JP2018140474A - Cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable formation of an accurate uniform thickness even with a thin cut piece of several 10 to several 100 μm by cutting a target object having flexibility into a uniform thickness.SOLUTION: A guide body 14 having a sliding surface 14a on the side opposite to an end surface Se of a target object S for cutting is attached to support means. Even if the target object S is compressed by associated pressing force in response to downward movement of the guide body 14 together with the support means, the sliding surface 14a slides on the end surface Se of the target object S, so that the end surface Se of the target object S is pressed and compressive deformation of the end surface Se of the target object S is restrained. Here, by setting the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, the sliding surface 14a can be prevented from becoming non-slidable by hooking on the target object S due to frictional force even if the target object S is material having flexibility, and smooth sliding of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 can be achieved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus that cuts a flexible cutting object into a predetermined thickness to form a cut piece.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device that cuts (slices) a flexible cutting object such as silicone into a predetermined thickness to process and form a cutting piece, a knife for slicing the cutting object as described in Patent Document 1, for example There is an apparatus that cuts (slices) a cutting object into a predetermined thickness by an ultrasonic cutter that includes an ultrasonic oscillation mechanism that applies ultrasonic vibration to the knife and an elevating mechanism that moves the knife up and down.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-45019 (see paragraphs 10.44 to 0042 and FIG. 5)

  However, in the method described in Patent Document 1 described above, since the cutting object has flexibility, the cutting object is cut when the cutting object is cut by moving the knife of the ultrasonic cutter downward. The object is compressed and deformed by the pressing force of the knife, and the end surface of the cutting object is swollen with compression, and the thickness of the formed cutting piece becomes non-uniform, especially a thin cutting piece of several tens to several hundreds of μm. There exists a problem that it cannot form in uniform thickness.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and even when a thin cutting piece of several tens to several hundreds of μm is cut into a uniform thickness by cutting a flexible cutting target object with high accuracy and uniformity. It aims at enabling it to form in thickness.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a cutting apparatus according to the present invention is an ultrasonic wave generated by a vibrator in a cutting apparatus that forms a cut piece by cutting a flexible cutting object to a predetermined thickness. Ultrasonic vibration means including a resonator that resonates with vibration, and supports the ultrasonic vibration means movably in the vertical direction that is the vibration direction, and the support angle about the vertical axis of the ultrasonic vibration means can be adjusted A supporting means for supporting the ultrasonic vibration, a cutting blade attached to the resonator of the ultrasonic vibration means to which ultrasonic vibration is applied via the resonator, and holding the cutting object at a position below the cutting blade. A holding means; and a sliding surface attached to the supporting means and facing the end surface of the object to be cut, wherein the sliding surface is interlocked with the vertical movement of the ultrasonic vibration means by the supporting means. The cutting object A guide body that slides on an end surface; a moving means that moves the cutting object in a direction toward the guide body together with a holding means each time the cutting object is cut by the cutting blade; and the ultrasonic vibration means, Control means for controlling the support means and the moving means, and a distance between the vertically moving surface of the cutting blade and the sliding surface of the guide body by moving the guide body in a direction toward the cutting object. Adjusting means for adjusting the thickness of the cutting piece set by the step, wherein at least the sliding surface of the guide body is set to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, and the cutting by the downward movement of the ultrasonic vibration means When the blade moves downward, the cutting object is cut while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade via the resonator, and the cutting blade slides along with the downward movement of the cutting blade. The end face of the cutting object It is characterized by suppressing the compression deformation.

  According to such a configuration, the end surface of the cutting object is pressed by the guide body even when the cutting object is compressed as the cutting blade is moved downward by the ultrasonic vibration means. Compression deformation of the end face is suppressed. As a result, in conjunction with the downward movement of the cutting blade due to the downward movement of the ultrasonic vibration means, the sliding surface having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less of the guide body compresses and deforms the end surface of the object to be cut accompanying the downward movement of the cutting blade. The cutting object can be cut to a uniform thickness by sliding the end face while being suppressed, and cutting the cutting object while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade via the resonator. Even a thin cutting piece of several tens to several hundreds μm can be formed with high accuracy.

  Moreover, by setting the sliding surface of the guide body to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, even if the cutting object is made of a flexible material, the sliding surface of the guide body is caused by the frictional force of the cutting object. It is possible to prevent the sliding surface of the guide body from sliding on the end surface, the sliding surface of the guide body can smoothly slide on the end surface of the object to be cut, and the cutting piece can be formed with a higher precision thickness. it can.

