POLISHING AND/OR SANDING HEAD FOR TREATING SURFACES

Abstract

A polishing and/or sanding head (9) comprises: a primary disc (10) which is axially hollow; a rotating shaft (12) which is rotatably received in the internal cavity of the primary disc (10) and designed in such a way as to receive a rotary motion by means of a power take-off external to the head (9); and a body (14) which is radially external and coaxial with respect to the rotating shaft (12); the head (9) also comprises a planetary gear transmission which is adapted to transmit the rotational motion of the rotating shaft (12) to the body (14), and two treatment means (24, 26) which are integral in rotation with the rotating shaft (12) and the body (14), respectively, and have an exposed surface adapted to polish or sand a surface to be treated, which exposed surfaces are rotatable in different directions.

Claims

1. A polishing and/or sanding head (9), comprising: a primary disc (10) which is axially hollow so as to form an internal cavity; a rotating shaft (12) which is received in the internal cavity of the primary disc (10) and rotatably supported by the latter, said rotating shaft (12) being configured to be set into a rotary motion about an axis coincident to the axis of the primary disc (10) by means of a power take-off external to the polishing and/or sanding head (9); and a body (14) which is radially external and coaxial with respect to the rotating shaft (12), said body (14) being rotatably supported by said primary disc (10), and wherein a planetary gear transmission which is adapted to transmit the rotary motion of the rotating shaft (12) to the body (14), said planetary gear transmission comprising: a sun gear (18) which is integral in rotation with the rotating shaft (12) and has an external toothing facing the body (14); a ring gear (20) which is integral in rotation with the body (14) and has an internal toothing facing the axis of the primary disc (10); and at least one planet gear (22) which is supported by the primary disc (10) so as to rotate about a secondary axis (y) which is parallel and not coincident with the axis of the primary disc (10), said at least one planet gear (22) being placed in an intermediate position between the sun gear (18) and the ring gear (20) so as to engage both and transmit a corresponding rotary motion from said sun gear (18) to said ring gear (20); the polishing and/or sanding head (9) further comprising a first support for a first treatment means (24) which is integral in rotation with the rotating shaft (12) and has a first exposed surface adapted to form or support a means suitable for polishing or sanding a surface to be treated, and a second support for a second treatment means (26) which is integral in rotation with the body (14) and has a second exposed surface adapted to form or support a means suitable for polishing or sanding said surface to be treated, said first support and said second support being configured, respectively, as a circular element and an annular element that are concentric to each other, the second support being designed to rotate in an opposite direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the first support.

2. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein said first support and said second support are configured to form or support a means suitable for polishing and/or sanding the surface to be treated that is made of painted metal or wood or stone or marble or ceramic.

3. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface is formed at least partially from a felt cloth, or is configured to support a treatment means formed at least partially from a felt cloth.

4. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface is formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth, or is configured to support a treatment means formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth.

5. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface are mutually coplanar.

6. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft (12) comprises a flange rotatably supported by the primary disc (10) by means of a rolling bearing.

7. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one planet gear (22) is supported by the primary disc (10) so as to be rotatable about a secondary axis (y) by means of a pin (23) fixed to said primary disc (10), such that the secondary axis (y) is fixed in rotation with respect to the axis of the primary disc (10).

8. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one planet gear (22) comprises three planet gears (22) circumferentially equidistant along the primary disc (10).

9. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the primary disc (10) is configured to couple to a portable apparatus equipped with a power take-off coupled to the rotating shaft (12).

10. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 9, wherein the primary disc (10) is configured to couple to a handheld power tool for polishing and/or sanding car bodies.

11. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface is formed at least partially from a felt cloth, or is configured to support a treatment means formed at least partially from a felt cloth.

12. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface is formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth, or is configured to support a treatment means formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth.

13. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface are mutually coplanar.

14. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the rotating shaft (12) comprises a flange rotatably supported by the primary disc (10) by means of a rolling bearing.

15. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one planet gear (22) is supported by the primary disc (10) so as to be rotatable about the secondary axis (y) by means of a pin (23) fixed to said primary disc (10), such that the secondary axis (y) is fixed in rotation with respect to the axis of the primary disc (10).

16. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one planet gear (22) comprises three planet gears (22) circumferentially equidistant along the primary disc (10).

17. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the primary disc (10) is configured to couple to a portable apparatus equipped with a power take-off coupled to the rotating shaft (12).

18. The polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 17, wherein the primary disc (10) is configured to couple to a handheld power tool for polishing and/or sanding car bodies.

19. A portable apparatus equipped with a power take-off, the portable apparatus comprising the polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 1, wherein the primary disc (10) of the polishing and/or sanding head (9) is coupled to the portable apparatus and the rotating shaft (12) of the polishing and/or sanding head (9) is coupled to the power take-off of the portable apparatus.

