Polishing tool with integrated polishing paste

Abstract

A polishing tool with a carrier comprising a polishing surface on which a polishing paste is applied at least in some areas, wherein the polishing surface consists of a nonwoven fabric, the polishing paste is in a solid state at room temperature and is applied on the polishing surface to be covered in an amount of 0.08 g/cm.sup.2 to 0.30 g/cm.sup.2.

Claims

1. A polishing tool with integrated polishing paste comprising: a carrier comprising a polishing surface, wherein the polishing surface is at least partially provided by a nonwoven fabric, wherein the polishing paste is solid at room temperature, wherein the polishing paste is disposed on at least a portion of the nonwoven fabric of the polishing surface in an amount of 0.08 g/cm.sup.2 to 0.30 g/cm.sup.2, and wherein the nonwoven fabric has a pore percentage V.sub.x, wherein $V_x=\frac{{\rho }_N-{\rho }_{\mathrm{Rx}}}{{\rho }_N}100$ where ρ.sub.N=density of fibrous material of nonwoven fabric (grams/cubic centimeter), and ρ.sub.Rx=bulk density of nonwoven fabric (grams/cubic centimeter).

2. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the carrier consist s of the nonwoven fabric.

3. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a carrier layer, and the nonwoven fabric is fixed on the carrier layer.

4. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric is a synthetic nonwoven fabric.

5. The polishing tool according to claim 3, wherein the carrier layer is formed of wool.

6. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a surface weight in a range of 660 to 910 g/m.sup.2 when the carrier has a material thickness of 4 mm.

7. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the ore percentage V.sub.x of the nonwoven fabric is at least 90%.

8. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the polishing paste contains polishing grains.

9. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the polishing paste is disposed on the at least a portion of the polishing surface in an amount of 0.10 g/cm.sup.2 to 0.25 g/cm.sup.2.

10. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the polishing surface has a polishing surface area, and the polishing paste is disposed on at least 80% of the polishing surface area of the polishing surface.

11. The polishing tool according to claim 1, wherein the polishing tool is a polishing disk, a polishing belt, a polishing sleeve or a polishing pin.

12. The polishing tool according to claim 4, wherein the synthetic nonwoven fabric is formed of at least one of polyamide and polyester.

13. The polishing tool according to claim 4, wherein the synthetic nonwoven fabric is a needle-punched nonwoven fabric.

14. The polishing tool according to claim 13, wherein the needle-punched nonwoven fabric is a velourized needle-punched nonwoven fabric.

15. The polishing tool according to claim 6, wherein the carrier has a surface weight in the range of 690 to 910 g/m.sup.2 when the carrier has a material thickness of 4 mm.

16. The polishing tool according to claim 15, wherein the carrier has a surface weight in the range of 720 to 870 g/m.sup.2 when the carrier has a material thickness of 4 mm.

17. The polishing tool according to claim 8, wherein the polishing grains comprise polishing grains formed of at least one of a soluble alkaline earth salt or polishing grains formed of ceramic.

18. The polishing tool according to claim 9, wherein the polishing paste is disposed on the at least a portion of the polishing surface in an amount of 0.11 g/cm.sup.2 to 0.17 g/cm.sup.2.

19. The polishing tool according to claim 10, wherein the polishing paste is disposed on at least 90% of the polishing surface area of the polishing surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in greater detail below with the help of drawings. The drawings describe preferred embodiments of polishing tools according to the invention without, however, limiting the invention to these embodiments. The drawings are purely schematic. Identical reference numerals indicate the same elements. Specifically, the Figures show:

(2) FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a polishing tool according to the invention in the form of a polishing sleeve;

(3) FIG. 1(b) is a top view on the front side of the polishing sleeve according to FIG. 1(a);

(4) FIG. 1(c) is a partial view of the carrier of the polishing sleeve according to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) prior to the application of polishing paste;

(5) FIG. 1(d) is an enlarged view of a section of area A of FIG. 1(b);

(6) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a further polishing tool in accordance with the invention in the form of a polishing disk;