  The sliding surface may be formed by coating the guide body with a coating material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, and the entire guide body or a part including the sliding surface may have a friction coefficient. You may form with the material of 0.4 or less.

  In this way, the sliding surface of the guide body can be set to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, and smooth sliding of the sliding surface of the guide body can be realized.

  Further, the upper end of the sliding surface may be located at the same level as or below the horizontal plane including the cutting edge of the cutting blade.

  In this way, when the cutting blade starts to contact the cutting object as the cutting blade is moved downward by the ultrasonic vibration means, the sliding surface of the guide body is already in contact with the end surface of the cutting object. Therefore, when the cutting object is compressed due to the downward movement of the cutting blade, the end surface of the cutting object is compressed by pressing the end surface of the cutting object with the guide body even if the compression deformation position differs depending on the type of the cutting object. Deformation can be reliably suppressed.

  In addition, an inclined surface that is inclined in a plane or a curved surface is formed on the upper side of the sliding surface of the guide body facing the end surface of the object to be cut away from the cutting blade as it goes upward. It is good to have.

  In this way, the cutting piece formed by cutting along the inclined surface above the sliding surface of the guide body can be guided by the inclined surface and escaped from the object to be cut. Can prevent cutting from interfering with cutting, and can perform smooth cutting.

  The cutting object is preferably made of a flexible material such as silicone, soft resin, or soft rubber. As described above, a thin cutting piece made of a flexible material such as silicone, soft resin, or soft rubber can be formed with high accuracy and can be used for a heat-dissipating sheet of an electronic component.

  According to the present invention, by pressing the end face of the cutting object by the guide body, while suppressing the compressive deformation of the end face of the cutting object, in conjunction with the downward movement of the cutting blade by the downward movement of the ultrasonic vibration means, The sliding surface of the guide body having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less slides smoothly on the end surface of the object to be cut, and the object to be cut is cut while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade via the resonator. The object to be cut can be cut to a uniform thickness, and even a thin cutting piece of several tens to several hundreds μm can be formed with high accuracy.

It is a side view of one embodiment of a cutting device concerning the present invention. It is a front view of FIG. It is a one part front view of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect of the cutting device of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect of the cutting device of FIG.

  An embodiment of a cutting apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Device configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 is configured such that a silicone is placed on a placement surface 31 of a placement table 3 by applying vibration to a rectangular flat plate-like cutting blade 23 having a blade edge 23 a formed at one end side edge. The cutting object S having flexibility such as the above is cut (sliced), and is placed on a head surface 2 provided with a resonator 21 and a mount 11 described later and placed on a placement surface 31. A mounting table 3 as holding means for holding the cut object S at a position below the cutting blade 23, a drive mechanism 4 for driving the resonator 21 supported by the support means 24 in the cutting direction (arrow Z direction), A control device 6 (corresponding to the “control means” of the present invention) that controls each part of the cutting device 1 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head unit 2 includes a resonator 21 that constitutes ultrasonic vibration means of the present invention together with a vibrator 22 described later, and a support means 24 that supports the resonator 21. .

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the resonator 21 includes a booster 25 and a horn 26. The other end of the booster 25 and one end of the horn 26 are headless so that their central axes are coaxial with each other. They are connected by screws.

  The booster 25 is formed with a length of one wavelength of the resonance frequency so that the substantially center position of the booster 25 and both end positions are the maximum amplitude points. At this time, the positions apart from the maximum amplitude point by ¼ wavelength correspond to the first and second minimum amplitude points, respectively. The booster 25 is formed in a columnar shape having a circular cross section when viewed from the end side. The vibrator 22 is connected to one end of the booster 25 by a headless screw so as to be coaxial with the central axis of the booster 25.

  Moreover, since the booster 25 (resonator 21) is gripped by forming concave grooves on the outer peripheral surface of the booster 25 at the first minimum amplitude point and the second minimum amplitude point of the booster 25, the gripped portion is Is formed. In this embodiment, the gripped portion is formed so that the cross-sectional shape substantially orthogonal to the central axis of the booster 25 is an octagonal shape, but the cross-sectional shape is a circular shape or other polygonal shape. A gripping portion may be formed.

