JP2006187850A - Blade cover device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a blade cover device capable of simultaneously retreating front-face/rear-face nozzles from a cutting blade with a simple mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: The blade cover device 40 is composed of a fixed base part 44, which covers the outer periphery of the cutting blade 22, and a moving cover part 42 slidably arranged nearly horizontally to the fixed base part 44. The moving cover part 42 is provided with the front-face/rear-face nozzles 27a, 27b for supplying a cutting fluid to the front face/rear face of the cutting blade 22, arranged to cover the upper face 44c and the rear face 44b of the fixed base part 44 so as to be guided by the upper face 44c of the fixed base part 44 and the rear face 44b in the Y-axis direction during sliding, and mounted to the fixed base part 44 by a locking member 53 penetrating a guide hole 425. By this, the front-face/rear-face nozzles 27a, 27b can be simultaneously moved in the X-axis direction to the cutting blade 22 by sliding the moving cover part 42 in the X-axis direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a blade cover device that covers a cutting blade of a cutting device.

  In a precision cutting apparatus, for example, a dicing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is cut using a cutting blade 122 mounted on a tip 125a of a spindle 125 that rotates at a high speed. The outer periphery of the cutting blade 122 is covered and protected by a blade cover 140 fixed to the tip of the spindle housing 126 that supports the spindle 125. The blade cover 140 is provided with a pair of side nozzles (a front nozzle 127a and a back nozzle 127b) disposed opposite to both side surfaces (front and back surfaces in the Y-axis direction) of the cutting blade 122. The front nozzle 127a and the rear nozzle 127b supply a cutting fluid for cooling to the front and rear surfaces of the cutting blade 122 during cutting.

  By the way, the cutting blade 122 is worn or damaged during the cutting process, and therefore needs to be replaced as appropriate. In the configuration of the blade cover 140 shown in FIG. 6, in order to replace the cutting blade 122, first, the set screw 143 is loosened and the blade cover 140a to which the front nozzle 127a is fixed is removed from the blade cover 140b. It is necessary to loosen the mounting nut 124 and remove the cutting blade 122 from the tip 125a of the spindle 125.

JP 7-276183 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-251263

  However, in the conventional blade cover 140, when the cutting blade 122 is replaced, the set screw 143 must be loosened / fastened and the blade cover 140a provided with the front nozzle 127a must be attached / detached. There was a problem that it took time and effort.

  In the precision cutting apparatus, if the cutting fluid is not supplied from the front nozzle 127a and the back nozzle 127b to the front and back surfaces of the cutting blade 122 substantially evenly, large chipping occurs in the cut workpiece. Accordingly, the front nozzle 127a and the rear nozzle 127b must be installed on the blade cover 140 with the mutual distance and height adjusted with high accuracy.

  However, in the conventional blade cover 140 shown in FIG. 6, the blade cover 140a provided with the front nozzle 127a and the blade cover 140b provided with the rear nozzle 127b are configured separately as separate parts. It was. For this reason, in order to accurately position the front nozzle 127a and the rear nozzle 127b, the shape of the blade cover 140a and the blade cover 140b and the positioning member of the blade cover 140a which are separately configured must be manufactured with high accuracy. However, there was a problem that the cost and burden for that were large.

  Further, as a blade cover of a type that does not use the set screw 143, Patent Document 1 discloses that when replacing a cutting blade, the blade cover provided with the front nozzle is rotated or rotated with respect to the blade cover provided with the rear nozzle. The technology to slide and retract the front nozzle is described. However, even in the technique of Patent Document 1, since the blade cover on which each nozzle is installed is configured as a separate part, the distance and height between the front nozzle and the rear nozzle are positioned with high accuracy. In addition, it was necessary to manufacture each blade cover with high accuracy.

  For these reasons, there has been a demand for a blade cover that allows the cutting blade to be easily replaced by retracting it while maintaining the distance and height between the front nozzle and the rear nozzle with high accuracy. As one solution to this problem, Patent Document 2 discloses that a blade cover provided with a pair of front nozzles and a rear nozzle is rotated in the vertical direction, and the front nozzle and the rear nozzle are simultaneously retracted from the periphery of the cutting blade. A blade cover is described.

