / or grinding device is known in which a ball is machined between two concentric disks to machine the ball's surface and / or shape. At least one of the disks is provided with at least one ball groove for guiding the ball through the device. Typically, one of the disks is stationary, while the other rotates, thereby moving the ball through the at least one ball groove. The movement of the ball and / or the disks can be used to machine the ball's surface. For this purpose, for example, a suitable grinding and / or lapping medium can be provided in at least one of the disks and / or in at least one ball groove.
[0004] For reasons of rational manufacturing, machines for grinding or lapping balls have multiple ball grooves so that several balls can be machined simultaneously. Usually, the multiple ball grooves are arranged concentrically and therefore have different diameters. However, the amount of material removed per revolution becomes increasingly larger as the diameter of the ball groove increases, so that balls in the ball groove with the largest diameter will experience greater wear during a given number of revolutions in the machine than balls in the ball groove with the smallest diameter.
[0005] To achieve as uniform wear as possible on all balls inserted into the device, and thus to achieve high geometric and / or dimensional accuracy on all machined balls, it is advantageous to transfer the balls to different ball grooves after a certain time. For example, balls in a ball groove with a smaller diameter can be transferred to a ball groove with the next largest diameter, and so on. To ensure that the order of the balls is maintained, the transfer can be performed, for example, manually, but this involves a lot of work and is very time-consuming. Alternatively, the transfer can be omitted, and the balls can be laboriously sorted according to their size and shape after machining, which likewise requires a lot of work and can result in a high defect rate. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ball guide device for a lapping and grinding machine for balls, in which the individual balls perform the entire process of movement through the ball grooves of the disk successively in the same order. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] This object is achieved by a ball guide device according to claim 1.
[0008] A ball guide device for an apparatus for lapping and / or grinding balls is provided below. The apparatus has a first disk and a second disk, at least one of the disks having at least one first ball groove and at least one second ball groove for guiding the balls. The first disk also has a recess into which the ball guide device can be inserted.
[0009] The recesses may be in the shape of a sector, a rectangle, or an oval.
[0010] The ball guide device has at least one guide groove connecting a first ball groove and a second ball groove of the device so that the ball can progress continuously and directly through the first ball groove and the second ball groove, and the at least one guide groove has a first sloped portion designed to guide the ball out of the first ball groove and a second sloped portion designed to guide the ball into the second ball groove. Specifically, the first sloped portion can have a positive slope and the second sloped portion can have a negative slope or gradient.
[0011] Specifically, the first disk can be of fixed design, and the second disk can rotate relative to the first disk. The disks can preferably be arranged one above the other in the direction of gravity, so that the disks are oriented horizontally. Specifically, the first and / or second disks can be designed to grind and / or lap balls.
[0012] Furthermore, the first and second ball grooves may be formed in both the first and second disks. It is also possible for three or more ball grooves to be provided in the first and / or second disks, for example, three, four, or even five or more ball grooves. This allows for more balls to be machined simultaneously. When multiple ball grooves are provided, they may preferably be arranged concentrically.
[0013] The balls, positioned between the disks, can be set in motion by the rotation of one of the disks. When the balls roll in the ball grooves or on the surfaces of the disks, a more or less certain sliding movement can occur, which is called lapping torque. In combination with a suitable lapping medium, which can be inserted into the device together with the balls, this lapping torque can play a decisive role in ensuring that the roundness errors of the balls are gradually removed. The removal of ball material specifically means that the ball diameter at the start of machining can be larger than the ball diameter at the end of machining.
[0014] The ball guide device has the advantage that the balls progress continuously through the ball grooves in the same order without the need to manually transfer them from one ball groove to another.
[0015] The balls may be made from, for example, metal, glass, wood, plastic, ceramic, or a combination thereof.
[0016] At least one guide groove may include, for example, a first side element, a second side element, and / or a bottom element. The provision of side elements can improve lateral guidance of the ball in the ball guiding device.
