MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR SEPARATING A WORKPIECE PART FROM A SCRAP SKELETON IN A WORKPIECE CUTTING MACHINING OPERATION

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2024 130 464.2, filed on Oct. 21, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The invention relates to a mechanical device for separating a workpiece part present as a machining product of a cutting machining operation.

BACKGROUND

During sheet metal cutting machining by means of a cutting device, for example a laser cutting device, the resulting machining products are sheet metal parts and a scrap skeleton that at least partially surrounds the sheet metal parts. To simplify removal of the machining products from the cutting device, the sheet metal parts are not completely cut away from the scrap skeleton during the sheet metal cutting machining. Instead, microjoints or nanojoints are left between the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts, which allow the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts to be handled as a unit during unloading of the cutting device. It is also conceivable for sheet metal parts produced during sheet metal cutting machining to be held in the scrap skeleton due to thermal stresses arising or as a result of a tilting after the cutting process. Separation of the sheet metal parts from the scrap skeleton takes place in a method step following the sheet metal cutting machining.

The prior art in this area is disclosed in JP 2000094057 A. The prior art relates to a mechanical assembly and to a method for sheet metal punching machining. At a punching station of the mechanical assembly, sheet metal parts and a scrap skeleton are produced from a sheet metal panel, the sheet metal parts being connected to the scrap skeleton via microjoints after completion of the sheet metal punching machining. The combination consisting of the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts connected thereto is moved to a separating station, where a plurality of roller pairs succeed one another in a direction of movement of the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts and are offset alternately upward and downward relative to one another and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts. A gap is formed between the rollers of each roller pair. Coming from the punching station, the scrap skeleton with the sheet metal parts passes through the gap past a plurality of roller pairs succeeding one another in the direction of movement. Due to the mutual offset of the roller pairs, the scrap skeleton with the sheet metal parts is bent repeatedly when passing through the roller pairs. At the same time, the scrap skeleton with the sheet metal parts is caused to vibrate perpendicularly to the direction of movement by means of rollers of the roller pairs. As a result, the microjoints remaining between the scrap skeleton and the sheet metal parts break during sheet metal punching machining, and the sheet metal parts detached from the scrap skeleton fall onto a product repository arranged below the roller pairs of the separating station.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a mechanical device for separating a workpiece part present as a machining product of a cutting machining operation of a plate-type workpiece, including a metal sheet, from a scrap skeleton present as a further machining product of the workpiece cutting machining operation from a product combination of the scrap skeleton and the workpiece part. The mechanical device comprises a vibration generator, by which the product combination is configured to be excited to carry out combination vibrations which are carried out perpendicularly to a main plane of the product combination and which cause the workpiece part to be detached from the product combination, and a holder. The vibration generator comprises an excitation unit and a scrap skeleton support. The scrap skeleton support is excitable by the excitation unit to carry out support vibrations perpendicularly to the main plane of the product combination. The holder has a holding member, by which the product combination is configured to be supported on the scrap skeleton support effective perpendicular to the main plane of the product combination in order to carry out the combination vibrations with the scrap skeleton. The holding member can be switched into a functional state and into a non-functional state and, in the functional state, applies force to the product combination on the scrap skeleton against the scrap skeleton support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter of the present disclosure will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations. The features and advantages of various embodiments will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate the following:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a mechanical device for separating sheet metal parts from a product combination of the sheet metal parts and a scrap skeleton which is produced during sheet metal cutting machining;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective representation of a holding device of the mechanical device according to FIG. 1 which is used to fix the product combination of the sheet metal parts and the scrap skeleton;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perpendicular side view of the holding device according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a product pallet for supporting the product combination according to FIG. 1 immediately after the sheet metal cutting machining; and

FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 illustrate highly schematic representations to illustrate the mode of operation of the holding device according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment, the present disclosure ensures functionally reliable separation of a workpiece part, produced by cutting machining of a plate-type workpiece, from the scrap skeleton in the workpiece cutting machining operation.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a holding device is provided with a switchable holding member which, in a functional state, fixes the scrap skeleton of the product combination consisting of the workpiece part and the scrap skeleton to the scrap skeleton support in a manner effective perpendicular to the main plane of the product combination. In the functional state of the holding member according to the present disclosure, the holding member applies force to the scrap skeleton against the scrap skeleton support, and the scrap skeleton is thus reliably held on the scrap skeleton support vibrating perpendicularly to the main plane of the product combination.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the scrap skeleton support is formed on a support plate which can be excited by means of the excitation unit of the vibration generator to carry out the support vibrations and which extends along the product combination supported on the scrap skeleton support. The support plate vibrates during the separation of the workpiece part from the scrap skeleton in a structural unit with the scrap skeleton support.

In an embodiment, the product combination is fixed exclusively by clamping to the scrap skeleton support by means of the holding member in order to carry out the combination vibrations causing the separation of the workpiece part. Additionally or alternatively, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the scrap skeleton support is provided on the side facing the scrap skeleton with a press-in element which projects towards the scrap skeleton and which penetrates into the scrap skeleton due to the force applied to the scrap skeleton by the holding member. The press-in element on the scrap skeleton support creates a form-fitting connection between the scrap skeleton support and the scrap skeleton to which force is applied against the scrap skeleton support, said connection resulting in the product combination being particularly securely fixed by the scrap skeleton to the scrap skeleton support during the combination vibrations carried out to separate the workpiece part.

