JPH06506877A - vacuum plate - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] vacuum plate The present invention relates to vacuum plates.

A vacuum plate is a vacuum plate that holds the workpiece you are machining in place. It is well known in the art as a means to maintain the balance. it can take various forms Ru.

For example, a flat rectangular table that provides a nearly horizontal support surface for the workpiece. Sometimes. Alternatively, it may be circular and hold the work piece in place in the manner of a chuck. It may also provide an upright support surface.

In fact, the latter form is sometimes referred to as a "vacuum chuck", but for convenience The specification includes all possible support means for holding the workpiece in place by means of a vacuum. The term "vacuum plate" is used to include the flexible forms.

Known horizontal vacuum plates typically include a steel substrate with a plurality of holes formed therein. An aluminum support plate is fixed on the board, and this support plate also has multiple holes. be.

These holes are surrounded by a network of grooves that communicate with the holes in the substrate. I'm passing through. Processing in which the rubber seal member is held and processed during use. Place it in the selected groove near the periphery of the piece. Within the area surrounded by this rubber member Then, at least one of the holes in the aluminum support plate is opened. Outside of rubber member All pores are closed. Holes are normally opened and closed using screws in tapped holes. This is done by inserting and removing the .

The work piece is placed on the support plate thus created and engaged with the rubber seal member.

Next, negative pressure is applied to the holes in the steel substrate. These holes are located in the openings in the aluminum support plate. It communicates with the foramen. Therefore, it is surrounded by a rubber seal member and has an aluminum support. Evacuate the area formed between the plate and the workpiece.

The vacuum thus applied can hold the workpiece securely in place. , during which machining can be performed on the workpiece. For convenience, we will use “True” here. Although we use the term "vacuum," in reality, a complete vacuum is never achieved. average pressure of about 0.1 bar is common.

Vacuum chucks with vertical surfaces operate in much the same way. However, normal Unlike horizontal support plates, which have grooves arranged in a rectangular grid pattern, vacuum chucks typically have multiple having multiple radial grooves interconnected by concentric circular grooves.

Known vacuum plates can be very effective in tightening workpieces without the risk of damaging the surface. Ru.

However, the use of known vacuum plates has a number of drawbacks.

First, a known vacuum plate is applied to an aircraft part such as an aircraft fuselage or wing. It is less successful when used in sheet materials such as those used in the manufacture of child For workpieces such as tends to be more important than Therefore, the deformation of the sheet material is not successful. or, if the material is brittle, may even break.

Next, in the case of a known vacuum plate, it is generally constituted by a rubber seal member. In areas where the workpiece is It is impossible to process. These steps also generally involve one special It is suitable only for the shape and size of the work piece. Therefore, it is necessary to drill holes in the work piece. As soon as this occurs, the vacuum is lost. This is especially true if the drilling of the workpiece is accidental. may lead to dangerous consequences. This drawback is due to the processing of sheet materials etc. This is particularly important when

Another drawback of known vacuum plates is that even outside the area of the rubber sealing members, the retention It is said that it is normally impossible to carry out machining work following the machined piece that has been processed. That's true. In other words, cut down around the periphery of the work piece to the level of the support plate. This means that it is impossible.

The reason for this is that the profiling tool tends to cut into the support plate itself, which requires replacement. Otherwise, reprocessing is required. Such support plates generally have very high They are expensive, tend to wear out, and need to be replaced or reworked from time to time.

Therefore, vacuum plates originally have very useful properties, but in reality has until now had very limited application. This is done by vacuum plate It was not possible to perform a number of common machining operations on the retained workpiece It is from.

Another potential problem is that the rubber seal member is difficult to fit within the groove and is often For example, the best position can only be found by trial and error, and a good vacuum Chips must be removed from the vacuum plate to obtain , since it requires skill to set up the vacuum plate for different workpieces. Therefore, it is difficult to incorporate known vacuum plates into automated (flexible manufacturing) factories. It means that it is good.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum plate that improves on the above problems. The purpose is to

According to one aspect of the invention, a vacuum plate apparatus includes a substrate and a support plate; The board includes a vacuum connection boat, at least one hole opening in the support surface of the board, and and connection means for connecting the hole to the boat; The support plate consists of a sheet material having a working surface and a back surface, and the working surface has a plurality of cavities. The supporting plate is formed with at least one hole, and the hole is open. The support plate extends between the work surface and the back surface, and when in use, the support plate has its back surface in front of the substrate. The support plate is placed on the substrate with the holes in the support plate communicating with the holes in the substrate.

Preferably, said hole is located in one of said cavities.

Preferably, the substrate includes a plurality of the holes, and the holes are selectively opened and closed. Provide means for

Preferably, the support plate has a plurality of holes formed therein, and these holes communicate with each other. At least one groove is also formed.

Preferably, a plurality of holes are formed in the support plate, and each of these holes is Each is provided in each of the above-mentioned spaces.

According to another aspect of the invention, a vacuum plate apparatus includes a substrate and a support plate; The substrate has a vacuum connection hole and at least one hole opening in the support surface of the substrate. and connecting means for connecting the hole to the hole, The support plate consists of a sheet material having a working side and a back side, and the support plate has at least A hole is also formed, which extends between the working surface and the back surface, and is At this time, the support plate is placed with its back side on the support surface of the substrate, and the support plate has holes in the substrate. placed on the substrate in communication with the hole.

Preferably, the diameter of the name tag is greater than twice the diameter of said hole.

Preferably, the number of holes is greater than twice the number of holes in the substrate, It is provided for.

Preferably, the working surface of the support plate is provided with resilient projections, and these In use, the protrusions form a seal with the surface of the workpiece supported on the support plate. do.

Preferably, the support plate has a plurality of holes formed therein, and the resilient protrusion is located in the front. forming a closed seal around at least some of the marking holes;

The resilient protrusion covers at least one area of the working surface that is not provided with the hole. Forms a closed seal around the area.

The support plate has a plurality of active modules arranged side by side on the substrate in use. It may also consist of Each module has the working surface, the back surface and The work surface extends between the working surface and the back surface and communicates with each hole of the substrate. also has one said hole.

Preferably, the support plate further comprises a plurality of material modules. , these material modules, in use, join the base together with the active modules. They are placed side by side on the board. Each material module has the working surface and the back surface. However, there are no holes extending between the working surface and the back surface.

The present invention further comprises a workpiece for removably securing said support plate. Extending to vacuum plate apparatus according to any of the aspects.

The support plate may be removably fixed to the workpiece by temporary bonding.

A vacuum plate apparatus according to any of the previous aspects of the invention provides that the support plate It may include positioning means for reliably positioning on the substrate.

The positioning means may be arranged from mutually engaging protrusions or recesses provided on the support plate or the substrate. It may be something like that.

The recess may be formed along a green head area of the support plate.

At least one of the surfaces of the support plate is roughened across the surface. It may also be possible to assist in the transfer of positive or negative pressure.

The rough surface may be formed by polishing (for example, scratching) the surface. stomach.