[0017] When the apparatus has three or more ball grooves, the ball guide device may preferably be provided with multiple guide grooves. Specifically, one guide groove may be provided for each additional ball groove provided in addition to the first and second ball grooves. This allows the balls to advance continuously through all the ball grooves in the same order without the need for manual transfer.
[0018] Furthermore, the first slope can have a first slope slope and a first slope length, and the second slope can have a second slope slope and a second slope length, and the first slope slope can be equal to or different from the second slope slope.
[0019] Additionally or alternatively, the first ramp length can be equal to or different from the second ramp length, which can, for example, guide the balls into and / or out of the corresponding ball grooves so that the likelihood of ball contact and / or damage is reduced.
[0020] Additionally, the ball guide device may be supported in a free-floating manner on at least one of the discs of the device, which allows the ball guide device to adapt to irregularities in the discs and / or ball grooves.
[0021] The ball guide device preferably has at least one level intermediate section connecting the first inclined section and the second inclined section, which allows the ball guide device to transfer the ball from the first ball groove to the second ball groove as uniformly as possible.
[0022] Furthermore, the first and / or second inclined portions may be formed at the bottom of the guide groove. For example, by providing an inclined portion at the bottom of the guide groove, the ball can be directly lifted, thereby guiding the ball out of the first ball groove and / or into the second ball groove.
[0023] However, it is also possible for the balls to be indirectly guided out of the first ball groove and / or into the second ball groove. For example, it is possible to provide a spacer that is arranged around the balls and designed to separate two adjacent balls. For example, providing a slope on the side of the guide groove allows the balls to be indirectly lifted by lifting the spacer. This can have the advantage of making it possible to ensure that the spacer arranged around the balls is taken along during transfer from the first ball groove to the second ball groove.
[0024] The guide groove may preferably have at least one side wall designed as a guide element for a spacer suitable for spacing two adjacent balls, which can advantageously ensure that the spacer is not lost when passing through the device and that the balls do not come into contact with each other.
[0025] Specifically, at least one side wall may have a first inclined portion designed to guide the spacer out of the first ball groove and / or a second inclined portion designed to guide the spacer into the second ball groove, which may have the advantage of making it possible to ensure that the spacer arranged around the ball is taken along during transfer from the first ball groove to the second ball groove.
[0026] For example, the at least one guide groove can have a bottom and at least one side wall, the first inclined portion can be located at the bottom, and the at least one side wall can have a further inclined portion designed to guide the spacer out of the first ball groove.
[0027] Furthermore, the further ramps can have a third ramp slope and a third ramp length, and the first ramp slope is equal to or different from the third ramp slope, which can, for example, guide the balls into and / or out of the corresponding ball grooves so that the likelihood of ball contact and / or ball damage is reduced.
[0028] Additionally or alternatively, the first ramp length can be equal to or different from the third ramp length, which can, for example, guide the balls into and / or out of the corresponding ball grooves so that the likelihood of ball contact and / or damage is reduced.
[0029] When viewed in the direction of ball circulation, the further inclined portion can be preferably designed to guide the spacer out of the first ball groove before the ball. In other words, the ball can be guided out of the first ball groove with the help of the spacer. For example, the spacer can be designed so that the ball rotates freely in the spacer as it advances in the ball groove, but can still be lifted with the help of the spacer. Because the ball can be guided out of the first ball groove with the help of the spacer, it is advantageously possible to ensure that the spacer remains positioned around the ball. This makes it possible to avoid collisions between two balls that could damage the ball.
[0030] Additionally, at least one side wall may include a fourth sloped portion designed to guide the spacer into the second ball groove.
[0031] In particular, the profile of the first ramp, the second ramp, and / or the further ramp may be linear or non-linear.
[0032] The ball guide device preferably further includes a return section designed to guide the ball from the second groove back to the first groove, the return section having a return groove extending at least partially through the ball guide device. This allows the ball to be guided through all of the ball grooves of the device. For example, the ball can advance continuously from the inside to the outside through the ball grooves of the device and then be continuously carried back to the innermost ball groove by the return section.
