Flexible Grinding Plate Sander for Curved Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanding machines for large and curved surfaces face inefficiencies due to size and flexibility limitations, leading to incomplete grinding, excessive power consumption, continuous wear of components, and restricted ability to grind surfaces parallel or transverse to curvature.
Innovation Solution
A sander with a flexible grinding plate attached to lever beams via flexible connecting elements, allowing for vibration and adaptive movement to match surface curvature, enabled by a driving mechanism with an off-center pivot and adjustable distance, facilitating even pressure distribution and shape adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible blade is pressed to the grinded surface by means of a pressing plate, then the grinding surface can adapt to curved surfaces, but the driving mechanism becomes bulky and consumes excessive power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through an eccentric pivot mechanism that transforms rotational movement into orbital movement of the grinding plate. The grinding plate vibrates in an orbital path with controlled amplitude and frequency, enabling effective grinding without requiring excessive pressing force. This vibration-based approach reduces power consumption while maintaining adaptability to curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by allowing the grinding plate to move from a fixed position to an orbital moving position. The grinding plate's center of gravity describes an orbit around the rotation axis, creating dynamic contact with the workpiece surface. This dynamic movement enables the grinding plate to adapt to surface curvatures without requiring a bulky mechanism, thus reducing power consumption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible blade is pressed to the grinded surface by means of a pressing plate, then the grinding surface can adapt to curved surfaces, but continuous mutual wear occurs between the pressing plate and flexible blades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the grinding system into a separate grinding plate that is not permanently fixed to the tool body. The grinding plate can be detached and replaced independently from the tool body, allowing worn grinding surfaces to be renewed without replacing entire components. This segmentation reduces continuous mutual wear issues by enabling easy replacement of the consumable grinding element.
Solution Approach 2:
The grinding plate is designed to move dynamically between a retracted position and an orbital working position. During operation, the grinding plate orbits around the rotation axis rather than being statically pressed against the workpiece. This dynamic movement reduces continuous friction and wear between the grinding plate and the tool body, extending component life.
3Device complexity
If the grinding plate is firmly mounted to the tool body, then the structure is simple, but grinding can only be performed in parallel with the axis of curvature or transversally to it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic positioning where the grinding plate's center of gravity describes an orbit around the rotation axis during operation. The grinding plate can be positioned at different angular locations along its orbital path, enabling grinding in various directions including radial, tangential, and diagonal orientations relative to the workpiece curvature. This dynamic approach maintains relatively simple mounting while achieving versatile grinding directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds an orbital dimension to the grinding plate movement, transforming it from a simple linear or fixed-position grinder to one that moves in an orbital path. This orbital movement introduces a new degree of freedom, allowing the grinding surface to contact the workpiece at various angles and positions, thereby enabling grinding in multiple directions without significantly increasing structural complexity.
4Productivity
If the grinding surface is large and rigid, then grinding efficiency is high, but it cannot adapt to curving of the grinding surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration to the grinding plate, causing it to move in an orbital path with controlled amplitude. This vibration enables a relatively large grinding surface to adapt to curved workpiece surfaces by dynamically adjusting the contact points during the orbital motion. The vibrating motion maintains high grinding efficiency while achieving adaptability to surface curvatures that a static rigid surface cannot provide.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances grinding flexibility and efficiency, reduces power consumption, minimizes wear, and allows for grinding in various directions, including radial and diagonal curvatures, enabling precise and effective surface preparation.
Implementation Method 1
a shaft provided with an off-center pivot allowing a transformation of a rotational movement of the driving mechanism onto a sliding linear or orbital movement of the flexible grinding surface
Implementation Method 2
the flexible grinding plate is attached to the ends of the lever beams by means of flexible connecting elements and it is connected to a driving mechanism causing to vibrate the flexible grinding plate... allowing a change of relative distance between the flexible grinding plate and the body of the sander, said change being caused due to a required bending of the grinding plate, i.e. according to its deformation when being adapted to the shape of the grinded surface
Implementation Method 3
a flexible grinding plate attached to the body of the sander by means of at least two lever beams, thus similarly to WO 2009/000219 A2 the pressing force of the grinding plate onto a grinded surface is substantially equally distributed
Implementation Method 4
connected to a driving mechanism causing to vibrate the flexible grinding plate through a shaft provided with an off-center pivot allowing a transformation of a rotational movement of the driving mechanism onto a sliding linear or orbital movement of the flexible grinding surface
Data Source
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AI summary
Sander especially for sanding curved surface areas, comprises a elongate body (1,17) to which a grinding plate is movably attached, and a power unit for driving the movable grinding plate to provide its grinding motion, wherein least two movable lever beams (9, 20) attached to the body (1, 17) one apart from another, the lever beams being provided with two opposite ends, a flexible grinding plate being attached to said ends over flexible connecting elements (10, 21), in order to provide the flexible grinding plate with relative and defined linear or orbital motion in relation to the body (1, 17).