According to a further aspect of the invention, according to any one of the previous aspects of the invention. A method of manufacturing a supporting plate comprising: passing a raw material between rollers on at least one side; A method is provided that includes constructing a sheet having a surface pattern.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, any of the aspects of the previous invention A method of manufacturing a support plate by passing a material sheet through a punching machine, forming the holes in the support plate by punching a plurality of holes in the support plate; is provided.

Preferably, the holes are punched to form a predetermined pattern of holes in the sheet. It will be destroyed.

According to another aspect of the invention, the vacuum plate apparatus includes a vacuum connection boat, a support surface, at least one hole opening in the support surface of the boat and a connection connecting the hole with the boat; a substrate having connection means; a pressure generating means that generates both positive and negative pressure (pressure relative to ambient pressure); control means for selectively applying positive pressure or negative pressure to the vacuum connection boat; includes.

Preferably, the substrate has a plurality of the holes, each having a plurality of the holes. The pressure generating means and the control means are connected to one of the selected boats. It is arranged to selectively apply positive pressure or negative pressure.

According to another aspect of the invention, the vacuum plate apparatus includes a vacuum connection boat, an opening on the support surface. a substrate having a plurality of opening holes and connecting means for connecting these holes with the boat; Closing means for individually opening and closing the holes; and control means for selectively opening and closing the closing means.

The control means control a predetermined machining process to be carried out on the work piece held on the vacuum plate. The closing means may be arranged to open and close in synchronization with the construction work.

The closure means may be electrically or mechanically actuated or both. may include valves that can be

Preferably said control means includes actuator means for actuating the closure means. and the actuator means is at least one of said support plate and/or substrate. It also includes some parts.

Preferably, said support plate is provided with a means for selectively activating said closure means in cooperation with said closure means. Forms an actuator area that opens and closes.

Preferably, at least some of the actuator regions are located in each of the holes and in each of said mechanically actuated valves. It includes an abutment piece disposed to abut the valve stem and open the valve.

Each of the mechanically actuated valves is mounted within a respective hole in the substrate. The valve stem may have a valve stem biased toward a closed position. This close In the chain position, a small portion of the valve stem protrudes above the support surface of the substrate. Ru.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of holding a workpiece is provided, the method places a workpiece on a vacuum plate apparatus according to any of the previous aspects of the invention. Place the board on the vacuum plate by applying reduced pressure to the connection boat of the board. and holding the piece.

The invention also relates to a method of machining a workpiece, which method of the invention has just been described. holding the workpiece on a vacuum plate apparatus by a method according to aspects of the invention; and machining the workpiece while holding it on a plate. .

According to another aspect of the invention, a substrate having a substrate formed with at least one vacuum hole is provided. A method of modifying an empty plate apparatus, which may be adapted to any of the preceding aspects of the invention. A supporting plate according to the method is placed on the substrate, and a vacuum path is established between the vacuum hole and the working surface of the supporting plate. A method is provided that includes the steps of:

The invention also provides a support plate according to any of the previous aspects of the invention, It also extends to use in the above-mentioned methods for holding and/or processing .

The present invention also provides a vacuum pressurized support plate according to any of the previous aspects of the invention. It also extends to methods using plate equipment or vacuum plate equipment.

The various features described above in relation to all aspects of the invention may be used in any method or process. any such features and/or stages, including the stages of the process; any combination except those in which at least some of the Can be combined in a set.

In order to have a better understanding of the present invention, and how to actually implement the present invention, In order to show how the invention can be implemented, the following description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a substrate for use in an example vacuum plate assembly using the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an example.

2 is a top perspective view of a support plate for use with the substrate of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a bottom perspective view of the support plate of FIG. 2; FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the support plate of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

The fifth time is a bottom perspective view similar to FIG. 3, and is a view showing another support plate.

FIG. 6 shows a substrate for use in another example of a vacuum plate assembly embodying the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of another example.

7 is a top perspective view of a support plate for use with the substrate of FIG. 6; FIG.

Figure 8 shows a portion of the board of Figure 1, together with special fixtures for use therewith. It is a top perspective view shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the eighth round fixture.

Figure 1O shows the top of a general-purpose fixture table for use with the boards of Figures 1 or 6. FIG.

FIG. 11 is a partial plan view of another example of a plastic support plate.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12, but showing the workpiece supported on a support plate. It is a diagram.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13, but with a slightly curved shape supported on a support plate. 3 is a diagram showing a non-planar workpiece.

FIG. 15 shows how one support plate module j-- which makes up the support plate can be combined with a plurality of similar modules. It is a perspective view shown together with a module.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the module of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the support plate together with a workpiece secured thereto.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of a portion of the support plate forming positive positioning means.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of a portion of another support plate forming positive positioning means.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a punching machine used in manufacturing the support plate. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of a solenoid valve for closing a vacuum hole in a board; FIG.

Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 21, but showing the solenoid valve in the closed position; It is.

Figure 23 shows a cross-section of a portion of the substrate with separate valves for closing each vacuum hole. Figure 3 shows the valve in a closed position.

Figure 24 is a view similar to Figure 23, but showing a support plate that cooperates with the substrate to open the valve; This is a diagram.

Figure 25 is a detailed plane showing one of the holes formed in the support plate of Figure 24; It is a diagram.

First, a vacuum table device composed of the components shown in Figs. 1 to 4 will be explained. .

The substrate 10 shown in FIG. Hole 12 is open. Grooves are formed around these rows of holes 12, This groove follows a substantially rectangular path and also opens into the support surface 13. Main body 11 is equipped with a vacuum connection port (15) and a pressure connection port (16). are both connected to all holes 12. Similarly, another vacuum connection boat 17 and pressure Both connection ports 18 connect to the grooves 14 .

The body 11 may be made of steel or, if desired, a steel lower part and a support. It may also be a composite with an aluminum top providing the surface 13. Or any other suitable materials can also be used.

Each of the holes 12 is tapped and has a grab screw 19 or the like that is screwed into the hole 12. Be prepared. The grub screws 19 can be selectively inserted into and removed from various holes 12. Selected holes 12 can be opened or closed as desired. Ru. Typically, this insertion of a screw.

Removal can be done manually, but it can also be done using a suitable tool provided on an automatic jig. You can also do this.

The support plate 20 shown in FIGS. 2-4 is made of plastic having a working surface 21 and a back surface 22. consisting of a sheet of thick material.

A row of voids 23 are formed in the upper work surface 21, and each void is formed on the work surface 21. It's open. As you can see in the enlarged view of Figure 4, each void 23 is shallow. (But it could be deeper). A hole 24 is formed in the center of each cavity 23. , this hole passes through the support plate 20 between the working surface 21 and the back surface 22.

Grooves 25 are formed in rows on the back surface 22 of the support plate 20, and these grooves are connected to the holes 2. The holes 24 are arranged in a rectangular grid having intersection points coincident with the holes 24, and the holes 24 are interconnected. ) As can be seen from Figure 4, this cross section is along one of the grooves 25. be.

The plastic support plate 20 is intended to be disposable and is not suitable for this purpose. , can be made of any suitable material. For example, it can be made from semi-rigid styrene. . Of course, the support plate 20 can be used, for example, in manufacturing expensive components. Depending on environmental requirements, more expensive materials may be used if it is important that the material has special properties. It can be made with free money.

