Grinding machine for grinding a surface of an object

Abstract

A grinding machine for grinding a surface of an object is described which has a plurality of grinding brushes which are rotatably mounted about a brush axis of rotation, at least one brush carrier on which at least one of the grinding brushes is mounted and which is rotatably mounted about a carrier axis of rotation, and a conveying device for conveying the object at a feed speed through the grinding machine. The grinding machine has an input device and an output device. A brush rotational speed about the brush axis of rotation and/or a carrier rotational speed about the carrier axis of rotation and/or the feed speed is/are adjustable by the input device, and an expected grinding result can be output by the output device.

Claims

1. A grinding machine for grinding a surface of an object, comprising: a plurality of grinding brushes which are rotatably mounted about a brush axis of rotation, at least one brush carrier on which at least one of the plurality of grinding brushes is mounted, wherein the at least one brush carrier is rotatably mounted about a carrier axis of rotation, an input device and an output device, wherein one or more set parameters are adjustable by the input device, the set parameters comprising at least one of a brush rotational speed about the brush axis of rotation, a carrier rotational speed about the carrier axis of rotation, and a feed speed, and an electronic controller configured to calculate an expected grinding result of grinding the surface of the object as a result of using the set parameters, wherein the expected grinding result is output by the output device, wherein the output device has a display device on which the expected grinding result is displayable two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

2. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brush carrier includes a plurality of brush carriers, wherein various carrier speeds of rotation are adjustable by the input device for each of the plurality of brush carriers.

3. The grinding machine according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of brush carriers are arranged offset in a feed direction.

4. The grinding machine according to claim 2, wherein each of the brush carriers are arranged such that circles of action of the plurality of grinding brushes overlap.

5. The grinding machine according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of brush carriers are rotatable in a same direction.

6. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brush carrier is mounted eccentrically.

7. The grinding machine according to claim 6, wherein a level of eccentricity is adjustable by the input device.

8. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the input device has an interface to a data link.

9. The grinding machine according to claim 8, wherein the interface is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth interface, a USB interface, an Internet connection, and a wire-free interface.

10. The grinding machine according to claim 8, wherein the interface is a wire-free interface selected from the group consisting of a radio or WLAN interface.

11. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the input device is configured for manual adjustment of parameters.

12. The grinding machine according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic data memory which stores the set parameters.

13. The grinding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a recording device for recording an achieved grinding result on the surface of the object.

14. The grinding machine according to claim 13, wherein the recording device is a camera.

15. The grinding machine according to claim 13, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to compare the recorded achieved grinding result with the expected grinding result, wherein a result of this comparison is received by the input device as a feedforward control parameter or feedback control parameter.

16. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is a microprocessor.

17. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the expected grinding result calculated by the electronic controller and output by the output device includes one or more of a movement pattern of individual brushes from the plurality of grinding brushes relative to a surface to be ground, a grinding depth, and a grinding pressure.

18. The grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the expected grinding result includes a grinding depth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) With the aid of the appended drawings, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1—shows the schematic three-dimensional view of part of a grinding machine according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

(3) FIG. 2—shows the schematic illustration of brush carriers and grinding brushes,

(4) FIG. 3—shows the schematic illustrations of circles of action,

(5) FIG. 4—shows the schematic illustration of a drive for a grinding machine,

(6) FIG. 5—shows the schematic illustration of circles of action according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

(7) FIG. 6—shows a further view of circles of action according to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and

(8) FIG. 7—shows a schematic illustration of two different control modes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows, schematically, part of a grinding machine according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It has a plurality grinding brushes 2, of which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, respectively three are arranged on a brush carrier 4. Each of the brush carriers 4 is rotatably mounted about a carrier axis of rotation 6. For this purpose, there is a carrier drive 8, for example in the form of an electric motor, by which, via a first transmission belt 10, the carrier axes of rotation 6 and therefore the brush carriers 4 can be set rotating. Deflection rollers 12 ensure that the carrier gears 14 surrounding the respective carrier axes of rotation 6 are wrapped around by the first transmission belt 10 with sufficient tension.

