Spacer for spacing balls in an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls and apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls
The apparatus uses spacers with adjustable pockets and guide elements to prevent ceramic ball collisions, ensuring uniform machining and reducing damage during lapping and polishing.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025100167
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-06-24
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing lapping and polishing devices risk damaging balls due to collisions during machining, particularly for larger ceramic balls.
An apparatus with spacers having pockets that accommodate balls, preventing direct contact and using plastic spacers to minimize damage, along with adjustable diameters and guide elements to maintain ball positioning and rotation.
Significantly reduces the risk of ball collisions, protecting ceramic balls and ensuring uniform machining by allowing free rotation and size adaptation during processing.
Smart Images
Figure 2026003593000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls according to the characterizing clause of patent claim 1. The invention further relates to spacers for spacing balls in an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls. [Background technology]
[0002] Balls can be used in a variety of applications, which may place different demands 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 affected in particular by the machining of the ball.
[0003] There are known lapping and / or polishing devices in which a ball is machined between two concentric disks to machine the surface and / or geometry of the ball. 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 disk can be used to machine the surface of the ball. For this purpose, for example, at least one of the disks and / or at least one ball groove can be provided with a suitable polishing and / or lapping medium.
[0004] During the machining process in the device for lapping and / or polishing the balls, the balls may be impacted and damaged as they pass through at least one ball groove. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls which reduces the risk of the balls coming into contact with each other within the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] This object is achieved by an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls according to patent claim 1.
[0007] An apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls is shown below, which has at least one disc having at least one surrounding ball groove capable of receiving at least one ball.
[0008] The ball may be made from metal, glass, wood, plastic, ceramic, or a combination thereof, among others.
[0009] However, it is also possible for the device to have a first and a second disc, in which case the first disc may be of stationary design and the second disc may rotate relative to the first disc.
[0010] Preferably, at least one disc can be oriented horizontally. In particular, when the device has two discs, the discs can be arranged one above the other in the direction of gravity, so that the discs are oriented horizontally.
[0011] Alternatively, if the device has two discs, the discs can be oriented vertically.
[0012] In particular, at least one disc may be designed to grind and / or lap the ball.
[0013] Furthermore, if the device has two discs, at least one ball groove may be formed in both the first and second discs.
[0014] Alternatively, at least one ball groove may be formed in only one disk.
[0015] It is also possible to provide two or more ball grooves in at least one disk. For example, it is possible to provide two, three or more ball grooves in at least one disk. This allows many balls to be machined simultaneously. When multiple ball grooves are provided, they are preferably arranged concentrically.
[0016] If the device has two discs, one of the discs may further be provided with a recess for inserting and removing a ball within the device.
[0017] The recesses can be in the form of sectors, rectangles, ovals, etc.
[0018] The balls located between the disks can be set to move by the rotation of at least one disk. As the balls roll in the ball grooves or on the surfaces of the disks, a sliding motion of large or small magnitude can occur, which is called lapping torque. In combination with an appropriate lapping or polishing medium that can be inserted into the device together with the balls, this lapping torque can play a decisive role in ensuring that the ball's roundness error is gradually removed and / or damage to the ball surface is reduced or avoided. Removing ball material means, in particular, that the ball diameter at the start of processing can be larger than the ball diameter at the end of processing.
[0019] To reduce the risk of the balls contacting each other within the device, the device further includes at least one spacer having a body with a pocket that can accommodate the balls, the pocket having a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter.
[0020] In particular, the pocket can extend through the body, allowing a ball contained in the pocket to contact the at least one disc through the spacer.
[0021] The fact that the balls are housed in pockets in the spacer prevents the two balls from colliding and being damaged. The use of spacers is particularly advantageous in the case of ceramic balls, as the material properties of ceramics make them at higher risk of being damaged by a collision between two balls.
[0022] The risk of damage in the event of a collision between two balls may also increase with increasing diameter and / or mass of the balls. Therefore, the described device for polishing and / or lapping balls can be used with particular advantage for balls having a diameter of 20 mm or more.
[0023] The spacers can be made from plastic, which has the advantage of preventing damage to the balls if they come into contact with the spacers.