In use, a vacuum plate assembly consisting of the components shown in Figures 1 to 4. works roughly as follows.

First, pressure generating means are connected to the boats 15-18.

This pressure generation means is a single pressure generator that can selectively generate positive pressure or negative pressure. It may be. Alternatively, for more flexibility, the pressure generating means may be two at least one vacuum starter for connection to the connection boat 15.17 and a positive pressure boat; -) at least one positive pressure generator (e.g. compression (air generator).

Depending on the dimensions of the workpiece you are trying to hold and process, you may Remove the screw 19 from the corresponding hole 12, leaving the hole open. Next, disposable A support plate 21 is placed on top of the substrate 11, and the work piece is placed on this support plate 20.

Next, apply a vacuum to vacuum bow) 15.17. As a result, the support plate 20 is It is attracted to the support surface 13 of the plate 10. For this purpose, the support plate 20 is a flat surface. It is preferable to use a shape and dimensions that almost match the shape and dimensions of the substrate 10 when viewed from above.

Since the open hole 12 communicates with the back surface 22 of the support plate 20, the The existing negative pressure will be communicated to all of the small holes 24 by grooves 25. child The pressure thus leads to a cavity 23 in contact with the upper surface of the supported workpiece.

Therefore, this negative pressure attracts the work piece onto the support plate 2°, and the work piece is pulled onto the support plate 2°. It acts to hold it firmly in place on the top.

Machining operations are thus performed on the workpiece, which is held in place by the vacuum. be able to.

Unlike known vacuum table equipment, if you want to cut the work piece correctly, you need to use the appropriate The cutting tool achieves this and can be used without removing the vacuum suction effect from the remainder of the workpiece. It can be cut to the extent that it becomes the disposable support plate 20.

One reason for this is that the holes 24 extending through the support plate 2o are of very small diameter. This is to keep leakage to a very small amount even when it is open to the atmosphere. fruit At this time, the leakage rate through the hole 24 is very small, so that the work piece covers the entire support plate 20. Even if the cover is not covered, the vacuum table equipment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will provide satisfactory results. The inventors of the present application have discovered that it is possible to operate with the following.

The fact that the cutting tool cuts into the support plate 20 means that the support plate 20 itself is relatively cheap. It is a valuable part and can be discarded (or recycled) at any time when it wears out. It's possible, so it's not that important.

In addition to being able to cut the workpiece correctly in its inner part, the necessary The workpiece is profiled while cutting into the support plate 20 according to the It is equally possible to cut the desired circumferential shape. In fact, cutting tools are If necessary, you can even perform an undercut operation, for example by placing a radius on the underside of the workpiece. can be done. As a result, the workpiece can be completely finished in a single setting. .

A special advantage of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is that there is no This means that there is no need to provide a sealing member. In fact, the work piece is on the support plate 20. It is attracted directly to the work surface 21-. This means that this device may not be used in sensitive Particularly suitable for use with hard materials (whether flexible or flexible) It means. If this is not the case, the sheet material should be It may be deformed or destroyed by the local forces applied. clear As such, the thin sheet material is very well supported on the flat working surface 23 of the support plate 20. It tends to be held in place, and can receive a large holding force relative to its mass.

Supported by a rubber seal (or other similar material)! Not needed for ff20 Therefore, the vacuum table device shown in the figure can be used for many types of workpieces and can be used automatically. Particularly suitable for use in dynamic (eg, flexible manufacturing) factories. base Plate IO and support plate 2o can have any desired size and shape. Hanno - give an example In other words, the substrate 10 and the support plate 20 each have a side dimension of 100 mm when viewed in a plane. It may be a rectangle of m-10m. Here again, as an example, space 23 is It is circular with a diameter of about 1O■, and the hole 24 has a diameter of about O, ]wa. It may also have a circular cross section. The groove 25 has a width of about 2 mm. You can. The thickness of the support plate 20 may be about 1 m11, as an example of solder. Moreover, the depth of the void 23 and the groove 25 may be about 0.2-.

The force for holding the work piece on the work surface 21 of the support plate 20 is proportional to the area on which negative pressure acts. Therefore, the extent to which it is formed depends on the dimensions of the space 23. Blank 23 indicates that they are relatively The large diameter provides a relatively large effective working surface for negative pressure. Ru. However, in practice leakage between cavities (e.g. workpiece or support plate (or both of these surface roughnesses), the total contact surface of the workpiece is The effect of negative pressure may be more dominant under

Because the holes 24 are of relatively small diameter, these holes are susceptible to undesirable leakage effects. minimize.

The support plate 20 passes the plastic raw material between rollers and Blank space 23. It can be made very easily by forming the groove 25. too If a small hole 24 is not formed in the process, the subsequent punching It can be formed by working. For example, the punching operation may be performed by punching through the support plate 20. This can be done by passing it through a bottle of appropriate diameter. The streamers made by punching are , occur in depressions 23 and/or grooves 25.

The support plate 20 may be formed by other or additional methods, such as molding, extrusion, etc. Therefore, it can also be manufactured.

The cavity 23 and/or the hole 24 need not have a circular cross section; For example, it may take any other desired shape, such as square, hexagonal, polygonal, etc. Similarly, The grooves 25 also do not need to be arranged in a rectangular grid pattern.

It is absolutely necessary that each hole 24 is connected to each of the cavities 23. That's not true. In fact, it is quite surprising that the improvement in suction on the workpiece remains Achieved by providing multiple depressions as shown in 23 without hole 24. The inventors of the present application have found that this can be done. In limited cases, the inventor, etc. of the application is any desired position of the support plate 20, and if it is the work surface 23, it is in contact with the supported surface of the workpiece. However, if it is the back surface 22, there is a hole in the area that contacts at least one of the holes I2. It has been found that only one hole 24 needs to be provided. Probably due to leakage , a vacuum or low pressure is transmitted from the substrate 10 to the working surface 21 of the support plate 20, where it is supported. It is thought that this became dominant in all of the voids 23 that were in contact with the workpiece. It will be done. Instead of the rectangular array of grooves 25, irregular pattern grooves may be provided, or Alternatively, the back surface 22 may be provided with a series of random scratches, or It may be possible to have none of these.

The plastic support plate 20 may be rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible. very If it is flexible, pre-tension it under the part you are going to hold for machining. It's okay. This is useful for irregular three-dimensional shapes.

The support plate 20 may be made as a flexible part of a belt conveyor system. this is , particularly suitable for use in automated manufacturing processes.

As can be seen, instead of applying negative pressure to the holes 12 and grooves 14 of the substrate 10, Applying positive pressure (e.g. compressed air) to either or both of these It's okay. This way, the vacuum table can be used for example with an air bed when needed. can be used to transport heavy workpieces to desired locations. Positive pressure is present during machining or after machining, at a controlled rate to blow away chips and coolant from the vacuum table. You may also choose to let it pass. If a vacuum is applied to the groove 14 and a positive pressure is applied to the hole 12, If so, the vacuum acts to hold the support plate 20 and the positive pressure Form an air cushion on the top surface of 0 to support the workpiece. You can also do that.

