POLISHING DEVICE

Abstract

A polishing device is held on a robot arm and has a support plate, a polishing disc held on the support plate, a drive moving the support plate in a plane, and a metering device for feeding a polishing agent to the working side of the polishing disc. An application nozzle of the metering device is guided through an open central axis of the support plate, the polishing disc having a central opening for allowing the passage of the polishing agent metered in computer-controlled manner.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A polishing device held on a robot arm, the polishing device comprising: a support plate; a polishing disc held on the support plate; a drive that moves the support plate in a plane; and a metering device for supplying a polishing agent to a working side of the polishing disc, wherein the metering device includes an application nozzle that is routed through an open central shaft of the support plate, wherein the polishing disc has a central opening for the passage of the polishing agent, and wherein the polishing agent is metered in a computer-controlled manner.

18. The polishing device of claim 17, wherein the open central shaft is a rotating shaft.

19. The polishing device of claim 18, wherein the application nozzle or a supply line of the metering device is routed through a rotary feedthrough of the rotating shaft or through a freewheel.

20. The polishing device of claim 17, wherein the metering device is positioned fixedly with respect to the drive.

21. The polishing device of claim 19, wherein the rotating shaft is rotatable with respect to the application nozzle or the supply line, wherein the support plate is connected to the rotating shaft in such a way as to rotate with the rotating shaft.

22. The polishing device of claim 19, wherein the supply line consists of a pipe or a flexible hose.

23. The polishing device of claim 19, wherein the metering device has a reservoir for holding a polishing agent, wherein the reservoir is connected to the supply line.

24. The polishing device of claim 19, further comprising: an electric motor which, by means of a toothed belt, drives the polishing disc via the rotating shaft and an eccentric drive.

25. The polishing device of claim 19, wherein a compressed air line is connected to the supply line.

26. The polishing device of claim 19, wherein an injection pipe, in which the polishing agent and compressed air can be routed, is arranged between the supply line and a channel routed through the rotating shaft.

27. The polishing device of claim 26, wherein a volume capacity of the supply line and of the channel is >factor 1 compared to the metered amount of polishing agent.

28. The polishing device of claim 17, wherein a rotational speed of the polishing disc is variable.

29. The polishing device of claim 17, wherein a working side of the polishing disc has channels connected to the central opening.

30. The polishing device of claim 29, wherein the channels extend outwards in a star shape starting from the central opening.

31. The polishing device of claim 29, wherein a depth of the channels decreases towards the outer edge of the polishing disc.

32. The polishing device of claim 17, wherein the support plate has apertures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0031] In the drawings:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows the use of a polishing device according to the prior art,

[0033] FIG. 2 shows the polishing device according to the invention in a schematic side view,

[0034] FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of the polishing device according to the invention in a sectional side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows the use of a polishing device 4 according to the prior art, wherein said polishing device is held on a robot arm 1.

[0036] A changeover device 2, positioned on a work table 6 and comprising a plurality of dispensers 3 held on a turntable, is movable in cycles such that in each case one polishing disc 10 (FIG. 2) can be connected to a support plate 9.

[0037] A set-up area is separated from a working area by a partition 5, wherein the robot arm 1 with part of the changeover device 2 is arranged in the working area, while the set-up area is intended for an operator 7 to equip the changeover device 2 with dispensers 3. The support plate 9 and respectively the polishing disc 10 is assigned a metering device 8, by means of which a polishing agent can be applied to the working face of the polishing disc 10.

[0038] The arrangement of the metering device 8 is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0039] In the example, the support plate 9 is fastened to a rotating shaft 14 in such a way as to rotate therewith, the rotating shaft being part of an eccentric drive 13, by means of which an eccentric polishing path is described, the path also being followed by the polishing disc 10 held on the support plate 9.

[0040] The metering device 8 has a supply line 16 that opens into an application nozzle 11, wherein the application nozzle 11, according to the invention, is routed through the open rotating shaft 14, which forms a central shaft, to a central opening 17 of the polishing disc 10, from which a polishing agent, in particular a polishing paste, exits towards the working face of the polishing disc 10 in a metered manner controlled by a computer.

[0041] The supply line 16 and the application nozzle 11 are held in a freewheel 12. While the rotating shaft 14 and thus the support plate 9 and the polishing disc 10 rotate, the application nozzle 11 and the supply line 16 remain in their position. In other words, the support plate 9 performs a movement relative to the application nozzle 11 and to the supply line 16.

[0042] Also connected thereto is a reservoir 15, which holds the polishing agent that is supplied to the application nozzle 11 via the supply line 16 in a metered manner controlled by a computer.

[0043] Since the metering device 8 is fixedly positioned with respect to the eccentric drive 13, the metering device 8 performs the eccentric movements in the same way as the support plate 9 and the polishing disc 10.

[0044] The eccentric drive 13 is to be regarded merely as an exemplary embodiment. Other drives which describe the polishing path are also conceivable, for example in order to generate an orbital movement.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a polishing device according to the invention, wherein the same reference signs as in FIG. 2 are used for the same functional parts.

[0046] The eccentric drive 13 is driven by way of an electric motor 19, wherein the electric motor 19, via a toothed belt 20, drives the rotating shaft 14 and thus the eccentric drive 13 and the polishing disc 10. Here, the rotating shaft 14 is mounted in a housing 24, which is connected to the robot arm 1.

[0047] Connected to the supply line 16 is a compressed air line 21, via which there is routed both compressed air for transporting the polishing agent and also the compressed air for cooling the polishing disc 10 and/or the surface to be polished. The supply line 16 opens into an injection pipe 23, which leads into a channel 18, via which the polishing agent and the compressed air are supplied to the application nozzle 11, which is positioned in the central opening 17 of the polishing disc 10.

[0048] The central opening 17 merges into channels 22 on the working side of the polishing disc 10, wherein said channels 22 serve to distribute the polishing agent on the surface to be polished.

[0049] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.