[0033] Furthermore, the ball guide device can have at least one bearing element designed to support the ball guide device on one of the disks of the apparatus for lapping and / or grinding balls. The at least one bearing element can also be designed to allow relative movement between the ball guide device and the rotating disk of the apparatus. The at least one bearing element can be a sliding element, a roller, a ball, and / or a bearing, in particular a rolling bearing. This advantageously makes it possible to achieve support for the ball guide device on the disk in a manner with as little friction as possible.
[0034] A preferred possibility is that multiple bearing elements may be provided, which may be of the same type and / or different types, for example a ball guide device may be fitted with multiple bearings and rollers.
[0035] Furthermore, the ball guide device can have at least one retaining element designed to hold the ball guide device in the apparatus, which can in particular be a protruding retaining nose or protruding protrusion designed to cooperate with a guide slot provided in the disc to hold the ball guide device in place.
[0036] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are set out in the description, the drawings and the claims. In this context, the feature combinations shown in the description and the drawings are in particular purely exemplary, so that the features can also be present individually or in different combinations.
[0037] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, where the exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of protection of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0038] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a section of an apparatus for lapping and / or grinding balls, having a ball guiding device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a section of a ball guide device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective partial view of the upper side of the ball guide device from FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective partial view of the underside of the ball guide device from FIG. 1; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] In the following text, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference signs.
[0040] A ball guide device 1 for an apparatus 2 for lapping and / or grinding balls 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Specifically, the balls 4 may be ceramic balls. For clarity, only one ball is shown. However, the apparatus 2 is designed to machine several balls simultaneously. Specifically, the number of balls accommodated in each ball groove can be adapted to completely fill the ball groove with a minimum diameter.
[0041] The device 2 has a first disc 8 and a second disc 6, the second disc 6 being of fixed design and the first disc 8 rotating relative to the second disc 6. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 3, the discs 6, 8 are arranged one above the other, so that the discs are oriented horizontally.
[0042] Each of the discs 6, 8 has three concentrically arranged ball grooves 10 in which the balls 4 are accommodated during the machining process. The balls positioned in the ball grooves 10 between the discs 6, 8 can be set in motion by rotating one of the discs 6. When the balls 4 roll in the ball grooves 10 or on the surface of the discs 6, 8, a more or less certain sliding movement can occur, which is called lapping torque. In combination with a suitable lapping medium that can be inserted into the ball grooves 10 together with the balls 4, this lapping torque can play a decisive role in ensuring that roundness errors of the balls 4 are gradually eliminated and / or that damage to the ball surfaces is reduced or even avoided.
[0043] The first disk 6 also has a recess 12 into which the ball guide device 1 can be inserted. The recess 12 can be in the shape of a sector, a rectangle, an oval, or the like. The ball guide device 1 has a base plate 15 in which a first guide groove 14 is formed, connecting the first ball groove and the second ball groove of the device 2 so that the ball can move continuously and directly through the first and second ball grooves, and a second guide groove 16 is formed, connecting the second ball groove and the third ball groove of the device 2 so that the ball can move continuously and directly through the second and third ball grooves.
[0044] Each of the guide channels 14, 16 comprises a first side element 22, a second side element 24, and a bottom element 26. The bottom element 26 can be formed, for example, by the base plate 15. Furthermore, the first side element 22 and the second side element 24 can be formed by a side wall 28. In particular, the side wall 28 can separate the first guide channel 14 from the second guide channel 16, and thus serve as the side element 22, 24 for both the first guide channel 14 and the second guide channel 16.
[0045] To guide the balls 4 out of the corresponding ball grooves 10, the guide grooves 14, 16 are provided at their beginning, as viewed in the direction of circulation, with a first inclined portion 20 designed to guide the balls 4 out of the ball groove 10. The guide grooves 14, 16 are likewise provided at their end, as viewed in the direction of circulation, with a second inclined portion 30 designed to guide the balls 4 into the adjacent ball groove 10. As can be seen in Figure 4, the inclined portions 20, 30 are formed in the bottom element 26. A level intermediate section 32 connecting the first inclined portion 20 and the second inclined portion 30 is provided between the inclined portions 20, 30 in each guide groove 14, 16.