Another support plate 50 shown in FIG. 5 is substantially similar to support plate 20 of FIGS. 2-4. However, in the arrangement of FIG. 5, the support Fi 20 has grooves 55 arranged in separate sets. , the grooves of one set are all interconnected, while the grooves of another set are separated from each other. It remains as it is. When using such a support plate 50, a preferable configuration is that each At least one open hole 12 is provided below the set of grooves to accommodate the feature to be supported. Try to hold the pieces.

The vacuum plate apparatus shown in Figures 6-7 is approximately the same as that shown in Figures 1-4. It operates in the same way. Therefore, the substrate 60 has a plurality of openings in the support surface 64 thereof. It consists of a body 61 having a hole 62.

A plurality of slots 64 are provided surrounding the row of holes 63.

Vacuum connection port 65 and compressed air connection port 66 are connected by valve means (not shown). is connected to all of the holes 62 and slots 64. Electrical connector 69 is carries the electrical connection between the controller (not shown) and the valve means (not shown) , these connect the bow) 65.66 to the hole and the throttle) 62.64, and connect the electric machine Has mechanical properties. For example, is the controller a numerical system? I (NC) 2 or It may also be a programmable logic (PCL) type controller. The valve means is separate. means or additional means, e.g. mechanical or fluid (hydraulic or Control and/or actuation may be by pneumatic) means.

When the electrical connector 69 receives a signal, the electromechanical valve means responds to the signal. There are three states: ■ Connection to vacuum boat 65, ■ Compressed air boat 66 (1) connection to, (1) connection to, and one of the following states: (1) Connection cut off. vacuum and pressure Compressed air is constantly supplied to the bow) 65,66. Therefore, various bente In response to actuation of the stage, holes 62. Each of the slots 64 can be selectively closed or It can be connected to a vacuum or connected to a vacuum. The support plate 70 has a square shape It consists of a sheet of plastic material in which shaped holes 71 are formed in rows. For use Then, the support plate 70 is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 60, and each of the square holes 71 is inserted into the substrate 60. placed over each of the holes 62. When the work piece is placed on the support Fj, 70, it can be held by vacuum and machined as described above.

However, in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the The vacuum can be controlled very precisely by automatically selecting, opening and closing holes 62. I can do that. That is, typically the vacuum is applied to all of the slots 64. The support plate 70 is attracted to the substrate 60. The vacuum is applied to the supported surface of the workpiece. All of the holes 62 located below are affected. The other holes 62 are closed. That will happen. In this way, the workpiece can be held very effectively.

A particularly useful feature of this configuration is that the area of the workpiece is cut out to the area of the support plate 70. , each adjacent hole 62 is closed and the vacuum system is cut through any hole 62. Prevents debris, refrigerant, etc. from entering, and minimizes deterioration of vacuum effectiveness. The point is that it can be done. Alternatively, at any point in the machining operation, the holes 62 can be Supply compressed air to a selected object to ensure that chips, refrigerant, etc. are blown away. Can be done. Furthermore, by supplying compressed air to a sufficient number of holes 62, processing It is also clear that the piece can be lifted off the support plate 70 and moved to a predetermined position. Or maybe.

It is necessary to provide a groove in the illustrated substrate 10 or 60 to accommodate the rubber seal member. Although not necessary, such a groove may be provided if desired.

8 and 9, a special fixture 80 is shown here. This fixture is fixed to the substrate 10 in FIG. 1 (or the substrate 60 in FIG. 6). Ru.

Four sixes 81 are formed on the fixture 80 at intervals that match the intervals of the holes 12 in the substrate 10. It is. Fixing bolts 82 pass through these six 81 and are screwed into the respective holes 12. Then, the fixture 80 is fixed to the toad FiIO.

The fixture 80 is preformed to the shape 83 of the special work piece to be machined, and In the contour section 83, a 684 is formed through the fixture and at least The hole 12 also communicates with one hole 12. A groove is formed on the top surface of the contour portion 83. It is adapted to receive and support a rubber seal member 85 and the like.

The underside 86 of fixture 80 is shown in FIG. 9 and also includes a rubber seal. A groove is formed to receive the material 86 and the like.

When using the fixture 80, the special workpiece to be machined is 3 is tightly fitted and held firmly by the vacuum applied through 684. Both are sealed with a seal 85. Seal 86 connects the base of fixture 80 to substrate 10. Seal against. Applying positive pressure through the hole 84 to release the workpiece after processing, Alternatively, the work piece can be easily taken out from there.

The general-purpose fixed table 100 shown in FIG. 1O has a plurality of T-shaped slots on its top surface. 101 are formed, and these slots are used for various types of processing to be performed. Accepts standard fixing means for the pieces.

In use, the fixed table 100 is subject to the direct action of a vacuum applied thereto. Therefore, it may be held on a substrate such as 10 or 60, or 10 or 60. is placed on a substrate such as 60.20 is placed on a support plate such as 50 or 70. Good too.

Although fixed table 100 is illustrated as including a T-shaped slot, other A fixed table with standardized fastening means may also be used.

The support ifIIO shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is preferably made of plastic. It is formed of a sheet of material and has an upper working surface 11,1 and a lower back surface +12. . The support plate 110 has a blank space on its -F side working surface 111! 13 in a row A through hole +14 passing through the support plate +10 is formed in each cavity 113. It is. The space 113 and the hole 114 are the spaces in the support plate 20, as shown in FIG. It is almost similar to holes 23 and 24, and the support Filio can be used in a similar manner. can. If desired, grooves 25 shown in FIG. Grooves may also be formed. Alternatively, support plate +10 can be attached to each board used together. Other means for communicating with certain vacuum holes may also be provided. However, as shown in Figure 12, As shown, the back surface 112 is flat. In this form, each hole 14 has a support plate +10 match the respective vacuum holes on the board to which it will be attached.

Also on the work surface 111 of the support plate 110, there are glue knob seals +15 arranged in a rectangular grid pattern. 117, each lip seal having a pair of straight edges formed in each recess 117. It consists of standing ribs 116. These ribs 116 are flexible and - extend upwardly. Sometimes it converges slightly. Preferably the ribs are, for example, molded, rolled or is formed integrally with the support plate 110 by pressing. Another example is +10. The support plate may be formed by two-stage rolling. In the first stage, plastic Forming surface treatments (e.g. voids, grooves, protrusions, etc.) on a sheet or piece of material Ru. For example, ribs 116 may be formed at this stage at right angles to the plane of the sheet. . Then, in a second step, the formed sheet is passed through a second set of rolls and the ribs 11 6 and fix it at the angle shown in FIG. 12, for example. 2nd set After coming out of the roll, the sheet is blown with cold air or gas and the ribs 16 (and and any other parts) at the desired angle.

The lip seal +15 cooperates with the work piece placed on the support plate 110-H to seal each cavity + 13 and the corresponding through hole 114 are sealed. Preferably directly The upright protrusion +16 is formed to have a relatively weak elastic biasing force. yes This prevents the fragile work piece placed on the support plate 110 from being deformed. deer However, if desired, the lip seal 115 can be made more robust and stronger. A resilient biasing protrusion 116 may be formed. This is very difficult to deform. It can be used for any work piece.