[0024] The pocket of the at least one spacer may further be a conical hole, which has the advantage that the spacer may be better adapted to the reduced diameter of the ball as the diameter may be reduced in the course of machining during grinding and / or lapping of the ball.
[0025] Furthermore, the first diameter of the pocket may depend on the starting size of the ball to be machined in the apparatus, and the second diameter of the pocket may depend on the final size of the ball to be machined in the apparatus, thereby ensuring, on the one hand, that the ball can be accommodated in the pocket at the start of machining, and, on the other hand, that the ball is still accommodated in the pocket at the end of machining.
[0026] In particular, the first larger diameter can be larger than the diameter of the ball at the start of machining, so that the ball can be accommodated in the pocket.
[0027] Furthermore, the second, smaller pocket can be smaller than the diameter of the ball at the end of machining, which has the advantage of preventing the ball from falling through the spacer.
[0028] The spacer is preferably arranged in the device so that the second, smaller diameter is at the bottom in the direction of gravity and the first, larger diameter is at the top in the direction of gravity. The fact that the pocket has a first, larger diameter and a second, smaller diameter, with the smaller of the two diameters being arranged at the bottom, makes it possible to prevent the spacer from falling out of the ball.
[0029] The fact that the spacer is positioned with the smaller diameter at the bottom allows the spacer to advantageously rise with the ball and reduces the risk of the spacer falling off the ball.
[0030] The device preferably has at least one guide element for guiding the spacer, for example, the guide element can be designed to hold the spacer at a specific distance and / or position relative to the at least one ball groove, thereby further reducing the risk of the spacer falling off the ball.
[0031] The guide element may furthermore have a U-shaped profile in at least one section, in particular the distance between two protrusions of the U-shaped profile may be adapted so that the spacer can be guided between the two protrusions of the U-shaped profile, thereby further reducing the risk of the spacer falling off the ball.
[0032] Furthermore, the distance between the support zone of the ball on at least one of the disks and / or on at least one ball groove and the at least one guide element can be adapted to allow the ball to rotate freely in the spacer. The fact that the ball is able to rotate freely in the spacer allows for uniform grinding and / or lapping of the ball.
[0033] In particular, jamming of the balls in the spacer can be prevented by appropriately selecting the distance between the support zone of the balls on the lower disc and / or in the at least one ball groove and the guide element.
[0034] Furthermore, the support zone of the ball in the ball groove and / or on the disc may depend on the diameter of the ball and / or may change during machining of the ball in the device as the diameter of the ball decreases during machining due to material removal.
[0035] The thickness of the spacer can preferably be adapted to the size of the contact angle of the at least one ball groove of the device, in particular the contact angle can indicate the contact area in degrees and / or percentages where the at least one ball groove surrounds the ball.
[0036] For example, the thickness of the spacer can be selected so that the spacer substantially fills the area of the ball that is not surrounded by the at least one ball groove, which can have the advantage that the ball is substantially completely surrounded by the at least one ball groove and the spacer, thus preventing the two balls from colliding.
[0037] Depending on the device, the contact area between the ball groove and the ball can be between 25% and 95%, preferably between 30% and 90%, and the contact angle can be between 100° and 330°.
[0038] According to another aspect, in the above-described apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls, a spacer is provided to space the balls apart, wherein the spacer has a body with a pocket formed therein for receiving the balls, the pocket having a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter.
[0039] The spacers can be made from plastic, which has the advantage of preventing damage to the balls if they come into contact with the spacers.
[0040] The pocket may preferably be a conical hole, which has the advantage that the spacer may suitably adapt to the reduced diameter of the ball as the diameter may be reduced in the course of machining during grinding and / or lapping of the ball.
[0041] The body may further have an outer surface having a cylindrical shape, which may prevent the two spacers from sliding against each other and thereby falling off the ball.
[0042] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are set out in the description, the drawings and the claims. In this connection, the feature combinations shown in the description and the drawings are in particular purely exemplary and the features may therefore be present individually or in different combinations.
[0043] The 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]
[0044] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2]5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing balls according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a spacer in relation to an apparatus for lapping and / or polishing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the spacer of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] In the following text, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated with the same reference signs.