  However, in the configuration as in Patent Document 2, the blade cover that is rotated and retracted upward is closed by its own weight as it is. For this reason, it is necessary to additionally install a stopper or the like for maintaining the rotated state, and there is a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated. Further, as the blade cover is rotated, the hose for supplying the cutting fluid to each nozzle is bent and a burden is applied, so that there is a problem that the hose is easily damaged or detached. Furthermore, if the cutting blade is close to the chuck table, the nozzle may come into contact with the chuck table during rotation. Therefore, the blade cover must be rotated only after the entire cutting unit has been raised. There was also a problem that it was not possible.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object of the present invention is to enable a pair of front nozzles and rear nozzles to be simultaneously retracted from the cutting blade with a simple mechanism. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blade cover device in which there is no risk that each nozzle comes into contact with the chuck table, and further, no excessive load is applied to the hose supplying the cutting fluid to each nozzle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blade cover device that covers a cutting blade attached to a tip of a spindle that is rotatably supported by a spindle housing. This blade cover device is fixed to the spindle housing and covers the outer periphery of the cutting blade; and a movable cover attached to the fixed base portion so as to be slidable in a substantially horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle. And consists of; The moving cover portion includes a front nozzle that supplies cutting fluid to the front surface of the cutting blade and a back nozzle that supplies cutting fluid to the back surface of the cutting blade. Further, the moving cover portion covers at least a part of the upper surface and the side surface of the fixed base portion so as to be guided by the upper surface of the fixed base portion and the side surface in the axial direction of the spindle when sliding. Arranged. Further, the cover part is formed with a guide hole for restricting the sliding direction and slidable range of the movable cover part, and the movable cover part is engaged by penetrating the guide hole and engaging with the fixed base part. It is attached to the fixed base portion by a locking member that stops. In such a blade cover device, the front cover and the rear nozzle are simultaneously moved in the substantially horizontal direction with respect to the cutting blade by sliding the moving cover portion in the substantially horizontal direction with respect to the fixed base portion.

  With this configuration, a pair of front nozzles and rear nozzles can be used when the cutting blade is replaced by using a simple mechanism in which the locking member is loosened and the movable cover portion is slid substantially horizontally with respect to the fixed base portion. It can be retracted simultaneously from the vicinity of the cutting blade. For this reason, it is possible to easily and quickly replace the cutting blade while keeping the distance and height between the front nozzle and the rear nozzle with high accuracy. In addition, since it is configured to slide in the horizontal direction during this retraction, there is no risk of the front nozzle and the rear nozzle coming into contact with the chuck table, and an excessive burden is placed on the hose that supplies cutting fluid to the front nozzle and the rear nozzle. There is no spending. In addition, since the moving cover can be guided using the fixed base as a guide member, the moving cover can be smoothly slid with a simple structure, and the moving cover can be stabilized by the fixed base. Can be supported.

  The locking member may be configured to be detachably engaged with the fixed base portion. As a result, the moving cover can be removed from the fixed base by removing the locking member from the fixed base, so the front and rear nozzles provided on the moving cover can be easily adjusted. Can be replaced, cleaned, or cleaned. Further, by attaching the locking member to the upper surface of the fixed base portion, the locking member can be arranged at a position where it can be easily operated by the operator.

  The material of the fixed base part may be a synthetic resin such as plastic. Thereby, the frictional resistance between the moving cover portion and the fixed base portion can be reduced, and the moving cover portion can be slid even more smoothly. The material of the moving cover portion is preferably a metal such as stainless steel from the viewpoint of strength, but is not limited to this example, and may be any material such as a synthetic resin such as plastic.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a pair of front nozzles and rear nozzles can be retracted from the cutting blade at the same time with a simple mechanism of sliding the moving cover portion in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the fixed base portion. . Further, at the time of retraction, there is no risk of bringing the front nozzle and the rear nozzle into contact with the chuck table, and an excessive burden is not imposed on the hose that supplies the cutting fluid to each nozzle. Further, since the movable cover portion can be guided using the fixed base portion as a guide member, the movable cover portion can be smoothly slid with a simple structure, and the movable cover portion can be stably stabilized by the fixed base portion. Can be supported.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, based on FIG. 1, the whole structure of the dicing apparatus 10 which is an example of the cutting device concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a dicing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the dicing apparatus 10 includes a cutting unit 20 that is a cutting unit that cuts a workpiece 12 such as a semiconductor wafer, and a chuck that is a workpiece holding unit that holds the workpiece 12. A table 30, a cutting unit moving mechanism (not shown), and a chuck table moving mechanism (not shown) are provided.