As shown in FIG. 13, the work piece 130 placed on the support plate 110 has a protrusion +16 The lip seal 115 provides a good seal. Figure 13 , the workpiece 130 is flat and seated correctly and firmly on the support plate 110. seat and fully compress lip seal 115.

However, in FIG. 14, a similar workpiece 140 is placed on the support plate 110. It's listed out of place. This may be due to the shape of the workpiece 140 itself or its slight variation. Check that the support plate 110 is warped, or that the protrusions (for example, chips) on the support plate 110 are slightly localized. This is thought to be due to local deformation. As you can see in the figure, The left lip seal 115 (as viewed in Figure 14) is almost fully compressed. The right lip seal 115 is much less compressed, but the protrusion 116 The resilient biasing force still causes lip seal 115 to contact workpiece 140. This gives a good sealing condition.

The support plate +10 thus provides good sealing contact with the various workpieces and can operate to accommodate any irregularities in the contact surfaces of various workpieces. .

In most cases, a complete lip seal is required, as shown in Figure 1.1 and described above. The holes 115 and 115 each have through holes 114! It surrounds 13. deer However, each cavity 113 and penetration can be The through hole 114 is not completely surrounded by its own lip seal, but rather has multiple cavities and Through-holes 1]3°114 may share a common lip seal boundary .

However, as will be apparent, particularly fragile or easily deformed or A relatively small lip shield over a large area is used to support both workpieces. 115 to produce the same degree of deformation found in conventional configurations. Excellent sealing function can be obtained with the work piece without any damage. In this case, Only one rubber seal member is provided around the periphery of the piece.

Alternatively, a lip seal such as 115 may be inserted into the through hole 114 of the support plate 110. , and as an option, an area that does not have a blank space +13. It may also be provided separately. For example, as shown in FIG. A region 119 surrounded by a wall boundary 115 includes a through hole 114 and a cavity 1. 13 is not provided. Due to elasticity, lip seal +15 in this area ,’ffl! (e.g. a rubber suction cup) and the vacuum Even when it is not acting on the hole, it can be made to stick to the work piece. support By providing a plurality of regions such as 119 on the surface of the plate 110, the machining operation No. 1! Before applying a full vacuum for preparation, a A useful initial adsorption effect can be obtained.

In another variation, a lip seal similar to Lip Seal +15 is provided with a support Additionally or alternatively provided on the back side 112 of the board 110, especially if the board is of a normal configuration. positioning or fixing the support plate on the substrate and/or both.

In the above description, various support plates are referred to as those having an integral (mainly one piece) structure and those L2. Indicated. These support plates are suitable for machining very large workpieces with dimensions of several meters. It can be used to In some applications, the substrate and its L support plate are Although it is advantageous to make both barrels in one piece, it is advantageous to make the support plate (and substrate) into multiple modules. It may be configured as t7. An example of such a support plate Mopa is shown in Figure 15 and and shown in FIG.

The support plate module 150 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 has a working surface +51 and a back surface +5. It has 2. Four voids 153 are formed on the work surface 151, and each void has a , a plurality of grooves 155 or other grooves are formed on the back surface 152 where the central through hole 154 is formed. A recessed shape is provided and connected to the through hole 154. Temporary side table top 1 A skirt 156 is formed around the periphery of 50.

The module 150 as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 has a square planar shape. , may have any other desired shape, any desired number of voids + 53, through holes + 54 can be provided.

In use, a plurality of modules 150 are mounted on a vacuum substrate (for example, as shown in FIG. or a substrate similar to substrate 10 or 60 shown in FIG. Moju The skirt 156 of the roll 150 engages within a corresponding groove formed in the support surface of the substrate. Ru. When a vacuum is applied to the back side of the module 50, this vacuum is transmitted to the work surface 151 of the file. For example, the vacuum holes that are not in use are Grab) C is closed. Alternatively, the substrate may be L7 has a valve means for selectively opening and closing the vacuum hole required in L7, which is similar to the previous embodiment. Rather than using control measures such as those described in the related section 7? Packing 3191 vacuum tables may be included.

Another variation is to provide a material module similar to module 150, but this The through hole +54 is not provided in C1τ at all. Vacant space 153 or recess means 155 or both of these can be omitted. Place it in an area where it is not needed, and the vacuum hole (2) will automatically shut off the vacuum that acts to eliminate waste. can be prevented. In fact, each material module has at least one vacuum hole in its ridge. In some cases, the vacuum itself is responsible for holding the material in place. Ru.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, module 150 (and the material module) It can be easily placed on the substrate (vacuum table)-1 by robot means instead of work. I can do that. Material modules can be colored differently, for example, or , provide some kind of visual reference means, or employ both. Thus, it may be visually distinct from the active module 150. In particular, material If the modules and active modules are different colors, you are trying to process The outline of the work piece can be placed on the substrate, and the vacuum can be applied only where it is needed. Wear.

The board itself may have visual or other markings on the board. Assist robotic equipment in precisely positioning modules (or other parts) A position reference may also be provided.

Use material modules or apply vacuum to undesired areas of the substrate (vacuum table). Alternatively, holes of relatively small diameter (e.g., holes 154 ) may be provided in the vacuum substrate and larger holes may be provided in the module +50. actual , this inverse arrangement of the relative diameters of the vacuum hole and the support plate hole can also be applied in other, embodiments. can.

As mentioned above, a series of random scratches were formed on the back side of the support Fi20 (Figure 4). It may also be used instead of the regularly arranged grooves 25. Similarly, module 150 For example, a coarse abrasive material (e.g., 60 grit) Scratches with a depth of about 100 microns by cutting with The workpiece holding force can also be increased by providing a scratched surface.

The active module 150 and the Obsin material module are made of plastic. It can be easily formed by molding. However, everything described herein As for the supporting plate, it may be made of other materials and of different manufacturing methods, if desired. .

In FIG. 17, a support plate 170 has a workpiece 179 attached to its working surface. . In this example, the support plate +70 is attached to the workpiece 179 by a light temporary adhesive. It is installed in the ground to facilitate initial positioning of components before machining operations. I'm doing it. On the working surface of the support plate 170, void spaces +73 are formed, and each space is A through hole 174 is formed correspondingly to this, and is carried out in almost the same manner as in the previously described embodiment. It is now working.

Another support plate 180 shown in FIG. 18 is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. , the back surface] 82 is formed with a plurality of hanging spigots 188, each spigot A through hole +84 extends through the got. The spigot 188 is connected to the support plate 180 The board is designed to engage with a corresponding recess formed in the board to which it is attached. Helps precisely position the support plate above. Preferably, spigot +88 The dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the recess 183 in the working surface 181 of the support plate, 18 Layer the support plate sheets like 0 and connect the spigot 184 to the bracket 183. Used to support stacked sheets. This particularly applies to the sheets of support plate 180. This is useful when the product is made of plastic and is still hot after being made, and FIG.

When a lip seal such as lip seal 115 in Fig. 12 is provided on the support plate It is also useful.

Figure 19 schematically shows a silk long support [190] with holes +93 and through holes formed in the array. Shown schematically. A series of sprocket holes 197 along each side of support plate 190 is the provision. These sprocket holes cooperate with corresponding projections formed on the board. This helps to accurately position the support [190].