  The horn 26 is formed to have a half-wavelength of the resonance frequency so that both end positions become maximum amplitude points. At this time, the substantially center position of the horn 26 corresponds to the third minimum amplitude point. Further, the horn 26 is formed in a rectangular shape in front view, and is formed in a lip shape in which the side view is tapered toward the tip. A step 26a is formed in the attachment portion at the other end of the horn 26, and the vibration direction of the vibrator 22 (in the direction of arrow Z) so that the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 faces the opposite side (lower side) of the vibrator 22. The cutting blades 23 arranged in parallel with each other are attached to the step 26 a of the attachment portion at the other end of the horn 26.

  Then, the ultrasonic vibration that vibrates in the direction of the central axis of the resonator 21 is applied to the cutting blade 23 from the resonator 21 that resonates with the ultrasonic vibration of the vibrator 22 that vibrates by being controlled by the control device 6. . Further, in this embodiment, two long holes 26b (see FIG. 2) are formed on the side surface of the horn 26 so as to be substantially parallel to the booster 25 that is the vibration direction of the vibrator 22 and the central axis direction of the horn 26. Yes. The location and number of the long holes 26b may be appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the horn 26, such as the width of the horn 26. The number of the long holes 26b may be one, or three or more long holes. A hole 26 b may be formed in the horn 26. Further, the long hole 26 b may not be formed in the horn 26.

  In the resonator 21 configured as described above, the vibrator 22 is controlled by the control device 6 to generate ultrasonic vibration, and thus the resonator 21 vibrates in the direction of the central axis. At this time, the horn 26 is provided with two long holes 26b substantially parallel to the vibration direction, so that the phase and amplitude of vibration in each part sandwiching the long hole 26b of the horn 26 are adjusted. Therefore, the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration becomes substantially the same in the width direction of the other end of the horn 26, and the vibration whose amplitude is adjusted in the width direction is applied to the cutting blade 23. Here, it is desirable that the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration is 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 kHz, and the amplitude is 0.1 μm or more.

  The cutting blade 23 may be either single-edged or double-edged, and the cutting blade 23 may be high carbon steel, carbon tool steel, alloy tool steel, high speed steel, sintered high speed steel, cemented carbide. , Ceramics, cermet, industrial diamond, electroformed diamond, etc., and the blade thickness is preferably 100 μm to 2 mm, depending on the type of cutting object and the required size of the cut piece Is preferably formed to be 1 mm. Further, the cutting blade 23 is attached to the attachment portion of the horn 26 by being adhered by a resin adhesive having a thermosetting property or a thermoplastic property, a metal brazing material such as Ni, Cu, or Ag, or an adhesive material such as solder. Or attached to the mounting portion of the horn 26 with a screw. Further, the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 is subjected to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), titanium nitride, titanium carbonitride, titanium aluminum nitride, aluminum chrome nitride, diamond-like carbon (DLC: It may be coated with a hard material such as Diamond-like Carbon.

  The support unit 24 includes a base 27 and a clamp unit 28, and supports the resonator 21 by holding the gripped portion of the booster 25 with the clamp unit 28.

  The clamp means 28 includes a first member 28a and a second member 28b made of metal so that the two gripped portions formed on the booster 25 can be gripped. The first member 28a and the second member 28b are each provided with a concave portion that matches the cross-sectional shape of the gripped portion. The first member 28a and the first member 28a of the clamping means 28 supported by the base 27 are inserted into the concave groove forming the gripped portion so that the gripped portion is sandwiched by the recesses of the first member 28a and the second member 28b. The two members 28b are fitted and the first member 28a and the second member 28b are fixed by bolts, whereby the gripped portion is directly clamped and clamped by the clamp means 28.

  Thereby, the resonator 21 is supported by the support means 24 so that the cutting edge 23 a of the cutting blade 23 faces the mounting surface 31 of the mounting table 3.

  A lever 100 for adjusting the direction of the blade edge 23 a in the rotation direction (θ direction) of the cutting blade 23 with respect to the central axis direction (vibration direction) of the resonator 21 is attached to the resonator 21. In addition, a fine adjustment unit 101 that includes an actuator such as a motor combined with a fluid cylinder, a gear, a pulley, and the like and adjusts the direction of the blade edge 23 a by moving the lever 100 is provided.