[0046] Finally, the ball guide device 1 is also provided with a return section 18 that connects the third ball groove to the first ball groove, thus ensuring that the ball 4 is guided back into the first ball groove after passing through the third ball groove 10. The return section 18 also has a first inclined section 20 that guides the ball out of the third ball groove. The return section 18 has a return groove 35 with an inclined section 34 that carries the ball 4 upward. Thus, the return groove 35 extends at least partially through the guide groove of the ball guide device 1. To guide the ball back into the first ball groove, the return groove 35 has a further section 36 with a slope through which the ball is guided back into the first ball groove. Together with the return section 18, the ball guide device 1 can advance the ball 4 through all the ball grooves in the same order several times in succession.
[0047] Furthermore, at least some of the balls 4 may be provided with spacers 38 that ensure that the two balls do not come into direct contact. It may be necessary, particularly in the case of ceramic balls, to prevent the two balls from colliding directly to avoid damage to the balls. If the balls 4 are provided with spacers 38, the spacers 38 are arranged around the balls 4 and are designed so that when the spacers 38 are lifted, the balls housed in the spacers 38 are lifted by the spacers 38. Guide elements 40 for the spacers 38 are further formed in the side elements 22, 24. The guide elements 40 advantageously ensure that the spacers are not lost as they progress through the device and that the balls do not come into contact with each other. To form the guide elements 40, recesses 42 with a U-shaped cross section are formed in the side elements 22, 24, into which the spacers 38 can be guided.
[0048] In order to reliably take the spacer 38 with it when the ball 4 is transferred from one ball groove to another, the guide element 40 may also be provided with a first inclined portion 44 and a second inclined portion 46, which allow the spacer 38 to be guided out of the first ball groove and into the second ball groove.
[0049] Advantageously, when viewed in the direction of ball circulation, the ramps 44, 46 for the spacers 38 are designed so that the spacers 38 are guided out of the ball grooves before the balls 4. For example, the spacers 38 can be designed so that the balls 4 rotate freely in the spacers 38 as they advance in the ball grooves 10, but can still be lifted with the help of the spacers 38. After the spacers 38 have been lifted together with the balls 4 by the ramps 44, the balls 4 themselves can be lifted with the help of the ramps 20 until they are again free to rotate in the spacers 38.
[0050] When introduced into the adjacent ball groove, the process can be reversed: first, the ramp 30 can lower the ball 4 until it is held in the spacer 38. Then, the spacer 38, together with the ball 4, is guided into the second ball groove via the ramp 46, which also lowers the spacer 38 until the ball 4 can again rotate freely in the spacer 38 as it is guided in the ball groove.
[0051] Each ramp 20, 30, 44, 46 has a respective ramp slope, a respective ramp length, and a respective ramp profile.
[0052] In this case, the slope of the first ramp 20 and the slope of the second ramp 30 can be equal or different. The length of the first ramp 20 and the length of the second ramp 30 can likewise be equal or different. The profile of the first ramp 20 and the profile of the second ramp 30 can be linear, or alternatively, can be non-linear, such as exponential.
[0053] Additionally, the slopes of ramps 44, 46 can be equal or different. Similarly, the lengths of ramps 44, 46 can be equal or different. The profile of ramp 44 and the profile of ramp 46 can be linear, or alternatively, non-linear, such as exponential.
[0054] The ramps 44 , 46 for the spacer 38 may preferably have a different slope, a different length, and / or a different profile compared to the first ramp 20 and the second ramp 30 .
[0055] The ball guide device 1 is mounted in a free-floating manner on the disk 8 of the apparatus 2, allowing the ball guide device 1 to adapt to irregularities in the disk 8 and / or the ball grooves. For this purpose, the ball guide device is supported on the disk 8 by means of a number of rolling bearings 48. Furthermore, a number of rollers 50 are also arranged on the underside of the base plate 15 of the ball guide device, which improve the sliding of the ball guide device 1 on the rotating disk 8.