20. The portable apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the portable apparatus is embodied as a handheld power tool for treating painted surfaces of cars, in particular for polishing and/or sanding car bodies.

21. A portable apparatus equipped with a power take-off, the portable apparatus comprising the polishing and/or sanding head (9) according to claim 2, wherein the primary disc (10) of the polishing and/or sanding head (9) is coupled to the portable apparatus and the rotating shaft (12) of the polishing and/or sanding head (9) is coupled to the power take-off of the portable apparatus.

22. The portable apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the portable apparatus is embodied as a handheld power tool for treating painted surfaces of cars, in particular for polishing and/or sanding car bodies.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The functional and structural features of some preferred embodiments of a polishing and/or sanding head for treating surfaces according to the invention will now be described. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, in diametral cross section, of a polishing and/or sanding head for treating surfaces, according to one embodiment of this invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view, from below, of the head in FIG. 1, with the treatment surfaces removed in order to show the planetary transmission inside the head; and

[0018] FIG. 3 is the perspective view, from below, of the head in FIG. 2, with the treatment surfaces reinstated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Before describing in detail a plurality of embodiments of the invention, it should be clarified that the invention is not limited in its application to the design details and configuration of the components presented in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is able to assume other embodiments and to be implemented or constructed in practice in different ways. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology have a descriptive purpose and should not be construed as limiting.

[0020] With reference, by way of example, to FIG. 1, a polishing and/or sanding head 9 comprises a primary disc 10 which is axially hollow, and a rotating shaft 12 which is received in the internal cavity of the primary disc 10 and rotatably supported by the latter.

[0021] The rotating shaft 12 is designed in such a way as to receive a rotary motion about an axis coincident to the axis of the primary disc 10 (axis x) by means of a power take-off external to the head 9.

[0022] There is also a body 14 present, which body is radially external and coaxial with respect to the rotating shaft 12, said body 14 being rotatably supported by said primary disc 10.

[0023] The head 9 also comprises a planetary gear transmission which is adapted to transmit the rotational motion of the rotating shaft 12 to the body 14, the transmission comprising: a sun gear 18 which is integral in rotation with the rotating shaft 12 and has an external toothing facing the body 14; a ring gear 20 which is integral in rotation with the body 14 and has an internal toothing facing the axis x of the primary disc 10; and at least one planet gear 22 which is supported by the primary disc 10 so as to be rotatable about a secondary axis y which is parallel and not coincident with the axis x of the primary disc 10.

[0024] The planet gear 22 is placed in an intermediate position between the sun gear 18 and the ring gear 20 in such a way as to engage both and transmit a rotary motion from the former to the latter.

[0025] The head 9 also comprises a first support for a treatment means 24 which is integral in rotation with the rotating shaft 12 and has an exposed surface adapted to form or support a means suitable for polishing or sanding a surface to be treated, and a second support for a treatment means 26 which is integral in rotation with the body 14 and has an exposed surface adapted to form or support a means suitable for polishing or sanding said surface to be treated. These first and second supports for a treatment means 24, 26 are designed, respectively, as a circular element and an annular element that are concentric to each other, and the second support for a treatment means 26 counter-rotates around the outside of the first support for a treatment means 24 (i.e. is able to rotate in an opposite direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the latter, which is set by the rotating shaft 12).

[0026] The first and second supports for treatment means 24, 26 are preferably designed to form or support a means suitable for polishing and/or sanding a surface to be treated that is made of painted metal (for example a car body) or wood or stone or marble or ceramic.

[0027] The exposed surface of the first and/or the second support for a treatment means 24, 26 is advantageously formed at least partially from a felt cloth of a kind known per se or is designed to support a treatment means formed at least partially from a felt cloth.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment, the exposed surface of the first and/or the second support for a treatment means 24, 26 is formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth or is designed to support a treatment means formed at least partially from an expanded polymer cloth.

[0029] The exposed surfaces of said first and second supports for a treatment means 24, 26 are preferably mutually coplanar.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the rotating shaft 12 comprises a flange rotatably supported by the primary disc 10 by means of a rolling bearing.

[0031] The at least one planet gear 22 is preferably supported by the primary disc 10 so as to be rotatable about a relevant secondary axis y by means of a pin 23 fixed to said primary disc 10, such that the secondary axis y is fixed in rotation with respect to the axis x of the primary disc 10.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the head 9 comprises three planet gears 22 circumferentially equidistant along the primary disc 10.

[0033] The primary disc 10 may advantageously be designed to couple to a portable apparatus equipped with a power take-off that may be coupled to the rotating shaft 12.

[0034] For example, the primary disc 10 may be designed to couple to a traditional handheld power tool for polishing and/or sanding car bodies.

[0035] Various aspects and embodiments of a polishing and/or sanding head according to the invention have been described. It is understood that each embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment. Moreover, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may be varied within the scope defined by the appended claims.