  Therefore, the direction of the cutting edge 23a in the θ direction of the cutting blade 23 can be adjusted by rotating the lever 100 in the θ direction (see FIG. 1) by the fine adjustment unit 101 with the bolt of the clamping means 28 loosened. it can. Then, the direction of the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 and the direction of the cutting object S placed on the mounting table 3 can be easily finely adjusted. And if fine adjustment with the direction of the blade edge | tip 23a and the direction of the cutting target S mounted in the mounting base 3 is completed, it is good to clamp | tighten the bolt of the clamp means 28 again and hold | maintain the resonator 21. FIG.

  Note that the configuration of the support means 24 that supports the resonator 21 is not limited to the clamp means 28 that holds the gripped portion formed in the booster 25 and is fixed by a bolt, for example, a machine configured to be electrically controllable. Any configuration that can grip and support the gripped portion, such as a general clamping mechanism or a clamping mechanism that can be attached with one touch, may be used.

  The position of the gripped portion formed in the resonator 21 is not limited to the minimum amplitude point, and the gripped portion may be formed at an arbitrary position of the resonator 21. Further, the shape of the gripped portion is not limited to the concave shape, and may be formed in any shape such as a convex shape.

  The mounting table 3 is a table on which the cutting object S is mounted. The mounting table 3 is fixedly installed on a gantry 11 to be described later, and is mounted by a feed mechanism (corresponding to “moving means” of the present invention) 32. The cutting object S placed thereon is fed and moved by a predetermined amount corresponding to the thickness of cutting in the direction opposite to the arrow Y. At this time, a coating layer made of a coating material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less is formed on the surface of the mounting surface 31 so that the cutting object S smoothly slides on the mounting surface 31, or the mounting surface A part near the surface of 31 is made of a material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less.

  Here, as a material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), which is Teflon (registered trademark), PFA (tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene / hexa). Fluoropropylene copolymer), ETFE (tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene copolymer), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PCTFE (polychlorotrifluoroethylene) and other fluororesins, HDPE (rigid polyethylene), PS (polystyrene) It is desirable to use resins such as UHMWPE (polymer polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), and these may be used for the mounting table 3 and the guide body 14 described later.

  The feed mechanism 32 corresponds to the “moving means” of the present invention, and includes a table 32a having an L-shape in a side view that translates in both directions in the direction of the arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2, a drive motor 32b, and A long ball screw 32c arranged in parallel with the arrow Y direction at a substantially central position in the arrow X direction of the gantry 11, a moving member 32d provided with a screw hole screwed into the ball screw 32c, and a gantry described later 11, a pair of guide rails 32e parallel to the arrow Y direction disposed on both the left and right sides of the mounting table 3 on the table 11 and a lower surface of the table 32a, and reciprocatingly move along each of the guide rails 32e. Two pairs of guide members 32f. Here, the ball screw 32c is rotatably supported by frames (not shown) provided on both sides in the arrow Y direction of the gantry 11 with its central axis as a rotation center, and the moving member 32d is screwed with the ball screw 32c. In this state, it is coupled to the lower surface of the table 32a.

  Further, when the drive motor 32b connected to one end of the ball screw 32c is rotated under the control of the control device 6, the moving member 32d screwed with the ball screw 32c reciprocates in the arrow Y direction, thereby moving the moving member. A table 32a coupled to 32d is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the arrow Y direction while being guided by both guide rails 32e and 32e. Then, each time the cutting object S is cut, the table 32a is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow Y by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the cutting object S, and the vertical contact piece of the table 32a is placed on the mounting surface. With the table 32a in contact with the cutting object S placed on 31, the cutting object S is moved (slid) on the placing table 3 in the direction opposite to the arrow Y, and the cutting object S is It is fed and moved by a predetermined amount corresponding to the thickness of the cutting piece to be formed.

  The drive mechanism 4 moves the resonator 21 supported by the support means 24 so that the cutting edge 23 a of the cutting blade 23 attached to the resonator 21 faces the mounting surface 31 of the mounting table 3. Is moved in the direction of the arrow Z parallel to. Further, the frame 11 is provided with frame members 12 with side plates 12b extending rearward on both sides of a front plate 12a that is substantially rectangular in front view, and an arch is positioned below the front plate 12a. A shaped opening 12c is provided. The drive mechanism 4 is disposed above the opening 12c of the frame member 12 and attached to the front plate 12a.