For the defined positioning of the product combination relative to the holding member, a positioning stop which is effective parallel to the main plane of the product combination is provided on the device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The positioning stop can be used in particular to prevent a collision between the product combination and the holding member.

In an embodiment, a clamping member is provided as a holding member for detachably fixing the scrap skeleton to the scrap skeleton support. During the combination vibrations carried out to separate the workpiece part, the product combination is effectively clamped onto the scrap skeleton between the clamping member of the holding device according to the present disclosure and the scrap skeleton support. A conventional actuator is provided to transfer the clamping member into the functional position.

A press-in element of the type described above can also be provided on the clamping member of the mechanical device according to the present disclosure in order to form-fittingly fix the scrap skeleton during the combination vibrations carried out for separating the workpiece part.

Preferably, a clamping lever designed in particular as an angle lever is provided as the clamping member. To fix the product combination to the scrap skeleton support, a clamping arm of the clamping lever in the functional position engages behind the scrap skeleton on the side facing away from the scrap skeleton support and the scrap skeleton is pressed against the scrap skeleton support. The clamping lever is moved into the functional position by means of the aforementioned actuator.

In an embodiment, a plurality of holding members of the type described above are provided. The holding members are spaced apart from each other parallel to the main plane of the product combination. The mechanical device according to an embodiment is preferably intended for applications in which the scrap skeleton forms an edge of the product combination. In the functional state, the holding members load the scrap skeleton forming the edge of the product combination against the scrap skeleton support.

In order to adapt to different formats of the product combination to be fixed to the scrap skeleton support by means of the holding members, the mutual spacing between the holding members can be variably adjusted by means of a spacing adjusting apparatus in an embodiment.

In an embodiment, a positioning stop that is effective parallel to the main plane of the product combination is provided for each of the holding members in order to position the product combination relative to the holding member.

Each of the holding members can be designed as a clamping member and then as described above.

The mechanical device according to an embodiment is characterized by special design provisions for fixing the product combination to the scrap skeleton support. To receive the product combination, the clamping members are moved by means of the actuator into an initial position provided as the first non-functional state. In the initial position, the clamping members have a mutual spacing parallel to the main plane of the product combination that is greater than the extension of the product combination parallel to the main plane of the product combination. With the holding members in the initial position, the product combination and the mechanical device according to the present disclosure are positioned relative to each other in such a way that the clamping members can be transferred by means of the actuator from the initial position into an intermediate position provided as the second non-functional state. In the intermediate position, the clamping members engage behind the product combination on the side facing away from the scrap skeleton support. The clamping members do not yet load the product combination against the scrap skeleton support. The product combination is loaded against the scrap skeleton support in the functional position, into which the clamping members are transferred from the intermediate position by means of the actuator.

In an embodiment, if positioning stops are provided on the mechanical device, these positioning stops can also be used to guide the product combination during its movement associated with the movement of the clamping members from the intermediate position to the functional position.

In an embodiment, the scrap skeleton support supports the product combination with a horizontal orientation. Due to the horizontal orientation of the product combination, the workpiece part separated from the scrap skeleton can be deposited in the direction of gravity, in particular on a workpiece pallet provided for this purpose. Also, under the effect of gravity, the scrap skeleton of the product combination initially remaining on the device according to the present disclosure after the separation of the workpiece part can be removed from the mechanical device according to the present disclosure, for example discarded into a scrap container.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary schematic representations.

FIG. 1 shows a mechanical device 1 for separating workpiece parts in the form of sheet metal parts 2 from a scrap skeleton 3. The sheet metal parts 2 and the scrap skeleton 3 are machining products from sheet metal cutting machining, which is carried out by means of a laser cutting machine arranged away from the mechanical device 1. During sheet metal cutting machining by means of the laser cutting machine, microjoints 4 were left between the sheet metal parts 2 and the scrap skeleton 3 as well as between mutually adjacent sheet metal parts 2. Due to the microjoints 4, the sheet metal parts 2 and the scrap skeleton 3 in FIG. 1 form a product combination 5 which has been removed as a unit from the laser cutting machine and then accepted by the mechanical device 1 in the manner described below.

The mechanical device 1 comprises a vibration generator 6, by means of which the product combination 5 can be excited to carry out combination vibrations which are carried out perpendicularly to a main plane 7 of the product combination 5, indicated by a dash-dotted line in FIG. 1, and which cause the sheet metal parts 2 to be detached from the product combination 5. The direction of vibration of the vibration generator 6 and the product combination 5 fixed thereto is indicated in FIG. 1 by a double arrow 8.

The vibration generator 6 has an unbalance exciter 9 as an excitation unit and also scrap skeleton supports 10, which are integrated in a support plate 11 of the mechanical device 1.

