JPH0724537U - Vacuum table - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Modified) [Purpose] Not only a large work piece that covers the entire upper surface of the vacuum table, but also any work material can be securely fixed, and the structure is simple. It is to provide a vacuum table that is easy to manufacture. The vacuum table 15 includes a base 17 having an intake passage, a plate-like porous body 19 having a three-dimensional mesh structure, and a frame-shaped member 20.
When the air in the intake passage is sucked, the space inside the porous body 19 is also exhausted, and the material 16 to be processed placed on the upper surface of the porous body 19 is adsorbed to the porous body 19. Further, the exposed portion of the porous body 19 is covered with the seal member 21. Therefore, it is possible to securely fix it and also to fix a small work material 16.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a vacuum table used when fixing a work material to a cutting machine controlled by a computer.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a computer-controlled cutting machine has been used to engrave characters and figures on nameplates and display tags. One of such cutting machines is shown in FIG. That is, in this cutting machine 1, a spindle (which is hidden and not visible in the figure) supporting the carriage 2 is provided inside along the X-axis direction, and both ends of the spindle are cut. It is movable along the rails provided on both sides of the processing machine 1 in the Y-axis direction. The carriage 2 can move in the X-axis direction along the support shaft portion as well as in the vertical direction.

Therefore, the carriage 2 can be moved back and forth (Y-axis direction), left and right (X-axis direction), and up and down, and the cutting tool 3 attached to the carriage 2 is fixed to the upper surface of the fixing base 4. It is possible to engrave characters, figures, etc. on the surface of the processed material 5 by moving it while contacting the surface of the processed plate-shaped processed material 5.

In such a cutting machine 1, as a fixture for fixing the material 5 to be processed, a vise for clamping and fixing both sides of the material 5 to be processed is generally used. When such a vise is used, if the material 5 to be processed is a thin plate-like material, the central portion will be curved upward or downward, resulting in uneven cutting depth and accurate cutting. There was a problem that I could not. Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, as a fixing tool, an adhesive fixing sheet 6 as shown in FIG. 4 is used, or a suction vacuum table is used.

Among the above-mentioned vacuum tables, there is a vacuum table as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-142548 shown in FIG. That is, in this vacuum table 7, a plurality of vacuum lines 9 that communicate with each other are formed on an upper portion of a base 8, and on the upper side of the base 8, a porous ceramic in which fine through holes 10 are vertically penetrated. A plate 11 is arranged. An exhaust port 12 communicating with the vacuum line 9 is formed at the bottom of the base 8, and a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the exhaust port 12 so that the inside of the vacuum line 9 can be depressurized. Has become.

Accordingly, when the vacuum pump is operated with the polymer film substrate 13 placed on the porous ceramic plate 11, the air in the vacuum line 9 and the through hole 10 is exhausted through the exhaust port 12. The polymer film substrate 13 is adsorbed and fixed on the upper surface of the porous ceramic plate 11.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the vacuum table 7 is used to adsorb and fix a thin film having a thickness of about 100 μm. Therefore, in this vacuum table 7, the portion corresponding to the through hole 10 of the fixed polymer film substrate 13 is strongly attracted, so that the polymer film substrate 13 does not have irregularities. The diameter is set to be as fine as 0.5 to 10 μm. In addition, a very large number of through holes 10 of 20 to 50 per square mm are provided at equal intervals so that the entire surface of the high molecular film substrate 13 can be adsorbed and fixed to the porous ceramic plate 11 in a uniform state. ing. Therefore, there are problems that it takes time and effort to manufacture the porous ceramic plate 11 and that it becomes expensive.

Further, in the vacuum table 7, in order to prevent air from entering the porous ceramic plate 11 from the outside, the polymer film substrate 13 has a large size capable of covering the upper surface of the porous ceramic plate 11. ing. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to fix a material to be processed having a size smaller than that of the porous ceramic plate 11 with such a vacuum table 7, there is a problem that air leakage occurs and the material cannot be reliably fixed.

Further, since the through holes 10 of the porous ceramic plate 11 are formed in the vertical direction, the vacuum line 9 is also provided so as to extend over substantially the entire area of the porous ceramic plate 11, and the shape of the base 8 is formed. Is complicated like a maze. As a result, there is a problem that the production of the porous ceramic plate 11 becomes troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and not only a large work material covering the upper surface of the porous body but also any work material can be reliably fixed, and The purpose is to provide a vacuum table that has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vacuum table according to the present invention is a vacuum table for fixing a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped material to be processed, and a base having an intake passage vertically penetrating in the central portion. A plate-like porous body having a three-dimensional network structure mounted on the upper surface of the base, and a frame-like member surrounding the peripheral portion of the porous body and having a bottom surface in close contact with the upper surface of the base, Suction means for decompressing the inside of the porous body through the intake passage of the base, and a seal for covering the exposed portion on the upper surface side of the porous body when the material to be processed is placed on the upper surface of the porous body. And a member.