  The drive mechanism 4 includes a front plate 41 attached to the front plate 12 a of the frame member 12, a drive motor 43 attached to a frame 42 provided on the front plate 41, and a ball screw 44 connected to the drive motor 43. The front plate 41 is provided with guide rails 45 arranged in parallel to the arrow Z direction at the left and right ends, respectively, and the ball screw 44 is screwed into the base 27 of the support means 24 and the left and right guide rails 45 are A pair of guide members 27 a are slidably provided along the right and left ends of the back surface side of the base portion 27.

  The ball screw 44 has a major axis direction parallel to the arrow Z direction at a substantially central position in the arrow X direction of the front plate 41. The upper and lower ends of the ball screw 44 are arranged at the front plate 41. Are supported by a plurality of frames 42 provided so as to be rotatable about the central axis thereof. Then, when the drive motor 43 rotates under the control of the control device 6, the support means 24 and the guide rail 45 move.

  Specifically, in the resonator 21, the direction of the center axis of the resonator 21 is parallel to the major axis direction of the ball screw 44, that is, the direction of the center axis of the resonator 21 and the movement of the resonator 21 by the drive mechanism 4. The support means 24 supports the cutting edge 23 so that the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 faces the cutting object S on the mounting surface 31 in parallel with the direction (arrow Z direction in FIGS. 1 and 2). Is done. Here, the width of the cutting blade 23 is set to be wider than the cutting object S.

  Then, when the support unit 24 is moved down by the drive mechanism 4, the resonator 21 is integrally moved down in the direction of the arrow Z close to the mounting table 3, so that the pressure applied by the drive mechanism 4 is applied to the cutting blade 23. The resonator 21 is resonated with the ultrasonic vibration of the vibrator 22 that is added from the blade edge 23a to the cutting object S placed on the placement surface 31 of the placement table 3 and controlled by the control device 6. The cutting blade 26 is ultrasonically vibrated, and the cutting object S is cut to a predetermined thickness by the cutting blade 23 to form a cutting piece SR.

  And the control apparatus 6 can control the pressurization force to the cutting target S by the cutting blade 23 by performing torque control of the drive motor 43 based on the detection signal of a pressure detection means. Thus, by performing feedback control of the drive mechanism 4 (drive motor 43) based on the detection signal of the pressure detection means, the friction force generated at the threaded portion between the ball screw 44 and the base portion 27 is not affected, and the like. The pressure applied to the object S by the cutting blade 23 can be controlled to a predetermined pressure.

  The feed mechanism 32 and the drive mechanism 4 are configured by combining the drive motors 36 and 43 and the ball screws 32c and 44, respectively. However, other mechanisms such as an actuator or a linear motor using fluid pressure by an air cylinder are used. The feed mechanism 32 and the drive mechanism 4 may be configured using an actuator.

  The control device 6 includes an operation panel (not shown) for controlling the entire cutting device 1, and the magnitude and drive of ultrasonic energy calculated from the voltage value or current value applied to the vibrator 22. The relative position between the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 and the cutting object S on the mounting surface 31 is adjusted by controlling the driving torque of the motors 32b and 43 and the movement control of the mounting table 3 in the arrow Y direction. To do.

  By the way, when cutting the cutting object S while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade 23 by the resonator 21, the cutting blade 23 is compressed and deformed by the pressing force when the cutting blade 23 moves downward, and is applied to the end surface Se of the cutting object S. The swelling accompanying compression arises and the thickness of a cutting piece becomes non-uniform | heterogenous.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the cutting object S is cut, the guide body 14 having the sliding surface 14 a on the side facing the end surface of the cutting object S is replaced with, for example, the clamping means 28 of the support means 24. The guide body 14 is disposed so that the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 slides on the end surface Se of the cutting object S in conjunction with the vertical movement of the cutting blade 23 by the resonator 21. By sliding the moving surface 14a, compressive deformation on the end surface Se side of the cutting object S accompanying the downward movement of the cutting blade 23 is suppressed.

  The sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is always parallel to the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23, and the upper end of the sliding surface 14a is positioned below the horizontal plane including the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 by a distance d. Thus, the guide body 14 is attached to the support means 24. Here, the guide body 14 is attached to the support means 24 so that the distance d can be variably set by a position setting means (not shown), and when the cutting object S is compressed by the downward movement of the cutting blade 23, the cutting is performed. Even if the compression deformation position and the deformation amount differ depending on the type of the object S, the end surface Se of the cutting object S can be pressed by pressing the end surface Se of the cutting object S by the guide body 14 by appropriately setting the distance d. It becomes possible to reliably suppress the compression deformation.