  The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 22 attached to a spindle. The cutting unit 20 cuts the workpiece 12 by cutting the workpiece 12 while rotating the cutting blade 22 at a high speed to form an extremely thin kerf.

  The chuck table 30 is, for example, a disk-shaped table whose upper surface is substantially flat, and includes a vacuum chuck (not shown) on the upper surface. On the chuck table 30, for example, the workpiece 12 supported by the frame 14 via the wafer tape 13 is placed. The chuck table 30 stably holds the workpiece 12 by vacuum suction.

  The cutting unit moving mechanism moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis direction is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the cutting direction (X-axis direction), and coincides with the axial direction of the spindle extending in the cutting unit 20. By moving the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, the cutting edge of the cutting blade 22 can be aligned with the cutting position (cutting line) of the workpiece 12. Further, when performing maintenance such as replacement work of the cutting blade 22, the cutting unit 20 is moved forward in the Y-axis direction (operator side), that is, the front side (front side) of the dicing apparatus 10, and the operator operates the cutting unit 20. It can be arranged at a position where it is easy to do. Further, the cutting unit moving mechanism moves the cutting unit 20 also in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Thereby, the cutting depth of the cutting blade 22 with respect to the workpiece 12 can be adjusted.

  The chuck table moving mechanism reciprocates the chuck table 30 holding the workpiece 12 in the cutting direction (X-axis direction) during the cutting process so that the cutting edge of the cutting blade 22 moves linearly relative to the workpiece 12. Let it work with.

  The dicing apparatus 10 having such a configuration is arranged in a lattice shape of the workpiece 12 by relatively moving the cutting unit 20 and the chuck table 30 while cutting the cutting blade 22 rotating at high speed into the workpiece 12. Cutting multiple cutting lines. Thereby, the workpiece 12 can be diced and divided into a plurality of chips.

  Next, based on FIG. 2, the structure of the cutting unit 20 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated in detail. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cutting unit 20 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting unit 20 mainly includes, for example, a flange 21, a cutting blade 22, a nut 24, a spindle 25, a spindle housing 26, and a blade cover device 40.

  The cutting blade 22 is, for example, an extremely thin cutting grindstone having a substantially ring shape. The cutting blade 22 is attached to the tip portion 25a of the spindle 25 by, for example, a flange 21 and a nut 24. The cutting blade 22 according to the present embodiment is configured by, for example, a so-called washer blade, and is configured to be pivotally attached to the spindle 25 by sandwiching both sides thereof with flanges 21 and fixing with nuts 24. However, the cutting blade 22 is not limited to such an example, and the cutting blade 22 is configured integrally with a cutting blade portion that is a cutting grindstone disposed on the outer peripheral portion and a base portion for pivotally mounting the cutting blade portion to the spindle 25. Hub blades may also be configured.

  The spindle 25 is a rotating shaft for transmitting, for example, a rotational driving force of a motor (not shown) to the cutting blade 22, and the mounted cutting blade 22 can be rotated at a high speed of, for example, 30,000 rpm. it can. Most of the spindle 25 is covered with the spindle housing 26, but the tip 25a is exposed from the spindle housing 26, and the cutting blade 22 and the like are mounted on the tip 25a. The spindle 25 extends in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the cutting direction (X-axis direction).

  The spindle housing 26 is a housing provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the spindle 25. The spindle housing 26 rotatably supports the spindle 25 by an air bearing (not shown) provided inside.

  The blade cover device 40 is disposed so as to cover the outer periphery of the cutting blade 22 and is fixed to the tip end portion of the spindle housing 26. The blade cover device 40 protects the cutting blade 22 and prevents the cutting fluid, cutting waste, broken blade pieces, and the like accompanying the cutting from scattering outside the cutting unit 20. The blade cover device 40 includes a pair of side nozzles 27 a and 27 b that supply cutting fluid from the side of the cutting blade 22 and an outer peripheral nozzle that supplies cutting fluid from the outer peripheral surface of the cutting blade 22. 60 (see FIG. 3). The blade cover device 40 is a characteristic component according to the present embodiment, and details thereof will be described below.

  Next, based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the blade cover apparatus 40 which is the characteristic concerning this embodiment is demonstrated in detail. FIG. 3 is a front view (a) and a right side view (b) showing the blade cover device 40 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the blade cover device 40 is roughly divided into a fixed base portion 44 that is fixed to the spindle housing 26 and covers the outer periphery of the cutting blade 22, and the fixed base portion 44. And a movable cover portion 42 slidably mounted in a substantially horizontal direction (X-axis direction).

