WO2006033606A1

WO2006033606A1 - Rock drill bit

Info

Publication number: WO2006033606A1
Application number: PCT/SE2005/001085
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per-Ola Hadin; Fredrik BJÖRK
Original assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property Ab
Priority date: 2004-09-21
Filing date: 2005-07-04
Publication date: 2006-03-30
Also published as: SE530135C2; EP1794406A4; EP1794406A1; RU2007115087A; US20060060389A1; SE0402283L; JP4885860B2; US7296641B2; AU2005285642A1; ZA200701953B; AU2005285642B2; SE0402283D0; JP2008513645A; CN101023240B; CA2576681C; KR20070053285A; PL1794406T3; EP1794406B1; CN101023240A; CA2576681A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rock drill bit (1) for percussive drilling. The drill bit comprises a bit body (2), a head portion (3) defining a longitudinal center axis (CL), the head portion comprising a front face (8) having an outer portion (12), wherein the outer portion (12) is raised relative to the front face (8) and comprising peripheral buttons (6) and at least one fluid channel (7) extending through the head portion and communicating with the front face (8) for conducting a flushing medium thereto. The outer portion comprises a number of circumferentially spaced, raised steel portions (12), each said portion (12) comprising maximum two peripheral buttons (6). The peripheral buttons (6) are mounted in the head portion (3) radially outside of an imaginary circle (C) intersecting at least two front buttons (4) and at least two flushing channels (7) arranged generally annularly around a center axis (CL) of the drill bit (1; 1’).

Description

ROCK DRILL BIT

Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rock drill bit for percussive drilling, especially top hammer drilling, according to the preamble of the independent claim.

Through US-A-5, 890,551 a rock drill bit is previously known, which has an appurtenant drill rod. The rock drill bit at the front face thereof is provided with cemented carbide buttons that work the rock by impacting thereupon during simultaneous rotation. A cavity is formed in the front face, and a fluid channel extends through the drill bit for supplying flushing fluid to the cavity. The cavity is completely bordered by an endless land. Some of the buttons are mounted in the land. Others of the buttons are mounted in the cavity in order to be cooled and flushed by a cushion of flushing fluid created in the cavity. In some cases the cavity has been clogged by debris.

US-A-4,598,779 shows another rock drill bit of the percussive type for drilling straight holes. The known drill bit does not have an optimal flushing.

Objects of the Invention

The present invention has the object of providing a rock drill bit of the kind defined in the introduction, with extended service life.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rock drill bit that permits good rock removal. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rock drill bit for drilling straight holes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rock drill bit with efficient flushing.

Still another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rock drill bit that is more easily reground. The objects of the present invention are realized by means of a rock drill bit having the features defined in the characterizing portions of the appended independent claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the rock drill bit according to the present invention will be described below, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1A shows a perspective front view of a rock drill bit according to the present invention;

Fig. 1 B shows a front view of the rock drill bit.

Fig. 1C shows a side view of a front portion of the rock drill bit; and

Fig. 1D shows a cross-section through the rock drill bit according to line D-D in

Fig. 1A; Fig. 2 shows a quarter of an alternative embodiment of a rock drill bit according to the present invention in a front view.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of a Rock Drill Bit According to the Present Invention The percussive rock drill bit 1 illustrated in Figs. 1A-1 D comprises a bit body 2 having a head portion or a drill head 3 and a shank or a skirt 5. The drill head 3 and the skirt 5 are rigidly integrated with each other. A drill rod, not shown, is supposed to be connected to the rock drill bit 1 via a thread coupling. In the drill rod, a through-going flush duct is arranged in the conventional way. A longitudinal center axis CL of the rock drill bit 1 is drawn in Fig. 1 D. The rock drill bit 1 is preferably provided with an internal female thread, not shown, supposed to receive an external male thread at one end of the drill rod.