[0012]

[Action]

 That is, the vacuum table according to the present invention comprises a base having an intake passage, a plate-like porous body having a three-dimensional mesh structure, and a frame-like member that surrounds the peripheral edge of the porous body and is in close contact with the upper surface of the base. Therefore, it is possible to exhaust the space inside the porous body by sucking the air in the intake passage of the base using the suction means. Therefore, if the material to be processed is placed on the upper surface of the porous body, the material to be processed will be adsorbed on the surface of the porous body due to the suction action of the exhaust gas.

This is because the porous body has a three-dimensional network structure, and the pores of the porous body are in communication with each other, whereby the air in the porous body is released during the suction. The porous body is sucked from the peripheral edge side toward the central bottom surface side. As a result, the suction force generated at that time reaches the entire open side (upper surface) of the porous body.

Further, in this vacuum table, as in the conventional example, the size of the polymer film substrate 13 to be fixed is made larger than that of the porous ceramic plate 11, and the entire upper surface of the porous ceramic plate 11 is covered so that air can be removed. It is not intended to prevent the infiltration of the material, but the portion of the upper surface of the porous body that is not in contact with the material to be processed (exposed portion) is covered with the seal member. Therefore, even if the bottom surface of the material to be processed (the surface in contact with the upper surface of the porous body) is smaller than the exposed portion of the upper surface of the porous body, it can be securely fixed.

Furthermore, when a cutting machine is used, the work material used is generally a plate material made of plastic, wood, or the like, which has some rigidity (it does not easily bend), and is therefore porous. When it is adsorbed on the upper surface of the body, it does not bend due to the difference in suction force. Therefore, even if the suction force on the upper surface of the porous body varies to some extent, no problem will occur.

As a result, even a porous body having some variation in the size and distribution of pores can be used, and the production of the porous body is simplified. In the case of a plotter for cutting or a plotter for cutting using paper or the like, it is preferable to use a porous body having a small hole diameter, for example, about 30 to 100 μm. In addition, the base is not a complicated shape as in the conventional example, and is extremely easy to manufacture and inexpensive. Next, this invention will be described in detail based on embodiments.

[0017]

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a state in which a plate-shaped work material 16 is fixed to the upper surface of a vacuum table 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vacuum table 15 is composed of a thick plate-shaped base 17 at the bottom, and a hole as shown in FIG. 2 is formed at the center thereof. Then, one end 18a of an intake hose 18 is fitted into the hole, and the other end of the hose 18 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown).

A thin plate-shaped porous body 19 is placed on the upper surface of the base 17, and a frame-shaped member 20 is arranged so as to surround a peripheral edge portion 19 a of the porous body 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the frame-shaped member 20 has an L-shaped vertical cross-sectional shape with the horizontal piece 20a positioned on the upper side, and the horizontal piece 20a covers the peripheral edge portion 19a of the porous body 19. It is supposed to cover. In addition, the bottom surface of the vertical piece 20b of the frame-shaped member 20 is a smooth surface, and when it abuts on the upper surface of the base 17, the abutting surface is brought into a close contact state.

Therefore, when the vacuum pump is operated, the air inside the porous body 19 can be exhausted through the hose 18. Reference numeral 21 denotes a seal member arranged around the material 16 to be processed placed on the porous body 19, and covers the exposed portion of the upper surface of the porous body 19 in a hermetically sealed state. When the workpiece 16 is fixed to the vacuum table 15 by the covering of the porous body 19 with the sealing member 21 and the close contact between the frame-shaped member 20 and the base 17, the space inside the holes of the porous body 19 and The inside of the hose 18 is in a sealed state.

Here, it is preferable that the porous body 19 has a thickness of 3 to 30 mm, a pore diameter of 30 to 600 μm, and a porosity of 30 to 40%. The material thereof is polyethylene. , Polypropylene, polystyrene and the like can be used. As the frame-shaped member 20, any member can be used as long as it can be in close contact with the upper surface of the base 17 and cover the periphery of the porous body 19, but for example, some flexibility such as hard rubber can be used. It is preferable that the material has a material that can maintain the peripheral surface of the porous body 19 in a sealed state.