  First, the fixed base 44 will be described. The fixed base portion 44 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member made of a synthetic resin such as plastic, and is fixed to the tip portion of the spindle housing 26. A substantially circular recess 442 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cutting blade 22 is formed in the center of the front surface 44 a of the fixed base portion 44. By disposing the cutting blade 22 in the recess 442, a portion of the outer periphery of the cutting blade 22 excluding the lower portion to be cut into the workpiece 12 is covered with the fixed base portion 44. As a result, the fixed base portion 44 can protect the cutting blade 22 and prevent scattering of cutting fluid, cutting waste, and the like during cutting. The front surface 44 a of the fixed base portion 44 is a side surface on the tip end side in the axial direction of the spindle 25 (Y-axis positive direction side) among the four side surfaces of the fixed base portion 44, and the rear surface of the fixed base portion 44. 44b is the side surface of the spindle 25 on the back side in the axial direction (Y-axis negative direction side).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an outer peripheral nozzle 60 is built in the fixed base portion 44. The outer peripheral nozzle 60 is disposed so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the cutting blade 22, and is a cutting fluid supply nozzle (shower nozzle) that injects the cutting fluid toward the outer periphery of the cutting blade 22 from the front in the cutting direction (X axis positive direction) ).

  More specifically, the outer peripheral nozzle 60 is formed inside the fixed base portion 44 on the front side in the cutting direction. The outer peripheral nozzle 60 includes, for example, a substantially circular injection port 62 that injects the cutting fluid, and a flow path 64 that communicates with the injection port 62. The injection port 62 is formed at a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the cutting blade 22 on the side surface on the front side in the cutting direction of the concave portion 442 of the fixed base portion 44. The flow path 64 is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction inside the cover front portion 46 of the fixed base portion 44, and guides the cutting fluid supplied from the outside to the injection port 62.

  Further, a hose connecting part 52 is provided on one side upper part of the fixed base part 44, and a cutting fluid supply means (not shown) provided outside the blade cover device 40 is provided in the hose connecting part 52. The liquid supply hose 521 communicated with the liquid supply hose 521 is connected. With this configuration, the cutting fluid supplied via the liquid supply hose 521 passes through the flow path 64 of the outer peripheral nozzle 60 formed inside the fixed base portion 44 and passes from the injection port 62 to the outer peripheral surface of the cutting blade 22. It is injected towards.

  As described above, in the blade cover device 40 according to the present embodiment, the outer nozzle unit is not externally attached to the fixed base portion 44, but the injection port 62 and the flow path 64 are formed in the fixed base portion 44 itself. Thus, the outer peripheral nozzle 60 is built-in. Thereby, the number of parts of the blade cover device 40 can be reduced, and the configuration for installing the outer peripheral nozzle 60 can be simplified.

  Next, the moving cover part 42 will be described. The moving cover part 42 is a cover member that covers the upper part of the fixed base part 44, and is attached to the fixed base part 44 so as to be slidable in a substantially horizontal direction (X-axis direction). The moving cover part 42 is a metal sheet metal part such as stainless steel, for example, and is manufactured by bending a metal flat plate so that the vertical cross-sectional shape is substantially U-shaped. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the movable cover part 42 is disposed substantially horizontally with respect to the upper surface part 42c and on the front side of the upper surface part 42c in the Y-axis direction with respect to the upper surface part 42c. A front surface portion 42a, and a back surface portion 42b disposed substantially perpendicular to the upper surface portion 42c on the rear surface side in the Y-axis direction of the upper surface portion 42c.

  The moving cover part 42 is disposed so as to cover the upper part of the fixed base part 44 so as to be guided by the upper part of the fixed base part 44 when sliding in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the movable cover portion 42 includes the entire upper surface 44c of the fixed base portion 44, the upper portions of the front surface 44a and the rear surface 44b in the Y-axis direction of the fixed base portion 44, and the X-axis direction of the fixed base portion 44. It is arranged so as to cover the upper part of one side surface 44d. The upper surface part 42c and the back surface part 42b of the moving cover part 42 are in contact with the upper surface 44c and the back surface 44b of the fixed base part 44, respectively. Thereby, the movable cover part 42 can be used as a guide member for sliding the fixed base part 44 in the X-axis direction.