The overall operation of support plate 190 is in accordance with the previously described embodiments, but So, I won't repeat that here.

The punching @200 shown in FIG. 20 is 1. Frame 201° Gantry 202. this A plurality of punch members 203 attached to the gantry. and the hand that operates the punch member. It consists of steps (not shown).

Cutting machine 200 receives a strip of plastic (or other) material. , supported on the body 201 and passed under the gantry 202. Stoli The tip is selected by the punching means 203 as it passes under the gantry 202. The target is punched out. This can be controlled manually or automatically.

A hole 205 with the following pattern is formed there. plastic ・It almost matches the hole shape formed in the sheet 204, so vacuum is only applied to the necessary areas. It is now possible to make it work. The porous sheet 204 thus forms elongated supports. Serves as a carrier and can be used as described in previous embodiments of the invention. Ru.

The punching means 203 each have a simple through hole (for example, hole 24 in FIG. 4). It is also possible to form a hollow hole.

Alternatively, the punch means 203 may be inserted into the cavity (for example, in FIG. 4) at the same time as the through hole 24. It may also be in a form that forms a void 23). In another arrangement, the shape is used more than once. A process may also be performed on the plastic sheet 204. For example, the sky in Figure 4 Place 23. Features such as grooves 25 are formed during hot rolling of plastic sheet 24. , only the through holes such as the holes 24 may be formed by punching 411200.

A plastic sheet having approximately the form of the support plate 110 in FIGS. 1t and 12 is used. The through holes 114 are formed in advance, and these through holes are punched out [1200]. It may be formed using a punching machine such as. The punching machine 200 is a sputtering machine shown in FIG. A positioning hole such as a socket hole 197 may be formed. These positioning holes may be formed simultaneously with the actuation of the pinching means 203, and the corresponding Immediately align with the protrusions that It is also useful for Alternatively, the sheet 204 may be preformed with positioning holes and It may also be useful for positioning during punching work.

Figures 21 and 22 show the base Fi22 (a sole for opening and closing the 1m hole 212). Noid valve 210 is shown. The board 220 performs the functions performed by the board 6o in FIG. can perform a similar function.

Although the connection to the vacuum supply source is not shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that As can be easily seen in the figure, a suitable connection connects the vacuum source to the bottom of hole 212 ( ). Also, as mentioned earlier, a vacuum source can be replaced with a pressure source. stomach.

Solenoid valve 210 includes a solenoid assembly 211 that includes a magnetized core. A coil 213 wound around a 214 is provided. Appropriate for coil 213 Electrical connections are made so that they can be selectively energized or deenergized. valve part A material 215 is resiliently mounted (e.g., on a temporary spring 216) and the valve member 21 5 toward the valve seat 217 located below the vacuum hole 212 (as seen in the diagram). .

When the coil 213 is energized, the valve member 215 (made of magnetic material or ) is attracted to the core 214 and away from the valve seat 217, opening the vacuum hole. Open 212. When the coil 213 is deenergized, the valve member 215 is a resilient piece of the leaf spring 216. It is pressed towards the hole 212 under the abutment, where it engages the valve seat 217. to close the hole 212. As can be seen, the valve member 215 and the valve seat 2I7 are sealed It has frusto-conical surfaces that cooperate to achieve engagement.

Thus, by selectively applying power to the coil 213, the vacuum hole 212 can be selectively opened and closed. Typically, the substrate 220 includes an array of holes 212. , the pores are selectively opened and closed by a solenoid valve 210.

By appropriate control signals sent to coil 213, the desired position of the substrate (vacuum table) is controlled. The area can be subjected to a vacuum. In particular, the Unnecessary areas can be blocked off.

The electrical connections of the various solenoid valves 210 to the coil 213 are made using a matrix of electrical conductors. This can be done by using kusu. This matrix is part of the substrate 220 itself. It may be provided as a separate section. In another embodiment, the electrical conductor matrix is For example, support 1110 in FIGS. 11 and 12, or other supports F as previously described. i) electrical contact between the conductor row and the coil 2, which may be provided above or below the substrate 220; A means for performing this may be provided. Thus, the electrical conductor matrix selectively Among the solenoid valves 210, only the desired one suitable for forming a specific shape is selected. can be activated.

As an alternative, a mechanical valve structure is shown in FIGS. 23-25.

In FIG. 23, a plurality of vacuum holes 232 are formed in a substrate 230 (vacuum table). Each vacuum hole opens into the support surface 233 of the substrate 230. Each hole 23 A valve member 234 is mounted within the valve member 2 and is resiliently moved toward the closed position. It is forcefully biased (eg, by coil spring 235).

Each valve member 234 includes a central valve stem 236 with an enlarged main shaft disposed intermediate the valve stem 236. A body portion 237 is formed.

The enlarged body portion 237 is slidable within the enlarged portion 238 of each vacuum hole 232. and sealingly engages a corresponding knoll surface 240 provided in the vacuum hole 232. It has a chamfered sealing surface 239 adapted to fit. Coil spring 235 is an enlarged version Press the back of the body 237 and insert the i! into the substrate 230 at the opposite end. The newly formed protrusion or on the abutment surface (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 23, the valve member 234 is resiliently biased toward its closed position. In this position, the protruding portion of the valve magnet 23G is on the support surface 2 of the base Fi 230. It protrudes from 33 to G.

In FIG. 24, a plastic support plate 250 is placed on the base Mi230H. Ru. Typically, the work pieces are sequentially placed on the support plate 250F, and the workpieces are placed on the support plate 250F in order It is curved to hold the workpiece on surface 233. However, the work piece Not shown in this figure.

Support plate 250 may be substantially similar to the support plate shown in FIG. In other words, plastic It is formed from a stick sheet and punched as desired. stomach. The working surface 25+ of the support plate 250 has rows of voids 253, as in most of the previous embodiments. It is formed in the same way. t7, each blank space 253 is filled with the previous implementation. The central hole 254 differs from the example in that a cross-shaped abutting member 255 is formed. It is growing.

2, when the hole 254 matches the corresponding vacuum hole 232, the cross-shaped abutment member 255 aligns with the valve stem. 236 and pushes down the valve member 234 against the biasing force of the spring, and the valve and and vacuum hole 232 open to vacuum (or positive pressure).

Thus, as can be seen, in the embodiment of FIGS. 23-25, valve 234 is It can be activated automatically by simply placing the support plate 250 thereon. Provide a through hole 254 If the respective valve 234 opens, the vacuum (or positive pressure) is applied to the support plate. 250 can be transmitted to the workpiece above.

In the area of the support plate 250 where the through hole 254 is not formed, the back surface of the support plate 250 is 252 pushes against valve member 234, opening it. However, in this case, the vacuum Since there is no hole 254 passing through the support plate 250, the vacuum is applied to a predetermined position on the substrate 23O! west It only acts to firmly hold the support plate 250.