[0046] 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus 1 for lapping and / or polishing a ball 2 according to a first embodiment. The apparatus 1 has first and second disks 4, 6. At least one surrounding ball groove 8, 10 capable of accommodating a ball is formed in each disk 4, 6. It is also possible to provide multiple ball grooves 8, 10 per disk, for example, two, three, four or more. Of course, it is also possible to provide more than one ball groove 8, 10 in just one of the two disks 4, 6. If multiple ball grooves 8, 10 are provided, they may preferably be arranged concentrically.
[0047] As can be seen in Figure 1, two disks 4, 6 are arranged horizontally one above the other, with the second disk 6 being stationary and the first disk 4 rotating relative to the second disk 6. The ball 2 located between the disks 4, 6 can be set to move with the rotation of one disk 4. As the ball rolls along the ball grooves 8, 10 or the surfaces of the disks 4, 6, a sliding motion of large or small magnitude may occur, which is called lapping torque. In combination with an appropriate lapping medium, which may be inserted into the device along with the ball 2, this lapping torque can play a crucial role in ensuring the gradual elimination of the roundness error of the ball 2.
[0048] For the insertion and removal of the ball 2 into and from the device 1, it is possible in particular to provide a recess (not shown) in the second disc 6.
[0049] As already mentioned above, the balls 2 are set to move due to the relative rotation of the discs 4, 6, and therefore there is a risk that the balls 2 may come into contact within the device. To prevent the balls 2 from coming into direct contact, spacers 12 are further provided.
[0050] The spacer 12 (see Figures 3 to 5) has a body 14 with a through pocket 16 capable of accommodating the ball 2. The outer surface of the body 14 is cylindrically shaped. The pocket 16 has a first diameter D1 and a second diameter D2, the first diameter D1 being larger than the second diameter D2. In this case, the pocket 16 is preferably of conical design.
[0051] To prevent damage to the balls 2 in case of contact with the spacers 12, the spacers 12 are preferably made from plastic.
[0052] The spacer 12 is positioned in the device 1 so that the second, smaller diameter D2 is at the bottom. Due to the fact that the pocket 16 has a first, larger diameter D1 and a second, smaller diameter D2, with the smaller of the two diameters D1 being positioned at the bottom, the spacer 12 remains hooked to the ball 2 or the ball 2 is held by the spacer, so the spacer 12 will not easily come off the ball 2. Furthermore, the ball 2 can be raised together with the spacer 12.
[0053] The first, larger diameter D1 of the pocket 16 of the spacer 12 is selected according to the initial size of the ball 2, with D1 being larger than the diameter of the ball at the start of machining. Furthermore, the second, smaller diameter D2 of the pocket 16 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 2 at the end of machining. This has the advantage of preventing the ball from falling through the spacer, since the diameter of the ball 2 may decrease during the machining process, such as during grinding and / or lapping. In addition, the second, smaller diameter D2 of the pocket 16 may still be selected to be large enough that the ball 2 can contact the ball groove 8 without being seated on the spacer 12.
[0054] 1, the spacer 12 is guided between the disks 4, 6 during operation of the device 1, the spacer 12 resting partially on the lower disk 4. The fact that the spacer 12 rests on the lower disk 4 allows the spacer 12 to be held at a specific distance or in a specific position relative to the ball grooves 10 in the lower disk 4. That is, the disk 4 also serves as a guide element for the spacer 12.
[0055] The distance between the support zone 18 of the ball 2 in the ball groove 8 and the point of support of the spacer 12 on the disk 4 is adapted so that the ball 2 is freely rotatable within the spacer 12, i.e., the ball 2 does not substantially come into contact with the spacer 12 when housed in or running through the ball groove 8. The fact that the ball 2 has the ability to freely rotate within the spacer 12 allows for grinding and / or lapping of the ball 2 to be carried out uniformly. The support zone 18 of the ball 2 in the ball groove 8 depends on the diameter of the ball 2 and therefore changes during machining of the ball 2 in the apparatus 1, as the diameter of the ball 2 decreases during machining due to material removal.