  At this time, a coating layer made of a coating material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less is formed on at least the surface of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14, and the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is formed on the cutting object S by frictional force. It is possible to prevent the end surface Se from being caught and to smoothly slide the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14. The entire guide body 14 or a part including the sliding surface 14a may be formed of a material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less.

  Further, the guide body 14 is attached to the support means 24 so as to be able to reciprocate in parallel in the direction of the arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 3, and the guide body 14 is guided by the adjusting means 15 of the micrometer configuration provided in the guide body 14. The body 14 is moved in the direction toward the cutting object S, and the distance t (see FIG. 3) between the vertically moving surface of the cutting blade 23 and the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is adjusted, thereby forming by cutting. The thickness of the cutting piece SR to be adjusted is adjusted to t.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, inclined surfaces 14 b and 14 c that are inclined in a planar shape are formed on the upper and lower portions of the sliding surface 14 a of the guide body 14 so as to move away from the cutting blade 23 and move upward. A curved receiving portion 14d is attached to the upper surface of the guide body 14 and above the upper inclined surface 14b, and the cutting piece SR formed by the receiving portion 14d is received. The inclined surfaces 14b and 14c may be curved inclined surfaces.

(Cutting motion)
As shown in FIG. 3, the fine adjustment unit 101 is rotated in the θ direction of the cutting edge 13 a of the cutting blade 13 and the sliding surface 14 a of the guide body 14, so that the cutting edge 23 a of the cutting blade 13 and the guide body 14 are rotated. The sliding surface 14a is adjusted so as to be parallel to the end surface Se of the cutting object S, and the adjusting body 15 moves the guide body 14 in the direction toward the cutting object S to move the vertical moving surface of the cutting blade 23 and the guide. The distance t between the body 14 and the sliding surface 14a is adjusted to adjust the thickness t of the cutting piece SR to be formed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the resonator 21 is moved down together with the support means 24 by the drive mechanism 4, the cutting edge 23 a of the cutting blade 23 is brought into contact with the cutting object S, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the cutting blade 23. At the same time as the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cutting blade 23 by the resonator 21, the cutting blade 23 is moved downward, and the cutting object S is cut by the cutting blade 23 as shown in FIG. Is formed, and the formed cutting piece SR is received by the receiving portion 14d. The lowering speed of the cutting blade 23 is preferably set to 0.05 mm / s to 200 mm / s depending on the material of the cutting object S, the thickness of the cutting piece SR, and the like.

  At this time, since the cutting is performed while the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 slides on the end surface Se of the cutting object S, the cutting blade 23 as shown in the partially enlarged view in the round frame in FIG. The compression deformation Cd on the end surface Se side of the cutting object S accompanying the movement is suppressed by the sliding surface 14a sliding on the end surface Se, and the uniformity of the thickness of the cutting piece SR is ensured.

  Further, when the cutting blade 23 is moved down to reach the lower surface of the cutting object S as shown in FIG. 6, the lowering of the cutting blade 23 is stopped at that time, and one cutting piece SR having a predetermined thickness t. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the cutting blade 23 is moved upward together with the support means 24 and returned to the cutting start position, and a table 32a is formed to cut the next cutting piece SR. The cutting object S is moved on the mounting surface 31 of the mounting table 3 by the distance t by being moved in the direction opposite to the arrow Y direction (the direction indicated by the thick line arrow in FIG. 7) by the distance t corresponding to the thickness t of the cutting piece SR. Is done. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated to repeatedly form a cutting piece SR having a predetermined thickness t.

  At this time, for comparison, a cutting piece SR is formed by setting the friction coefficient of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 to 0.4 or less for a plurality of different types of cutting objects S (samples A to E). In this case, the uniformity of the thickness of the cutting piece when the cutting piece SR was formed with the friction coefficient of the sliding face 14a set larger than 0.4 was examined. As shown in FIG. When the friction coefficient is 0.4 or less, the thickness variation of the cutting piece SR is smaller than 2% and almost uniform compared to the case where the friction coefficient is larger than 0.4, and the appearance is good and practical. It turns out that there is no problem.