In areas of the substrate 230 where there is no support plate 250, the valve member 234 is free. 232, thereby closing the corresponding vacuum hole 232. In this way, the substrate 230 is not activated. The vacuum is never lost in the business field. This is because the support plate 250 is partially cut out. If the respective valve 234 below is It closes automatically as soon as the part) is removed, so no part of the workpiece is cut out. This is particularly advantageous when the surface is curved or undercut.

If desired, the support plate 250 may be provided with through holes without cross-shaped abutments (or with 52 (with a bottom) in a selected area below the support plate 250. Valve member 234 may be resiliently biasable to a closed position.

Although the through hole 254 has been illustrated and described as having a cross-shaped abutment member 255, the valve The member 234 is actuated appropriately, and if necessary, the member 234 is placed directly on the working surface 251 of the support Fi 250. If air (or positive pressure) is allowed to pass freely, another form may be used, such as 234. Other means may be provided for actuating the valve member. For example, if another valve member is 236, which supports the substrate 230 when the valve is closed. It may be arranged so that it does not protrude above the surface 233. In this case, downward to open the valve. A means for projecting may be provided. For example, each support plate (support [250 and equivalent) to form a downward protrusion, and when the support plate is in place on the board. These protrusions may be engaged with a modified valve to open it.

Further means may also be provided for actuating the valve. For example, support plate, base The plate and valve means are provided with interengaging protrusions, indentations and abutment surfaces such as 254. It may also be provided in an area other than the hole to actuate the valve means. For example, support plate It is equipped with a skirt (subject to skirt 156 shown in Figure 16) from which it hangs. If the skirt is seated within the corresponding groove formed in the substrate, this skirt will act as the valve means. may be activated.

As mentioned above, embodiments of the invention can be applied to vacuum plates (vacuum chucks) of any size. It can also be applied to large vacuum plates with dimensions of several meters. Special benefits can be obtained when applied to vacuum plates. Means for attaching the machine tool to and relative movement between the machine tool and the vacuum plate A means of providing this will be provided. In very large facilities, machine tools usually A machine tool that moves relative to the vacuum plate or has the vacuum plate itself fixed. It may also be moved relative to the machine, for example by a conveyor. In any case, The degree of vacuum is increased locally on the vacuum plate, preferably in the area where processing is actually performed. Therefore, as an object, a control means is provided to provide a relatively low degree of vacuum in other areas. It is good.

Vacuum and/or positive pressure settings can be varied, e.g. , the first set value when moving the workpiece to a predetermined position, and the machining operation to the workpiece. 11 control means that can be changed to the second set value when the It's good to go.

Thus, the illustrated embodiment of the invention provides reliable positioning of the workpiece to be machined. We have developed a vacuum plate device that is considerably more flexible than traditional vacuum plates. can be provided.

Although the illustrated embodiment has been described as a generally horizontal support table, the disclosed configuration vacuum plates for use in other orientations, e.g. I understand that it is equally applicable to a nearly circular vacuum plate used in an upright position. I want to be

The vacuum plate shown is a thin plate, such as those used in the manufacture of aircraft fuselages or wings. It can be used with particular advantage in sheet materials.

Figures 1 and 6 are for use with the support plates of Figures 2-5 and 7. Although special substrates are disclosed for It can also be used with a board. In this case, the rubber silicone used in conventional boards The rail members, etc. are arranged around the periphery of the support plate shown in 2rj1 to 5 and 7. It is recommended to place

In general, the various support plates shown and described herein are the same as those shown and described herein. In addition to the above substrate, conventional substrates can also be used in practice.

Preferably, the peripheral edge of the support plate as shown and described herein has a flat, smooth surface. Ru.

An alternative support plate (not shown) may omit a recess such as recess 23 in FIG. The retaining plate is designed to contain a number of very small holes, such as hole 24, completely through it. You can just do it.

Rigid and semi-rigid support plates optionally available to match three-dimensional shapes It may also be formed by thermal vacuum forming, molding, or extrusion.

In the above explanation, the workpiece was described as being machined, but other operations may be performed. Please understand that this may be done. Compressed air is shown as an example of pressurized gas, but there are other It should be understood that pressurized gas of

In the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 5, at least the vacuum plate apparatus has a sufficiently large capacity. When used with a vacuum pump, all holes 12 are not completely blocked and the workpiece is The vacuum can better hold the support plate even when it is not in place. It is preferable to

filed concurrently with or in advance of this specification and published herein; It is also important to pay attention to all the papers and documents published, and the contents of all these should be included in the book. Please understand that this document may be used as reference material in the text.

The features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) The characteristics or any steps of any method or process so disclosed are , at least some of these features or steps or both are mutually exclusive. They can be combined in any combination unless they are not included.

Each of the disclosures herein (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) A feature may be substituted for another feature serving a similar purpose, unless specifically limited. death Therefore, unless specifically limited, each feature disclosed is an example of a series of equivalent features. It's nothing more than that.

The invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments described above. The present invention is described in the present specification ( of the features disclosed in the accompanying claims, abstract and drawings). any novel feature or novel combination, or any novel feature or combination so disclosed; any new step or any of the method or process steps of This also extends to new combinations.

international search report krm 1 duck Nga 01 parents - 1 to 1 - ■ - - 1ffl + - 1 121 international survey report S^　54091 Continuation of front page (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, DE.

DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IT, LU, MC, NL, SE), 0A (BF , BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, ML, MR, SN, TD, TG. ), AT, AU, BB, BG, BR, CA, CH, C3, DE.

DK, ES, FI, GB, HU, JP, KP, KR, LK, LU, MG, MN, MW, NL, No, PL, RO, SD, SE, SU, US (71) Applicant: Daveys, David UK R.G. 114 Te E.Y. Parkshire Finchampstead Workingham Gibbs Close (71) Applicant Hetley, Lawrence Ross Australia W, knee.

6154 Alfred Coop North Lake Road 8 (72) Inventor: Pellatory, Lawrence Ross, United Kingdom, H.X. 77 H.D. West Yorkshire Hebden Bridge Hepton Stoll Stone Shay Cottage (No address) (72) Inventor: Daveys, David UK R.G. 114 Te E.Y. Parkshire Finchampstead Workingham Gibbs Close (72) Inventor Stanley, David William United Kingdom H.X.12 H.W. Halifax, West Yorkshire Flair Road 15