[0056] To ensure alignment between the guide groove and the ball groove, the ball guide device further has a number of retaining elements 52 designed as protruding protrusions which cooperate with guide slots provided in the disc 8 to hold the ball guide device in place.
[0057] The ball guide device may be fabricated from, for example, plastic or metal. Additionally, the ball guide device may be fabricated by additive manufacturing methods such as 3D printing, injection molding, or any other suitable fabrication method.
[0058] In summary, the ball guide device has the advantage that the balls advance successively through the first and second ball grooves in the same order without having to be manually transferred from the first ball groove to the second ball groove, and furthermore, the ball guide device also makes it possible to transfer a ball provided with a spacer, together with the spacer, from the first ball groove to the second ball groove without the risk of the spacer slipping off the ball. [Explanation of symbols]
[0059] 1 Ball guide device 2 equipment 4 balls 6 discs 8 Discs 10 ball groove 12 Recess 14 Guide groove 15 Foundation plate 16 Guide groove 18 Return Area 20 Slope 22 Side Elements 24 Side Elements 26 Base element 28 Side wall 30 Slope 32 Intermediate Area 34 areas 35 Return groove 36 areas 38 Spacer 40 Guidance Elements 42 Recess 44 Slope 46 Slope 48 Rolling bearings 50 Laura 52 Holding Element
Claims
1. A ball guide device (1) for an apparatus (2) for lapping and / or grinding balls (4), the apparatus (2) having first and second disks (6, 8), at least one of the disks (6, 8) having at least one first ball groove and at least one second ball groove for guiding the balls (4), the first disk (6) having a recess (12) into which the ball guide device (1) can be inserted, the ball guide device (1) having at least one guide groove (14, 16). and wherein the at least one guide groove (14, 16) connects the first ball groove and the second ball groove of the device (2) so that the ball (4) can move continuously and directly through the first and second ball grooves (10), and the at least one guide groove (14, 16) has a first inclined portion (20) designed to guide the ball (4) out of the first ball groove and a second inclined portion (30) designed to guide the ball (4) into the second ball groove, a ball guide device (1).
2. 2. The ball guide device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the ball guide device (1) has at least one level intermediate section (32) connecting the first and second inclined portions (20, 30).
3. 3. The ball guide device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and / or second inclined portion (20, 30) is formed at the bottom (26) of the guide groove (14, 16).
4. A ball guide device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide grooves (14, 16) have at least one side wall (28) designed as a guide element (40) for a spacer (38) suitable for spacing two adjacent balls (4) apart.
5. 5. The ball guide device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one side wall (28) has a first inclined portion (44) designed to guide the spacer (38) out of the first ball groove and / or a second inclined portion (46) designed to guide the spacer (38) into the second ball groove.
6. 6. A ball guide device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the at least one guide groove (14, 16) has a bottom (26) and at least one side wall (28), the first inclined portion (20) is arranged at the bottom, and the at least one side wall (28) has a further inclined portion (44) designed to guide the spacer (38) out of the first ball groove.
7. 7. The ball guide device (1) according to claim 6, wherein, when viewed in the direction of circulation of the balls (4), the further inclined portion (44) is designed to guide the spacer (38) out of the first ball groove before the balls (4).
8. 8. The ball guide device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the profile of the first ramp, the second ramp and / or the further ramp is linear or non-linear.
9. 9. A ball guide device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ball guide device (1) further has a return section (18) designed to guide the ball (4) back from the second ball groove to the first ball groove, the return section (18) having a return groove (35) extending at least partially through the ball guide device (1).
10. A ball guide device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one bearing element (48, 50) designed to support the ball guide device (1) in a free-floating state on one of the discs (6, 8) of the apparatus (2) for lapping and / or grinding balls (4).
11. 11. A ball guiding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising at least one holding element (52) designed to hold the ball guiding device (1) in the apparatus (2).