  Moreover, the variation in the thickness of the cutting piece SR when the distance d (see FIG. 3) from the upper end of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 and the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 was changed was also verified. As a verification condition, a cutting piece SR having a target thickness of 200 μm is prepared by cutting a cutting object S having a height of 40 mm, and the distance d is 0 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, and further, no guide body is cut. As a result of measuring the variation in the thickness of the piece SR, it was as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 9 shows a predetermined number of cutting pieces SR at each distance, and shows an average value of deviations of the thicknesses of the cutting pieces SR from the target thickness (200 μm). The distance d = 0 mm is 3 μm, and the distance d = 10 mm. 20 mm and 30 mm, both become 2 μm, while the distance d is 40 mm, that is, in the case of the lowermost end of the cutting object S and the case where there is no guide body, the average thickness deviation becomes 7 μm and 8 μm, respectively. When the distance d is 40 mm, this is equivalent to the fact that the upper end of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is at the lowermost end of the cutting object S and is not in contact with it, so that the pressing effect by the guide body 14 cannot be exhibited. As a result, it is considered that the variation in the thickness of the cutting piece SR is increased as in the case without the guide body. Therefore, it can be seen that the guide body 14 may be arranged in a state where the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 can be pressed against the end surface Se of the workpiece S.

  Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, in conjunction with the downward movement of the cutting blade 23, the sliding surface 14 a of the guide body 14 having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less is applied to the cutting object S accompanying the downward movement of the cutting blade 23. In order to slide the end surface Se while suppressing the compressive deformation of the end surface Se, the cutting object S is cut while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade 23 via the resonator 21. It can be cut to a uniform thickness, and even a thin cutting piece SR of several 10 to several 100 μm can be formed with high accuracy.

  Moreover, by setting the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less, even if the cutting object S is made of a flexible material, the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 has a frictional force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 from sliding on the end surface Se of the cutting object S. The cutting piece SR can be formed to a thickness with higher accuracy.

  Further, by positioning the upper end of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 below the horizontal plane including the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23, the cutting blade 23 is moved together with the support means 24 as the cutting blade 23 moves downward. When the cutting object S starts to be pressed, the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is already in contact with the end surface Se of the cutting object S, so that the cutting object S is compressed by the downward movement of the cutting blade 23. In addition, the end surface Se of the cutting object S can be pressed by the guide body 14 to reliably suppress the compressive deformation of the end surface Se of the cutting object S. At this time, when the cutting object S is compressed, the guide body can be set by variably setting the distance d (see FIG. 3) as appropriate even if the position and amount of compression deformation differ depending on the type of the cutting object S. 14, the end surface Se of the cutting object S can be pressed and the compression deformation of the end surface Se of the cutting object S can be reliably suppressed.

  Further, since the inclined surface 14b is formed above the sliding surface 14a on the side facing the end surface Se of the cutting object S of the guide body 14, the inclined surface 14b above the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is formed. Accordingly, the cutting piece SR formed by cutting can be guided by the inclined surface 14b and escaped from the cutting object S, so that the formed cutting piece SR is prevented from obstructing cutting. Can be cut smoothly.

  In addition, since the receiving portion 14d is provided, the formed cutting piece SR can be received by the receiving portion 14d, and damage to the cutting piece SR can be prevented.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is set to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less has been described. However, the surface roughness Ra (centerline average) of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is described. The roughness may be processed into a dense state of 25a or less.

  Thus, even when the surface roughness Ra of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is 25a or less, the thickness of the cutting piece SR becomes substantially uniform as compared with the case where the surface roughness Ra is larger than 25a. It was found to be good and practically no problem.

  Furthermore, it goes without saying that the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 and the mounting surface 31 of the mounting table 3 may be set to have a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less and a surface roughness Ra of 25a or less.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the upper end of the sliding surface 14a of the guide body 14 is positioned below the horizontal plane including the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23 has been described. However, the inclined surfaces 14b and 14c are not formed. The entire side surface of the guide body 14 may be a sliding surface. Further, the entire side surface of the guide body 14 is the upper end of the sliding surface, that is, the upper surface of the guide body 14 is in the same plane as the horizontal plane including the cutting edge 23a of the cutting blade 23. Or you may arrange | position the guide body 14 so that it may be located below this horizontal surface.

  Further, for example, the configuration of the resonator shape and the like is not limited to the above-described example, and if the vibration parallel to the cutting direction of the cutting blade can be applied to the cutting blade, how the resonator is configured. Also good. For example, the resonator may be configured such that the side view has a divergent shape, or the resonator may be configured in a general rectangular parallelepiped shape. Moreover, the resonator may be formed by one integral member, or the resonator may be formed by connecting three or more members.