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum plate apparatus comprising a substrate and a support plate, the apparatus comprising: The substrate includes a vacuum connection port and at least one hole opening in a support surface of the substrate. connection means for connecting the hole of the vacuum connection port with the vacuum connection port, The support plate consists of a sheet of material having a working surface and a back surface; A plurality of openings are formed in the support plate, and the support plate has the above-mentioned leaf-forming surface and the above-mentioned leaf-forming surface. At least one hole is formed extending between the back surfaces to allow the support plate to placed on the substrate, the back side of the support plate is placed on the support surface of the substrate, and the hole is communicate with the hole A vacuum plate device characterized by: 2. The vacuum plate device according to claim 1, wherein the hole is located in one of the cavities. A vacuum plate device characterized by being located at. 3. In the vacuum plate apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the substrate is provided with a plurality of the holes, and further provided with means for selectively opening and closing these holes. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 4. In the vacuum plate apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, The support plate has a plurality of holes and at least one hole interconnecting the holes. A vacuum plate device characterized in that a groove is formed. 5. The vacuum plate device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 A plurality of the holes are formed in the support plate, and each of the holes is filled with the hole. A vacuum plate device characterized in that each of the holes is located. 6. A vacuum plate apparatus comprising a substrate and a support plate, the apparatus comprising: The substrate includes a vacuum connection port and at least one hole opening in a support surface of the substrate. connection means for connecting the hole of the vacuum connection port with the vacuum connection port, the support plate comprises a sheet of plastic material having a working surface and a back surface; The support plate is formed with at least one hole extending between the working surface and the back surface. In use, this support plate is placed on the substrate, and the back side of the support plate is placed on the substrate. placed on the supporting surface of the substrate, and communicating the hole with the hole. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 7. As described in claim 6 and as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 Vacuum plate equipment. 8. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. a vacuum plate, characterized in that the diameter of each hole is greater than twice the diameter of each hole; equipment. 9. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. and the support plate is provided with more than twice the number of holes in the substrate. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 10. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. , the working surface of the support plate is provided with elastic protrusions, and these The protrusion forms a seal in use with the surface of the workpiece supported on the support plate. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 11. The vacuum plate device according to claim 10, wherein the support plate includes a plurality of a number of said holes are formed, and said resilient protrusion extends into at least some of said holes. Vacuum plate device characterized by forming a closed seal around the tube. 12. The vacuum plate device according to claim 11, wherein the elastic protrusion is closed around at least one area of said working surface not provided with said hole. A vacuum plate device characterized by forming a seal. 13. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. In the configuration, the support plate includes a plurality of active modules, and the support plate includes a plurality of active modules. modules are arranged side by side on the substrate in use, each module being connected to the a working surface, said back surface, and a corresponding portion of said substrate extending between said working surface and said back surface; A vacuum plate device characterized by having at least one hole communicating with the hole. . 14. 14. The vacuum plate device according to claim 13, wherein the support plate is Furthermore, it includes a plurality of material modules, and these material modules, when used, each material module arranged side by side on the substrate with the active module; has the working surface and the back surface, and includes a hole extending between the working surface and the back surface. A vacuum plate device that does not last very long. 15. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. characterized in that it includes a work piece that removably fixes the support plate when the support plate is installed. Vacuum plate device. 16. The vacuum plate device according to claim 15, wherein the support plate is temporarily attached. A vacuum plate, characterized in that the vacuum plate is removably fixed to the work piece by attaching the plate to the workpiece. Device. 17. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 16. positioning means for reliably positioning the support plate on the substrate when the support plate is placed on the substrate. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 18. The vacuum plate device according to claim 17, wherein the positioning means comprises mutually engaging protrusions and depressions provided on the support plate and the substrate. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 19. 19. The vacuum plate device according to claim 18, wherein the recess is Vacuum plate device, characterized in that it is formed along the edge area of the support plate. 20. A vacuum plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. In this case, at least one of the surfaces of the support plate is a rough surface, and this surface is a rough surface. a vacuum characterized in that it is adapted to assist in the transmission of positive or negative pressure across it plate device. 21. The vacuum plate device according to claim 20, wherein the rough surface is A vacuum plate device characterized in that it is formed by polishing. 22. Manufacture the support plate described in any of the holes among claims 1 to 21. The method comprises passing the raw material between rollers to form a surface pattern on at least one side. 1. A method comprising forming a sheet comprising: 23. The support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 21. A method of manufacturing which involves passing a sheet of material through a punching machine and cutting a plurality of holes into the sheet. A method characterized in that the hole is formed in the support plate by punching out the support plate. 24. 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the hole is punched out to form the sheet. A method characterized in that a predetermined pattern of holes is formed in the material. 25. Claim 22 and Claim 23 or 24 Method. 26. a vacuum connection port, a support surface, at least one hole opening into the support surface; a substrate having connection means for connecting the vacuum connection port to the vacuum connection port; pressure generating means for generating both negative pressure (relative to ambient pressure); and control means for selectively applying positive pressure or negative pressure to the vacuum connection port. A vacuum plate device characterized by: 27. 26. The vacuum plate apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the substrate is each hole is connected to one of the plurality of ports, and each hole is connected to one of the plurality of ports, and the pressure generation means and control means are arranged to selectively apply positive pressure and negative pressure to the port; A vacuum plate device characterized by: 28. Claims 26 or 27 and Claims 1 to 21 Vacuum plate device according to any one of the holes. 29. A vacuum connection port, a plurality of holes opening into the support surface, and connecting these holes to said ports. a board having connection means for connecting to the Closing means for individually opening and closing the holes; and a control means for selectively opening and closing the closing means. rate device. 30. The vacuum plate apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the control means comprises: Synchronized with a prescribed machining operation carried out on a workpiece held on a vacuum plate A vacuum plate device, characterized in that the closing means is adapted to open and close. 31. In the vacuum plate apparatus according to claim 29 or 30, Vacuum plate device characterized in that the closing means includes a plurality of electrically operated valves. . 32. The vacuum plate device according to claim 29, 30 or 31 a vacuum, characterized in that said closure means include a plurality of mechanically operated valves; plate device. 33. The vacuum plate according to any one of claims 28 to 32. In the apparatus, the control means includes actuator means for actuating the closure means. and the actuator means is connected to the support plate and/or the substrate. A vacuum plate device comprising at least a portion of. 34. The vacuum plate device according to claim 33, wherein the support plate is tuator regions are formed and these actuator regions are connected to said closure means. Vacuum plate device, characterized in that they cooperate to selectively open and close said closing means. 35. In the vacuum plate apparatus according to claims 32 and 34, the each of at least some of the actuator regions is disposed in a corresponding one of said holes; a corresponding abutment piece of said mechanically actuated valve; A vacuum plate device characterized in that it is arranged so as to abut against a shaft and open a valve. Place. 36. 37. The vacuum plate apparatus of claim 36, wherein the mechanically actuated Each of the valves is mounted within a respective hole in the substrate and has a valve stem, the valve stem being , toward a closed position in which at least a portion thereof projects above the support surface of the substrate. A vacuum plate device characterized in that it can be moved to one side. 37. Any one of claims 29 to 36 and Description in any one of the ranges 1 to 21 or claims 26 to 21 29. A vacuum plate apparatus according to any one of clauses 28. 39. A method for holding a workpiece, comprising any one of claims 1 to 21. 1 or the vacuum plate device according to any one of paragraphs 26 to 37. Place the workpiece on top and apply reduced pressure to the connection port of the substrate to apply it onto the vacuum plate. A method comprising the step of holding a piece. 39. 39. A method of processing a workpiece, the method comprising vacuum plating according to the method described in paragraph 38. The work piece is held on the vacuum plate and the work piece is machined while being held on the vacuum plate. A method characterized by: 40. Modified vacuum plate apparatus with a substrate formed with at least one vacuum hole A method for providing a support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 39. is placed on the substrate, and a vacuum path is provided between the vacuum hole and the working surface of the support plate. How to characterize it. 41. In the method according to claim 38 or 39, claim 1 A method using the support plate according to any one of Items 38 to 38.