Four holding devices 12 of the mechanical device 1 are mounted on the support plate 11, which are located opposite one another in pairs. One of the pairs of holding devices can be seen in FIG. 1. The second pair of holding devices is mounted on the support plate 11 offset perpendicular to the plane of the drawing relative to the holding devices 12 of FIG. 1.

The holding devices 12 each have a holding member, the nature of which is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIGS. 2 and 3 show one of the holding devices 12 with the associated scrap skeleton support 10 before installation on the support plate 11.

The holding members are designed as angle-type clamping levers 13, each having two angle units 14, which are connected to each other via a clamping piece 15. On the clamping piece 15, the clamping levers 13 are provided with an upwardly projecting press-in element in the form of a triangular cutting edge 16 in the example shown. A corresponding triangular cutting edge 17 protrudes downwards on the underside of the scrap skeleton support 10 as a press-in element. For the sake of simplicity, the cutting edges 16, 17 on the clamping levers 13 are only shown in FIG. 3. Instead of triangular cutting edges 16, 17, circular cutting edges can also be used.

The leg of the clamping lever 13 provided with the clamping piece 15 forms a clamping arm 18.

By means of a pneumatic actuator 19 in the example shown, the clamping levers 13 can be moved about a pivot axis running parallel to the main plane 7 of the product combination 5 in the direction of a double arrow 20 and can thereby be transferred into a functional position and, in the example shown, into two non-functional positions.

In the state mounted on the support plate 11, the clamping levers 13 of each of the pairs of holding devices are located opposite each other with a mutual spacing parallel to the main plane 7 of the product combination 5. In order to adapt to changing formats of the product combination 5, the mutual spacing can be variably adjusted using conventional means in the direction of a double arrow 21 (FIG. 1).

Using the processes illustrated very schematically in FIGS. 5 to 7, the product combination 5 was fixed to the mechanical device 1 in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

Immediately after completion of the sheet metal cutting machining, the product combination 5 was supported on a product pallet 22 shown in FIG. 4. The product combination 5 rested in the usual way on the tips of support strips 23 of the product pallet 22.

In order to receive the product combination 5 from the product pallet 22, the clamping levers 13 of the mechanical device 1, which are located opposite one another with a pre-set mutual spacing, were moved by means of the actuators 19 into an initial position provided as the first non-functional state (FIG. 5). In the initial position, the clamping levers 13 had a mutual spacing parallel to the main plane 7 of the product combination 5 which was greater than the extension of the product combination 5 parallel to the main plane 7 of the product combination 5.

With the clamping levers 13 in the initial position, the product combination 5 supported on the product pallet 22 and the mechanical device 1 were positioned relative to each other in such a way that the clamping levers 13 could be transferred by means of the actuators 19 from the initial position into an intermediate position provided as the second non-functional state (FIG. 6). In the intermediate position, the clamping levers 13 with the clamping arms 18 on the product pallet 22 were pivoted into the strip gaps 24 of the support strips 23. The clamping arms 18 of the clamping levers 13 consequently engaged behind the product combination 5 on the side facing away from the scrap skeleton support 10.

From the intermediate position, the clamping levers 13 were transferred into the functional position by means of the actuators 19 (FIGS. 1 and 7). The product combination 5 supported on the clamping arms 18 of the clamping levers 13 was guided at lateral positioning stops 25. For the sake of clarity, the positioning stops 25 are only shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the functional position, the clamping levers 13 with the clamping arms 18 engage behind the scrap skeleton 3 on the side facing away from the scrap skeleton support 10. The clamping levers 13 load the product combination 5 by means of the clamping arms 18 on the scrap skeleton 3 against the scrap skeleton support 10. Under the effect of the force applied by the clamping levers 13, the cutting edges 16 on the clamping levers 13 and the cutting edges 17 on the scrap skeleton supports 10 penetrate into the scrap skeleton 10. As a result, when the clamping levers 13 are in the functional position, the product combination 5 is fixed to the mechanical device 1 both force-fittingly and form-fittingly and thus extremely effectively.

If the scrap skeleton supports 10 are now excited by means of the unbalance exciter 9 to carry out support vibrations perpendicularly to the main plane 7 of the horizontally oriented product combination 5, the product combination 5 fixed to the mechanical device 1 with a horizontal orientation carries out combination vibrations perpendicularly to the main plane 7 of the product combination 5 in the direction of the double arrow 8. As a result of the combination vibrations, the microjoints 4 between the sheet metal parts 2 and the scrap skeleton 3 break and the sheet metal parts 2 are separated from each other and from the scrap skeleton 3.

Under the effect of gravity, the sheet metal parts 2 separated from the scrap skeleton 3 are deposited on a pallet trolley 26 arranged below the mechanical device 1. The scrap skeleton 3, which is initially still fixed to the mechanical device 1, is disposed of separately, for example discarded into a scrap container. For this purpose, the clamping levers 13 are moved by means of the actuators 19 from the functional position shown in FIG. 7 back to the initial position according to FIG. 5.

While subject matter of the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Any statement made herein characterizing the invention is also to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive as the invention is defined by the claims. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made, by those of ordinary skill in the art, within the scope of the following claims, which may include any combination of features from different embodiments described above.

The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.