The drill head 3 of the rock drill bit 1 according to the present invention is provided with rock removing members preferably in the form of cemented carbide buttons, i.e. front buttons 4 and peripheral buttons 6. At least one cooling medium channel 7 extends between an internal space of the rock drill bit 1 , which is defined between the internal female thread, and a front face 8 of the drill head 3. The front face 8 defines a plane P that is substantially perpendicular to the center axis CL. In said internal space, a first stop face, a so-called bottom stop, is preferably arranged for the free end of the drill rod. A number of retrac edges 9 is preferably arranged at the rear end of the rock drill bit 1 , as is shown in Fig. 1 A. As is most clearly seen in Figs. 1A, the rock drill bit 1 is on the outside thereof provided with a number of straight, front 10 and rear 11 peripheral grooves for cuttings extending in the axial direction of the rock drill bit 1. Each front groove 10 for cuttings is symmetrically arranged in relation to a line parallel with the center axis CL. The front grooves 10 are provided between each pair of peripheral buttons 6 in the bit body. Eight peripheral buttons 6 are mounted in the drill head 3 although there could alternatively be arranged any of 5 to 10 buttons in another drill bit according to the present invention. Each peripheral button 6 is tilted outwardly relative to the center axis CL to define the maximum diameter of the drill bit. The diameter of a peripheral button 6 is preferably greater than the diameter of a front button 4. Each peripheral button 6 is arranged in a steel segment or raised portion 12 at least partially projecting relative to the plane P in the axial direction of the drill bit. Each raised portion is integrated with the body 2 and generally directed forwardly, i.e. in the working feed direction of the drill bit. A hole, not shown, is formed in the raised portion to receive one peripheral button 6. Alternatively, there can be two peripheral buttons positioned in each raised portion. Each raised portion 12 is spaced in the wreath or outer portion of peripheral buttons from another adjacent raised portion by the front face 8 or by an additional front groove 13 (as depicted by the dashed line in Fig. 1D). The outer portion comprises a number of circumferentially spaced, raised portions 12 equal to the number of peripheral buttons 6, i.e. each raised portion 12 carries one peripheral button 6. Each peripheral button 6 projects axially forwardly beyond all front buttons 4. The common planar, axially foremost level of the front buttons 4 is spaced rearwardly in relation to the common planar, axially foremost level of the surrounding peripheral buttons 6. Thereby, a greater guiding moment is achieved by raising the wreath of peripheral buttons 6 above the front face 8 and the front buttons 4. The raised portions 12 are spaced by a radial passage or part 14 of the front face 8 to allow an unobstructed flow of flushing medium therebetween. The peripheral buttons 6 are mounted in the drill head 3 radially outside of an imaginary circle C intersecting at least two front buttons 4 and at least two flushing channels 7 arranged generally annularly around the center axis CL of the drill bit 1. The front buttons 12 are mounted in the front face 8 radially inside of the peripheral buttons 6. Orifices of the fluid channels 7 are arranged in the plane P below the raised portions 12. The raised portions 12 are arranged radially outside of an imaginary circle C intersecting four or at least two front buttons 4 and four or at least two flushing channels 7 arranged generally annularly around the center axis CL of the drill bit 1. The front face 8 ends at the peripheral grooves 10 in the bit body 2. The imaginary circle C intersecting the fluid channels 7 also intersects an equal number of front buttons 4. Major parts of the peripheral buttons 6, which usually are 5 to 10 pieces, are mounted in the front face 8 radially outside of the circle C. The additional front groove is formed between each peripheral groove 10 and the front face 8. The front groove is a bevel 13 sloping outwardly relative to the longitudinal center axis CL and rearwardly relative to the front face. The front groove may alternatively follow a curve that is generally sloping outwardly and rearwardly in relation to CL.

In practice all buttons are advantageously made of cemented carbide, possibly diamond-enhanced. The shape of the buttons can be spherical, conical, ballistic, semi-ballistic or chisel shaped.

The geometry of the rear end of the drill bit comprises retrac teeth that are positioned at the maximum diameter of the drill bit, as well as inside of the same, at the end generally facing away from the rock removing end of the rock drill bit. Although the disclosed embodiment shows retrac edges, it is possible to provide the discussed drill head on a drill bit with a regular skirt. The purpose of the rear end of the drill bit is to make sure that guiding of the drill bit 1 in the bore hole is carried out by means of the portions that are located in connection with the ends of the rock drill bit 1 , and to decrease the resistance against the release of cutting dust. The grooves for cuttings 10, 11 are intended to transport away the drill dust produced at the front of the rock drill bit 1.