(7) FIG. 3 is a side view of a polishing pin; and

(8) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a further polishing tool in accordance with the invention in the form of a polishing belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a polishing tool 1 in the form of a polishing sleeve in which a cylindrical cavity 10 is enclosed by a hollow cylindrical body. During the polishing process, the polishing sleeve is rotated around its longitudinal axis, driven by, e.g., a handheld polishing machine. The jacket surface of the polishing sleeve thus represents the polishing surface 3 of the polishing tool 1. In the example shown, the polishing surface 3 is covered with polishing paste over its entire surface. This can occur, for example, by heating the polishing paste which is in a solid state at room temperature until it liquefies. It is applied to the polishing surface 3 of the carrier 2 of the polishing sleeve in the liquid state, for example, by spreading it with a spatula, by immersing the polishing surface in a bath with the liquefied polishing paste or similar processes. During this process, the liquefied polishing paste 5 penetrates the cavities between the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 4, which forms the polishing surface 3. This can be seen in FIG. 1(d), which shows an enlarged view of a section of region A of FIG. 1(b), which, in turn, is a top view of the front side of the polishing sleeve. The application of the polishing paste preferably occurs here in such a way that the paste is distributed as evenly as possible on the polishing surface 3 in an amount of 0.10 g/cm.sup.2 to 0.25 g/cm.sup.2. Typically, this does not result in a closed coating of the polishing surface with polishing paste, but rather the fiber structure of the nonwoven fabric 4 still remains visible under the coating of polishing paste.

(10) FIG. 1(c) shows the carrier 2 and illustrates its multilayered structure. The carrier 2 consists of nonwoven fabric material 4, which in this case is fixed to both sides of a carrier layer 41 in two layers 40. The carrier layer consists, for example, of a woolen fabric on which the nonwoven fabric layers 40 are needle-punched. The carrier layer 41 conveys greater stability to the nonwoven fabric 4 with respect to its form. Of the nonwoven fabric layers 40, the lower one represents the polishing surface 3. Only this layer is coated with polishing paste 5, while the upper layer of FIG. 1(c) is not provided with polishing paste 5. For example, a material made of polyamide fibers with a pore percentage of more than 90%, preferably more than 94%, is used as the nonwoven fabric material. The latter is preferably a needle-punched nonwoven fabric or a velourized needle-punched fabric. The surface weight of the carrier 2 expediently lies in the range of 660 to 990 g/m.sup.2.

(11) The polishing tools according to the invention described in FIGS. 2 to 4 use the same or a similar carrier material for the carrier as described for FIGS. 1(a) through 1(d).

(12) FIG. 2 shows a polishing disk comprising a carrier 2 corresponding to the one in FIG. 1(c). Again, as in FIG. 1(d), only one of the nonwoven fabric layers 40 is provided with polishing paste 5, in this case the surface of the polishing disk facing the observer. The polishing disk can be placed on a plastic support plate for polishing, the central opening 11 acting to center the disk on the support plate. The support plate is then fixed on the drive shaft of a grinding machine and rotated for the polishing process.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a polishing pin with a polishing tip 12 and a polishing cylinder 13, which are held by a pin 14. The polishing tip 12 and polishing cylinder 13 may comprise, e.g., an inner body (not shown here) of wool felt or a similar carrier material, on which a layer of nonwoven fabric is fixed. In the example shown, the polishing paste 5 is applied to the outer surface of the polishing tip 12 as well as to the jacket surface of the polishing cylinder 13. However, it is also possible to provide only a part of the surfaces with polishing paste 5 and in particular to leave a part of the jacket surface adjacent to the carrier pin 14 of the polishing cylinder 13 free of polishing paste 5.

(14) FIG. 4 shows a polishing tool 1 in the form of a polishing belt. Again, a carrier corresponding to the one shown in FIG. 1(c) is used. Polishing paste 5 has been applied to the outer surface of the belt, which constitutes the polishing surface, while the inner nonwoven fabric layer 40 is not provided with polishing paste.