  Note that the front surface portion 42 a of the movable cover portion 42 according to the present embodiment is not in contact with the front surface 44 a of the fixed base portion 44. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the width of the movable cover portion 42 in the Y-axis direction and the width of the fixed base portion 44 in the Y-axis direction are set to be approximately the same as the front surface portion 42a of the movable cover portion 42. You may comprise so that the front surface 44a of the base part 44 may contact.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of side nozzles (that is, a front nozzle 27a and a back nozzle 27b) are fixed to the lower portion of the movable cover portion 42 on one side in the X-axis direction. The side nozzles 27a, 27b are provided with cutting fluid (for example, cutting) from both sides of the cutting blade 22 (referring to front and back surfaces that are substantially flat surfaces on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the cutting blade 22). This is a cutting fluid supply nozzle (blade cooler nozzle) for supplying water. Among these, the front nozzle 27 a is disposed adjacent to the lower part on the front side of the cutting blade 22 and supplies cutting fluid to the front surface of the cutting blade 22. Further, the back nozzle 27 b is disposed adjacent to the lower part on the back side of the cutting blade 22 and supplies cutting fluid to the back surface of the cutting blade 22.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b extend from one side in the X-axis direction of the moving cover portion 42 downward in the vertical direction and are curved with a predetermined radius of curvature, for example. After that, it extends horizontally along the lower part of the cutting blade 22. In the horizontal portion of the front nozzle 27a and the back nozzle 27b, for example, a plurality of slit-shaped or fine hole-shaped injection ports (not shown) are formed.

  The front nozzle 27a and the back nozzle 27b are connected and fixed to the nozzle fixing portions 422 disposed inside the moving cover portion 42. In addition, for example, two hose connecting portions 51 are provided on one side upper portion of the moving cover portion 42, and each of the hose connecting portions 51 is provided with a liquid supply hose 511 communicated with the cutting fluid supply means. Connected. Further, passages 423 are formed through the nozzle fixing portions 422 so as to communicate the front nozzles 27a, the rear nozzles 27b, and the hose connecting portions 51, respectively.

  With this configuration, the cutting fluid supplied via the liquid supply hose 511 reaches the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b through the flow path 426 formed in the nozzle fixing portion 422, and the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b is sprayed from the spray port 27b toward the front and lower portions of the cutting blade 22 and the processing point.

  By supplying the cutting fluid in this way, the cutting blade 22 and the processing point can be cooled, and chipping can be prevented from occurring on the workpiece 12 during the cutting process. Further, the cutting waste generated by the cutting process can be washed away by supplying the cutting fluid. In particular, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b have the same shape and are accurately disposed at symmetrical positions (height and horizontal positions) with the cutting blade 22 in between. As a result, the cutting fluid can be evenly supplied to the front surface and the back surface of the cutting blade 22, so that chipping of the workpiece 12 can be effectively prevented.

  Next, the slide mechanism of the moving cover part 42 will be described in detail. For example, a guide hole 425 that is a long hole extending in the X-axis direction, which is a sliding direction, is formed through the upper surface portion 42c of the moving cover portion 42. The guide hole 425 has a function of restricting the sliding direction of the movable cover portion 42 in the X-axis direction and restricting the slidable range of the movable cover portion 42 to a predetermined range between a cutting position and a retracted position, which will be described later. . The guide hole 425 may be formed in the front surface portion 42a or the back surface portion 42b of the movable cover portion 42.

  Further, the movable cover portion 42 is attached to the fixed base portion 44 by, for example, a clamp bolt 53 that is a locking member that penetrates the guide hole 425 from above and engages with the fixed base portion 44. .

  Specifically, the male screw portion 53b of the clamp bolt 53 has an outer diameter that is the same as or slightly smaller than the width of the guide hole 425 in the short direction (Y-axis direction), and thus penetrates the guide hole 425. Then, it is screwed into a female screw hole 441 formed in the upper surface 44 c of the fixed base portion 44. On the other hand, the head 53a of the clamp bolt 53 cannot pass through the guide hole 425 because its outer diameter is larger than the width of the guide hole 425 in the short direction. For this reason, when the clamp bolt 53 is fastened to the fixed base portion 44, the upper surface portion 42c of the movable cover portion 42 is locked by the head portion 53a of the clamp bolt 53 and directed toward the fixed base portion 44 below. Can be pressed.