(10) The grinding machine according to FIG. 1 additionally has a brush drive 16, which can likewise be present in the form of an electric motor. The individual brushes 2 are driven by the same via a second transmission belt 18, not shown. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment shown each brush carrier 4 has a third transmission belt 20, by means of which the movement transmitted via the second transmission belt 18 is transmitted to the individual brushes 2 of respectively one brush carrier 4.

(11) FIG. 1 additionally shows an output device 17 which, for example, is a monitor. An input device 21, for example in the form of a keyboard, should also preferably be included, in order that the desired values of the parameters to be adjusted can be entered. The output device 17 is coupled to a schematically illustrated electronic data-processing device 19, which is connected to the brush drive 16 and the carrier drive 8.

(12) FIG. 2 shows the schematic illustration of a similar embodiment of the grinding machine. As in FIG. 1, it is possible to see four brush carriers 4, on which respectively three grinding brushes 2 are arranged. The individual grinding brushes 2 in the present case are formed as pot-shaped brushes, so that the bristles 22 of the individual grinding brushes 2 are located only in the edge region thereof. Of course, disk brushes or other brush shapes are also conceivable.

(13) It is additionally possible to see the carrier axes of rotation 6. They are surrounded by respectively one first brush gear 24, in which they can rotate freely. The first brush gears 24 are connected to one another via the second transmission belt 18. Via a drive gear 26, a torque applied by the brush drive 16, not illustrated in FIG. 2, is transferred to the second transmission belt 18 and therefore to the first brush gears 24. These are coupled to a second brush gear 28, which engages in the third transmission belt 20 and transmits the movement to the actual grinding brushes 20. Since the grinding brushes 2 are driven by the brush drive 16 and the brush carriers 4 are driven by the carrier drive 8, the respective rotational speeds can be adjusted independently of one another. In the exemplary embodiment shown, however, it is not possible to set different carrier rotational speeds for different brush carriers 4 or different brush rotational speeds for different grinding brushes 2.

(14) The four brush carriers 4 in FIGS. 1 and 2 are arranged in a transverse direction. The feed direction extends at right angles thereto, in the exemplary embodiments shown therefore from bottom to top or from top to bottom. It is possible to see in FIG. 2 that the individual brush carriers 4 are arranged to be offset in this feed direction, which is indicated by the arrow 30.

(15) The individual circles of action of the brushes are illustrated in FIG. 3. It is possible to see, schematically, the brush carriers 4, on which respectively three grinding brushes 2 are located. They project beyond the circumference of the brush carrier 4. if, then, the brush carriers 4 are moved along the brush direction of rotation illustrated by the arrow 32, the grinding brushes 2 are co-rotated and the outermost edge of the grinding brushes 2 describes the circle of action 34 illustrated in a dash-dotted line. At the same time, the individual grinding brushes 2 are moved in the brush direction of rotation illustrated by the arrow 36.

(16) Since here, too, the individual brush carriers 4 are arranged to be offset in the feed direction, which is again illustrated by the arrow 30, there is no point on a surface of a workpiece which is not processed by a grinding brush 2, although the individual circles of action 34 do not overlap one another.

(17) FIG. 4 shows, schematically, the structure of the different drives. It is possible to see two grinding brushes 2, which are arranged on the brush carrier 4. The latter is driven via a drive shaft 38, on the other end of which the carrier gear 14 is located, which engages with the first transmission belt 10. It is additionally possible to see one of the deflection rollers 12 already illustrated in FIG. 1.

(18) Arranged around the drive shaft 38 is the first brush gear 24, which engages in the second transmission belt 18. It extends downward in FIG. 2 and is connected to the second brush gear 28, which engages in the third transmission belt 20 and transmits the movement to the actual grinding brushes 2.