Further, the seal member 21 may be any seal as long as it can easily follow the upper surface of the porous body 19 and can close the pores, and the shape thereof can be plural kinds according to the size of the material 16 to be processed. You may prepare it, or you may use it by connecting several pieces together. The material of the material 16 to be processed is preferably a plastic plate, a metal plate, a wood plate, or the like, which has rigidity such that it does not bend due to the variation in the suction force generated on the upper surface of the porous body 19, but is porous. Depending on the diameter of the hole of the body 19, a sheet-like material such as paper can be sufficiently used.

In this configuration, when cutting the material 16 to be processed, first, the vacuum table 15 is arranged in the same cutting machine as the cutting machine 1 shown in FIG. Then, the material 16 to be processed is placed on the upper surface of the porous body 19 while being positioned in the central notch 21 a of the seal member 21. Then, the vacuum pump is operated to fix the material 16 to be processed on the vacuum table 15. Then, by operating a cutting machine, characters and figures are engraved on the upper surface of the material 16 to be processed.

After the cutting of the material 16 to be processed is completed, the cutting tool of the cutting machine is moved to a position away from the material 16 to be processed, and the vacuum pump is stopped. As a result, air enters from the outside into the porous body 19 via the hose 18, and the fixation of the material 16 to be processed to the vacuum table 15 is released.

As described above, in the vacuum table 15, in the state where the frame-shaped member 20 surrounds the peripheral edge portion 19 a of the porous body 19, the air inside the porous body 19 is blown into the bottom surface of the central portion of the porous body 19. It is designed to suck toward the side. Then, a seal member 21 is laid on the exposed portion of the upper surface of the porous body 19 on which the material 16 to be processed is placed so that air does not enter from the porous body 19. Therefore, when the vacuum pump is operated to suck the air in the hose 18, the suction force is directed from the peripheral side of the porous body 19 to the central side, and the entire upper surface of the porous body 19 is And powerfully. As a result, the material 16 to be processed is fixed in a stable state and can be cut with high accuracy.

Further, the base 17 used in the vacuum table 15 does not have a complicated shape as in the conventional example, but is simply a plate material having a hole formed in the center thereof, and thus is easy to manufacture. At the same time, it is cheap. Further, it is not necessary to use the porous body 19 having a high degree of accuracy as in the conventional example, and the upper surface on which the material 16 to be processed is placed can be sucked in a state in which it does not vary greatly depending on the location. As long as it is a hole, there may be some variations in the size and distribution of the holes.

Further, in place of the cutting machine 1 and the plate-shaped material 16 to be processed in the above-mentioned embodiment, a plotter for drawing or cutting, and paper can be used. In this case, the thickness of the paper is appropriately changed according to the diameter of the holes of the porous body 19 so that proper drawing or cutting can be performed. Further, the frame-shaped member 20 is not limited to the one having the L-shaped vertical cross-sectional shape as in the above-described embodiment, and may be composed of only the vertical piece 20b. The overall shape of the vacuum table 15 is not limited to a quadrangle, but may be a round shape or a triangular shape.

[0027]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, in the vacuum table according to the present invention, the suction hose is connected to the bottom surface of the porous body so that the air in the porous body can be sucked toward the bottom surface side of the central portion of the porous body. In addition, a seal member is laid on the exposed portion of the upper surface of the porous body to seal it so that air does not enter the porous body. Therefore, even if the material to be processed is not a large one covering the entire upper surface of the porous body as in the conventional example, it can be easily fixed.

Further, since the suction force is applied to the entire upper surface of the porous body, the fixation is made reliable, and the cutting work or the like can be performed with high accuracy. Further, since the porous body and the base are not complicated as in the conventional example but have a simple shape, manufacturing is extremely simple and inexpensive. Therefore, the practical effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a material to be processed is fixed to a vacuum table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a conventional fixing sheet is used in a cutting machine.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a vacuum table according to another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cutting Machine 15 Vacuum Table 16 Work Material 17 Base 18 Hose 19 Porous Body 19a Peripheral Edge 20 Frame Member 21 Seal Member

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A vacuum table for fixing a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped material to be processed, which has a base having an intake passage vertically penetrating in a central portion, and is mounted on an upper surface of the base. A plate-shaped porous body having a three-dimensional mesh structure, a frame-shaped member surrounding the peripheral portion of the porous body and having a bottom surface in close contact with the upper surface of the base, and a porous body through an intake passage of the base. And a sealing member for covering an exposed portion of the upper surface of the porous body when a material to be processed is placed on the upper surface of the porous body. 2. The porous body is composed of a plate-like body having a thickness of 3 to 30 mm, and the pores forming the three-dimensional network structure thereof have a diameter of 30 to 600 μm and a porosity of 30 to 40%. The vacuum table according to claim 1, which is provided. 3. The vacuum table according to claim 1, wherein the material to be processed is a plate-shaped body having rigidity.