Wood Planing Machine Side-Profile Feeding Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing planing machines for processing elongated components, such as those for fixtures, face challenges in ensuring accurate component positioning on the supporting plane and performing milling and drilling operations on upper and lower faces due to the feeding device's engagement with these faces.

Innovation Solution

The planing machine incorporates grip and transfer units with L-shaped jaws that exclusively engage the side profile of the component, leaving the upper and lower faces free, allowing for precise positioning and enabling sequential planing, smoothing, milling, and drilling operations along a rectilinear path with electrospindles and smoothing belts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the feeding device engages the upper and lower faces of the component, then the component can be fed along the path, but the positioning accuracy on the supporting plane deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding capabilityVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the engagement function from the upper and lower faces of the component, removing the interference of the feeding device from these surfaces. The feeding device now only engages the side profile of the component through L-shaped jaws, leaving the upper and lower faces completely free for precise positioning and subsequent machining operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If the feeding device engages the upper and lower faces of the component, then the component can be fed along the path, but the difficulty of performing milling and drilling operations on the upper and lower faces increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding capabilityVSAvoidmilling and drilling operations

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The feeding engagement is extracted from the upper and lower faces, completely clearing these surfaces for machining operations. The L-shaped jaws engage only the side profile, allowing unobstructed access to the upper and lower faces for planing, smoothing, milling, and drilling operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of engaging the component from the top and bottom faces as in conventional machines, the feeding device inverts its engagement approach by clamping the component from the sides using L-shaped jaws. This inversion of the engagement direction resolves the conflict between feeding and machining operations on the upper and lower faces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the feeding device engages the upper and lower faces of the component, then the component can be fed along the path, but the complexity of the machine structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding capabilityVSAvoidfeeding device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The feeding device inverts its engagement approach by clamping the component from the sides using L-shaped jaws rather than engaging from the top and bottom faces. This structural inversion simplifies the feeding device design while enabling easier access for machining operations on the upper and lower faces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP2159022B1Planing machine for planing components made of wood or similar

Publication Date: 2015.11.04 BIESSE SPA

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AI summary

A planing machine for planing components (2) made of wood or the like is provided with a feeding device (5) apt to feed a component (2) through a planing station (22) having two planing devices (25) for the upper and lower faces (2a, 2b) of the component (2) itself; the feeding device (5) having two grip and transfer elements (18) apt to exclusively engage the component (2) at a side profile (3) thereof extending between the upper and lower faces (2a, 2b) thereof.