  With this configuration, by fastening the clamp bolt 53, the movable cover portion 42 can be locked by the clamp bolt 53 and fixed to the fixed base portion 44. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the clamp bolt 53 is positioned at one end (the left end in the figure) of the guide hole 425, the clamp cover 53 is fastened to position the movable cover portion 42 at the cutting position. Thus, it can be fixed to the fixed base 44. Thus, when the moving cover portion 42 is fixed at the cutting position, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b are disposed adjacent to both sides of the cutting blade 22 so as to face each other. The workpiece 12 can be suitably cut by the cutting blade 22 while supplying the cutting fluid.

  On the other hand, by loosening the clamp bolt 53, the locking operation of the movable cover portion 42 by the clamp bolt 53 is released, so that the movable cover portion 42 is attached to the fixed base portion 44 as shown in FIGS. On the other hand, it can be slid in the horizontal direction (that is, the X-axis direction) orthogonal to the axial direction of the spindle 25.

  At the time of this sliding, the engagement between the upper surface portion 42c and the rear surface portion 42b of the movable cover portion 42 and the upper portion (the upper surface 44a and the rear surface 44b) of the fixed base portion 44 is maintained, and the guide hole 425 The sliding direction is regulated by the interaction with the clamp bolt 53. For this reason, the slide of the movable cover part 42 in the X-axis direction can be suitably guided by the upper surface 44a and the rear surface 44b of the fixed base part 44. Therefore, the movable cover portion 42 can be smoothly slid in the horizontal direction by the simple slide mechanism as described above.

  Furthermore, as described above, the movable cover portion 42 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel, but the fixed base portion 44 is not formed of a metal such as stainless steel as in the prior art but is formed of a synthetic resin such as plastic. ing. Thus, by using a synthetic resin as the material of the fixed base part 44, not only can the fixed base part 44 be reduced in weight, but also the frictional resistance between the movable cover part 42 and the fixed base part 44 can be reduced and moved. There is also an effect that the cover part 42 can be slid even more smoothly.

  In this way, by sliding the movable cover portion 42 in the X-axis direction with respect to the fixed base portion 44, the front nozzle 27 a and the rear nozzle 27 b fixed to the movable cover portion 42 are moved to the cutting blade 22. On the other hand, it can be moved simultaneously in the X-axis direction.

  Further, when the movable cover portion 42 slides in the X-axis direction as described above and the clamp bolt 53 reaches the other end (right end in the figure) of the guide hole 425 as shown in FIGS. The cover part 42 is locked by a clamp bolt 53. For this reason, the movable cover part 42 cannot slide any more and is positioned at the retracted position. Thus, when the movable cover portion 42 is positioned at the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 5, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b can remove the cutting blade 22 from the spindle 25 even if the cutting blade 22 is removed. Is retracted to a position in the X-axis direction that does not contact the X-axis.

  For this reason, when exchanging the cutting blade 22 due to wear or damage, the operator is obstructed by the front nozzle 27a only by manually sliding the movable cover portion 42 to the retracted position as described above. The cutting blade 22 can be removed and replaced. Note that it is safe if the movable cover portion 42 is slid to the retracted position, and then the clamp cover 53 is fastened to fix the movable cover portion 42. Since the movable cover portion 42 is stationary unless a special external force is applied, the exchanging operation of the cutting blade 22 can be performed.

  The blade cover device 40 in the dicing device 10 according to the present embodiment has been described in detail above. According to the blade cover device 40, the front nozzle 27 a and the rear nozzle 27 b can be retracted from the cutting blade 22 by a relatively simple mechanism in which the movable cover portion 42 is slid in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the fixed base portion 44. Can do. For this reason, the operator can replace the cutting blade 22 easily and quickly.

  Further, in the blade cover device 40, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b are fixed to the same member (moving cover portion 42). Therefore, the front nozzle 27a and the back nozzle 27b can be moved and retracted simultaneously in the X-axis direction while maintaining a high accuracy in the distance and height between the front nozzle 27a and the back nozzle 27b. Therefore, once the mutual distance and height between the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b are adjusted and properly installed in the blade cover device 40, then the mutual distance between the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b and There is an advantage that there is no need to adjust the height.

  Further, since the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b are moved and retracted in the horizontal direction, the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b are moved to the chuck table 30 as in the conventional mechanism of rotating and retracting. There is no risk of contact. Therefore, even when the cutting blade 22 is in a position close to the chuck table 30, the cutting blade 22 can be replaced at the same position without raising the entire cutting unit 20.