[0056] 1, the thickness 20 of the spacer 12 is adapted to the size of the contact angle 22 of the ball grooves 8, 10 of the device 1, the total contact angle 22 being made up of the contact angle 22-1 of the ball groove 10 formed in the upper disc 6 and the contact angle 22-2 of the ball groove 8 formed in the lower disc 4. In particular, the contact angle can indicate the contact area, in degrees and / or percentage, where one or more ball grooves 8, 10 surround the ball 2.
[0057] 1, the thickness 20 of the spacer 12 is selected so that the spacer 12 substantially fills the area of the ball 2 that is not surrounded by the ball grooves 8 and 10. Depending on the device, the contact area between the ball groove and the ball can be between 25% and 95%, preferably between 30% and 90%, and the contact angle can be between 100° and 330°.
[0058] 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus 1 for lapping and / or polishing balls 2 according to a second embodiment. The apparatus 1 of FIG. 2 differs from the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 in that it has a guide element 24 for guiding the spacer 12. For example, the guide element 24 can be designed to hold the spacer 12 at a specific distance and / or in a specific position relative to the ball grooves 8, 10. In particular, the guide element 24 can be arranged so that the ball can rotate freely within the spacer.
[0059] In FIG. 2, the guide element 24 is designed as a U-shaped profile having a first protrusion 26, a second protrusion 28 and a central protrusion 30, and the distance between the two protrusions 26, 28 can be adapted so that the spacer 12 can be guided between the two protrusions 26, 28.
[0060] In summary, it is possible to provide an apparatus 1 for polishing and / or lapping balls 2 that significantly reduces the risk of the balls 2 coming into contact with one another within the apparatus 1. In particular, the apparatus 1 may be suitable for balls 2 made of ceramic, since ceramic balls have a high risk of being damaged if they collide with one another. [Explanation of symbols]
[0061] 1 device, 2 ball, 4 lower disc, 6 upper disc, 8 lower ball groove, 10 upper ball groove, 12 spacer, 14 body, 16 pocket, 18 support zone, 20 thickness, 22 contact angle, 22-1 contact angle top, 22-2 contact angle bottom, 24 guide element, 26 upper protrusion, 28 lower protrusion, 30 central protrusion, D1 first diameter, D2 second diameter
Claims
1. An apparatus (1) for lapping and / or polishing a ball (2), comprising: The device (1) has at least one disk (4, 6), At least one of the discs (4, 6) has at least one surrounding ball groove (8, 10) capable of accommodating at least one ball (2); the device (1) further comprises at least one spacer (12) having a body (14) with a pocket (16) capable of receiving the ball (2); the pocket (16) has a first diameter (D1) and a second diameter (D2); A device (1), characterized in that said first diameter (D1) is greater than said second diameter (D2).
2. 2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the pocket (16) of at least one of the spacers (12) is a conical hole.
3. the first diameter (D1) of the pocket (16) depends on the starting size of the ball (2) to be machined in the device (1); 3. The device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second diameter (D2) of the pocket (16) depends on the final size of the ball (2) machined in the device (1).
4. 4. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device (1) further comprises at least one guiding element (24) for guiding the spacer (12).
5. 5. The device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the guide element (24) has a U-shaped profile in at least one section.
6. 6. The device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the distance between the support point (18) of the ball (2) on at least one of the discs (4, 6) and / or at least one of the ball grooves (8, 10) and at least one of the guide elements (24) is adapted so that the ball (2) can rotate freely within the spacer (12).
7. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thickness (20) of the spacer (12) is adapted to the size of the contact angle (22, 22-1, 22-2) of the at least one ball groove (8, 10) of the device (1).
8. A spacer (12) for spacing balls (2) in an apparatus (1) for lapping and / or polishing balls (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: The spacer (12) has a body (14) provided with a pocket (16) capable of accommodating a ball (2), the pocket (16) has a first diameter (D1) and a second diameter (D2); A spacer (12) wherein said first diameter (D1) is greater than said second diameter (D2).
9. The spacer (12) of claim 8, wherein the pocket (16) is a conical hole.
10. A spacer (12) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the body (14) has an outer surface having a cylindrical shape.