  Further, the method of attaching the cutting blade 23 to the resonator 21 is not limited to the above-described example. For example, a fitting structure is formed on the other end face of the resonator 21 in parallel with the arrow X direction. The cutting blade 23 may be attached to the resonator 21 by inserting 23 into a fitting structure from the other end side opposite to the blade edge 23a and bonding.

  In the embodiment described above, the case where the cutting object S is made of silicone has been described. However, the cutting object is not limited to this, and a soft resin or other flexible resin, elastomer, or soft rubber is used. Preferably, a material having a glass transition temperature lower than room temperature is a cutting object, and the obtained cutting piece is used as a heat conductive sheet for heat dissipation of electronic parts. Good.

  Moreover, the structure which has the inclined surface 14b only on the upper side of the sliding surface 14 of the guide body 14 may be sufficient, and the lower inclined surface 14c is not especially required. However, as long as the inclined surfaces 14b and 14c are formed at a position contrasting with the horizontal plane passing through the center of the guide body 14, either of the inclined surfaces 14b and 14c may be arranged on the upper side, and there is a problem with the upper inclined surface. When this occurs, the lower inclined surface may be disposed on the upper side, and the attachment work of the guide body 14 becomes simple.

  Further, the configuration of the drive mechanism 4 in the arrow Z-axis direction and other device configurations are not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment. In short, the cutting blade 23 is reciprocally moved in the arrow Z direction together with the resonator 21. Any configuration that can be moved and that can feed and move the cutting object S in the arrow Y direction may be used.

  The present invention can be applied to all apparatuses that apply ultrasonic vibration to a cutting blade to cut a cutting object to a predetermined thickness.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cutting device 3 ... Mounting stand (holding means)
6 ... Control device (control means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 ... Guide body 14a ... Sliding surface 14b ... Inclined surface 15 ... Adjustment means 21 ... Resonator (ultrasonic vibration means)
22 ... vibrator (ultrasonic vibration means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 ... Cutting blade 23a ... Cutting edge 24 ... Support means 31 ... Mounting surface 32 ... Feeding mechanism (moving means)
S ... Cutting object Se ... End face SR ... Cutting piece t ... Thickness

Claims (6)

In a cutting apparatus that cuts a flexible cutting object to a predetermined thickness to form a cutting piece,
Ultrasonic vibration means comprising a resonator that resonates with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator;
A support means for supporting the ultrasonic vibration means movably in a vertical direction that is a vibration direction, and for supporting a support angle around the vertical axis of the ultrasonic vibration means in an adjustable manner;
A cutting blade attached to the resonator of the ultrasonic vibration means and applied with ultrasonic vibration through the resonator;
Holding means for holding the cutting object at a position below the cutting blade;
The sliding means is attached to the supporting means and has a sliding face on the side facing the end face of the cutting object, and the sliding face is interlocked with the vertical movement of the ultrasonic vibration means by the supporting means. A guide body that slides on the end face of
Moving means for feeding and moving the cutting object together with the holding means in the direction toward the guide body each time the cutting object is cut by the cutting blade;
Control means for controlling the ultrasonic vibration means, the support means and the moving means;
Adjustment means for adjusting the thickness of the cutting piece set by the distance between the vertical movement surface of the cutting blade and the sliding surface of the guide body by moving the guide body in the direction toward the cutting object. And
At least the sliding surface of the guide body is set to a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less,
When the cutting blade is moved downward by the downward movement of the ultrasonic vibration means, the cutting object is cut while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting blade via the resonator. A cutting device that suppresses compressive deformation on the end face side of the object to be cut as the cutting blade moves downward by sliding.   The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding surface is formed by coating the guide body with a coating material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less.   2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all of the guide body or a part including the sliding surface is formed of a material having a friction coefficient of 0.4 or less.   The cutting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an upper end of the sliding surface is located at a level equal to or below a horizontal plane including a cutting edge of the cutting blade.   On the upper side of the sliding surface of the guide body facing the end surface of the object to be cut, an inclined surface that is inclined in a plane or curved surface is formed so as to move away from the cutting blade as it goes upward. The cutting apparatus according to claim 4.   6. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting object is a flexible material such as silicone, soft resin, or soft rubber.

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