  In addition, since the moving direction of the front nozzle 27a and the rear nozzle 27b is horizontal, a liquid supply hose 511 for supplying cutting fluid to the nozzles 27a and 27b as compared with a conventional mechanism for rotating and retracting. Is not bent, and an excessive load is not applied to the liquid supply hose 511. Therefore, the liquid supply hose 511 can be prevented from being damaged or disconnected.

  A clamp bolt 53 as a locking member is detachably provided on the upper surface of the fixed base portion 44. For this reason, by removing the clamp bolt 53, the moving cover part 42 can be removed from the fixed base part 44 and can be easily replaced or cleaned. Furthermore, by arranging the clamp bolt 53 on the upper part of the blade cover device 40, the operator can easily operate the clamp bolt 53.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to this example. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are of course within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the dicing apparatus 10 has been described as an example of the cutting apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, as long as it is a device that cuts the workpiece 12 using the cutting blade 22 that rotates at high speed by the spindle 25, for example, various cutting devices that perform cutting processing other than dicing processing may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the material of the movable cover part 42 was metals, such as stainless steel, this invention is not limited to this example, Arbitrary materials, such as a synthetic resin, may be sufficient.

  In the blade cover device 40 according to the above embodiment, the clamp bolt 53 is used as the locking member. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the moving cover portion 42 is locked and fixed to the fixed base portion 44. / As long as it is a member that can be unlocked, any member such as a hook mechanism or a pin may be used. Further, a male screw part may be provided so as to protrude from the fixed base part 44 so as to penetrate the guide hole 425, and a nut may be engaged with the male screw part to lock and fix the movable cover part 42.

  Further, the installation location of the guide hole 425 and the locking member is not limited to the upper surface side of the blade cover device 40, and may be, for example, the front surface side or the rear surface side of the blade cover device 40.

  Further, the shapes of the movable cover portion 42 and the fixed base portion 44 are not limited to shapes in which the upper surface is a horizontal surface and the front surface and the rear surface are vertical surfaces as in the above embodiment. The movable cover part 42 may be any shape that can slide in the X-axis direction with respect to the fixed base part 44 and can use the fixed base part 44 as a guide member.

  The present invention is applicable to a blade cover device that covers a cutting blade in a cutting device.

1 is an overall perspective view showing a dicing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the cutting unit concerning the embodiment. It is the front view (a) and right view (b) which show the blade cover apparatus concerning the embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the cutting unit of the state which the movable cover part concerning the embodiment slid. It is a front view which shows the blade cover apparatus of the state which the movement cover concerning the embodiment slid. It is a perspective view which shows the blade cover apparatus in the conventional cutting unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10: Dicing apparatus 12: Workpiece 20: Cutting unit 22: Cutting blade 25: Spindle 27a: Front nozzle 27b: Rear nozzle 30: Chuck table 40: Blade cover device 42: Moving cover part 42a: Front part 42b: Back part 42c: Upper surface portion 44: Fixed base portion 44a: Front surface of the fixed base portion 44b: Back surface of the fixed base portion 44c: Upper surface of the fixed base portion 53: Clamp bolt (locking member)
60: Peripheral nozzle 425: Guide hole

Claims (3)

A blade cover device covering a cutting blade mounted on the tip of a spindle rotatably supported by a spindle housing, comprising:
A fixed base portion fixed to the spindle housing and covering an outer periphery of the cutting blade;
A moving cover portion attached to the fixed base portion so as to be slidable in a substantially horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle;
Consisting of:
The moving cover part is
A front nozzle for supplying cutting fluid to the front surface of the cutting blade; and a back nozzle for supplying cutting fluid to the back surface of the cutting blade;
Arranged so as to cover at least a part of the upper surface and the side surface of the fixed base portion so as to be guided by the upper surface of the fixed base portion and the side surface in the axial direction of the spindle when sliding. And
A guide hole for restricting the sliding direction and slidable range of the movable cover portion is formed so as to pass through the guide hole and engage with the fixed base portion to lock the movable cover portion. Attached to the fixed base part by a stop member;
The moving cover portion slides in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the fixed base portion, whereby the front nozzle and the rear nozzle are simultaneously moved in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the cutting blade. Cover device.   The blade cover device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is detachably engaged with the fixed base portion. The blade cover device according to claim 1, wherein a material of the fixed base portion is a synthetic resin.

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