Preferably, the drill head is machined or milled to produce a front face 8 and the raised portions 12. Milling tests have shown that the time for milling the front of the drill bit according to the present invention can be reduced by about 20% as compared to conventional drill bits.

An alternative embodiment of a rock drill bit according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 2, where like numerals depict like features as in the previous embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view of a quarter of a front of the alternative drill bit according to the present invention. The major differences made to the drill bit 1¹ when compared to the drill bit according to Figs. 1A-1C are that each projection 12' is circumferentially more extended and comprises two peripheral buttons 6. The raised portion 12' is mirror imaged about a normal to the center axis intersecting a radially innermost point of the peripheral groove 10. There are as many radial passages 14 as there are raised portions 12'. The drill bit according to the present invention has numerous other advantages. By having the front face 8 relatively "open" the flushing medium (air and/or water) will not be obstructed from flowing between the raised portions 12. This means that flushing of the front surface 8 will be efficient. By having the peripheral buttons projecting farther than the front buttons a guiding rock center will develop during drilling such that straight holes can be achieved (at least 10% straighter holes than prior drill bits in tests). Regrinding is facilitated due to that the raised portions get worn during drilling and thus the need for steel grinding is reduced. The life of the drill bit according to the present invention has been extended by 15-20% when compared to prior drill bits. The relative symmetry of the front surface makes the front face 8 suitable for drill bits for both left hand and right hand drilling which is the case at top hammer and down-the-hole drilling, respectively. Furthermore, the time for machining the front of the drill bit according to the present invention can be reduced.

Claims

1. A rock drill bit adapted for percussive drilling, the drill bit comprising: a bit body (2); a head portion (3) defining a longitudinal center axis (CL), the head portion comprising a front face (8) having an outer portion (12; 12'), wherein the outer portion (12; 12') is raised relative to the front face (8) and comprising peripheral buttons (6), at least one fluid channel (7) extending through the head portion and communicating with the front face (8) for conducting a flushing medium thereto, characterized in that the outer portion comprises a number of circumferentially spaced, raised steel portions (12;12'), each said portion (12;12") comprising maximum two peripheral buttons (6), and in that the peripheral buttons (6) are mounted in the head portion (3) radially outside of an imaginary circle (C) intersecting at least two front buttons (4) and at least two flushing channels (7) arranged generally annularly around a center axis (CL) of the drill bit

2. The rock drill bit according to claim ^characterized in that each raised portion (12) carries one peripheral button (6).

3. The rock drill bit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the raised portions (12;12') are spaced by a radial passage (14) of the front face (8) to allow an unobstructed flow of flushing medium therebetween.

4. The rock drill bit according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that front buttons (4) are mounted in the front face (8) radially inside of the peripheral buttons (6).

5. The rock drill bit according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that an orifice of the fluid channel (7) is positioned in a plane (P) situated below the raised portions (12; 12').

6. The rock drill bit according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the raised portions (12; 12') are arranged radially outside of an imaginary circle (C) intersecting at least two front buttons (4) and at least two flushing channels (7) arranged generally annularly around a center axis (CL) of the drill bit d;1').

7. The rock drill bit according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the front face (8) ends at peripheral grooves (10) in the bit body.

8. The rock drill bit according to claim 4 or 6, characterized in that the imaginary circle (C) intersecting more than one fluid channel (7) also intersects at least an equal number of front buttons (4).

9. The rock drill bit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there are 5 to 10 peripheral buttons (6) and in that there are as many radial passages (14) as there are raised portions (12; 12').

10. The rock drill bit according to anyone of claims 1-6 or 8-9, characterized in that an additional front groove (13) is formed between a peripheral groove (10) and a front face (8), said front groove generally sloping outwardly and rearwardly.