(19) FIG. 5 shows an illustration similar to that of FIG. 3 It is possible to see three brush carriers 4, on which respectively three grinding brushes 2 are arranged. The latter also project beyond the outer circumference of the brush carrier 4 and are rotated along the brush direction of rotation illustrated by the arrow 36. Differing from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the individual brush carriers 4 are, however, arranged eccentrically around the carrier axis of rotation 6. The individual brush carriers are rotated about this carrier axis of rotation 6 in the direction illustrated by the arrow 32. As a result, each of the grinding brushes 2 describes a circular path around the carrier axis of rotation 6 but the individual distances of the grinding brushes from the carrier axis of rotation 6 are of different sizes, so that the result is different circles of action 34 for different grinding brushes 2. Because of the eccentricity of the suspension of the brush carriers 4 about the carrier axis of rotation 6, the individual circles of action 34 overlap without it being possible for collisions to occur between the individual brush carriers 4 or the grinding brushes 2. Therefore, in the refinement shown in FIG. 5, it is not necessary to arrange the brush carriers 4 to be offset along the feed direction.

(20) FIG. 6 shows a further refinement of the different arrangements. It is possible to see three brush carriers 4, on which there are arranged respectively three grinding brushes 2, which are rotated about the brush direction of rotation illustrated by the arrow 36. The individual brush carriers 4 are not arranged to be offset relative to one another but are positioned on a common carrier beam 40. The latter is arranged at its two ends on a rotational disk 42 each, the fixing 44 being carried out eccentrically. If the rotational disks 42 are set moving along the direction of rotation 46, a pivoting or tumbling movement of the carrier beam 40 occurs. In a preferred refinement, the rotational speed at which the rotational disks 42 rotate can also be adjusted.

(21) FIG. 7 shows that, in principle, two different rotation modes can be chosen. In the lower example of FIG. 7, the two rotational disks 42, which are illustrated only schematically in FIG. 7, are rotated in the same direction. In this way, the movement of the brush carriers 4, not illustrated, and of the grinding brushes 2 has superimposed on it an additional rotational movement, since the carrier beam 40 is moved without changing its orientation. In the upper part of FIG. 7, on the other hand, the two rotational disks 42 rotate in different directions of rotation. As a result, a tumbling movement of the carrier beam 40 occurs, which is superimposed on the movement of the grinding brushes 2 and the brush carriers 4. Advantageously, the direction of rotation of at least one of the two rotational disks can consequently also be adjusted, in order in this way to be able to achieve further grinding patterns.

(22) The grinding machine preferably has a recording device 23, by means of which an achieved grinding result can be recorded. This recording device 23 is, for example, a camera and is preferably aimed at the ground surface. It is consequently arranged in the feed direction after the actual grinding mechanism, that is to say the grinding brushes and brush carriers. The recording device 23 is preferably connected to an electronic data-processing device 19. The recorded data, for example recorded images, is transmitted to the data-processing device 19 and further processed therein.

(23) Preferably, the grinding machine has an electronic data memory 25, in which set parameters can be stored. Here, it is sufficient if the grinding machine has access to a corresponding electronic data memory 25. Within the context of the present invention, the electronic data memory 25 does not have to be part of the grinding machine itself. In such a data memory, the set parameter sets can be stored and used again at a later time. In a preferred refinement, the grinding machine has an electric controller 19, in particular a microprocessor, which is configured to calculate the expected grinding result by means of the set parameters. In this case, an algorithm which has been stored in an electronic data memory 25 is executed on the electronic data processing device 19, i.e. the electronic controller 19. The set parameters are introduced into the algorithm and processed further in the latter.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(24) 2 Grinding brush 4 Brush carrier 6 Carrier axis of rotation 8 Carrier drive 10 First transmission belt 12 Deflection roller 14 Carrier gear 16 Brush drive 17 Output device 18 Second transmission belt 19 Data-processing device 20 Third transmission belt 22 Bristles 24 First brush gear 26 Drive gear 28 Second brush gear 30 Arrow 32 Arrow 34 Circle of action 36 Arrow 38 Drive shaft 40 Carrier beam 42 Rotational disk 44 Fixing 46 Direction of rotation