GB2625297A

GB2625297A - Sander

Info

Publication number: GB2625297A
Application number: GB2218721.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harisson De Sousa Costa Helbert
Original assignee: HM Tech Ltd
Current assignee: HM Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-13
Filing date: 2022-12-13
Publication date: 2024-06-19
Also published as: GB202218721D0

Abstract

A sander 10 has a main body 12 and a mounting attachment 22, which may have a clamp 28 with a locking lever 30, to mount the main body to a CNC router. At least one rotatable tool 34 is housed within the main body and protrudes from an open bottom surface of the main body. The main body has a top surface 14 through which a drive spindle of the CNC router protrudes and an extraction port (42 fig.3). The rotatable tool may have four tools and may be driven in unison from a pulley 38 and drive belt 40; adjacent pulleys may be driven in opposite directions. The rotatable tools may have pads 36 which are push fit. A safety bumper bar (44 fig.3) may be fitted to the main body and connected to a microswitch that will turn off the router when impacted.

Description

SANDER

FIELD

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention are directed towards apparatus for sanding materials used in construction and cabinet/furniture manufacture, for example.

BACKGROUND

Once materials have been cut, they generally require further processing to smooth rough edges, remove burrs, etc. This has historically been a manual process that is time consuming and costly in terms of labour. The sanding process may be undertaken on site after materials have been cut to size. Sometimes a sanding block will be used when only small areas of material require processing. For larger areas, power tools may be used. In each case a consistent finish requires a high level of skill that can only be obtained through experience.

It is against the aforementioned background that the present invention has arisen.

SUM MARY

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. The detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended to be given by way of example only.

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention generally comprise a sander that is configured to be mounted on to a CNC router as an attachment. Sanders according to the disclosure comprise a main body that is mounted on to the CNC router by way of a mounting interface. The main body is elongate with a top surface through which a CNC router spindle extends, a perimeter wall, and an open bottom surface. One side of the perimeter wall may further comprise a cover that may be opened. A plurality of rotating discs may be housed within the main body, each rotating disc being configured to receive a sanding, polishing, scouring, scrubbing pad, for example. Each rotating disc may be driven by the CNC router spindle by way of a belt drive mechanism such that adjacent rotating discs are configured to rotate in opposing directions.

Consequently, an aspect of the invention provides a sander comprising: a main body; a mounting attachment configured to mount the main body on to a CNC router; and at least one rotatable tool housed within the main body, wherein the at least one rotatable tool protrudes from an open bottom surface of the main body.

The present invention enables consistent and accurate sanding, and other processing, of work pieces through combination of sanding, grinding, and polishing, for example, tools, with the accuracy of a CNC multi-axis machine. Consequently, laborious manual processing of work pieces can be reduced providing time and cost efficiencies. Furthermore, the movement of the main body can be programmed using infinite variables to provide accurate processing in areas of the work piece where the final contour must be accurately defined prior to painting.

In one embodiment, the main body further comprises a top surface through which a drive spindle of the CNC router penetrates, and a perimeter wall.

In one embodiment, the perimeter wall comprises at least one openable cover providing access to the at least one rotatable tool housed within the main body.

In one embodiment, the main body further comprises an extraction port configured to receive an end of an extraction tube or hose.

In one embodiment, the at least one rotatable tool comprises four rotatable tools arranged linearly within the main body.

In one embodiment, each rotatable tool is mounted to a pulley with a drive belt configured to drive each pulley in unison.

In one embodiment, adjacent pulleys are configured to be driven in opposing directions.

In one embodiment, at least one safety bumper bar is positioned on the main body, wherein activation of the safety bumper bar through impact or contact causes power to the CNC router to be turned off.

In one embodiment, each of the rotatable tool is configured to receive a removable pad.

Various different types of pads may be mounted to the rotatable tools. Each rotatable tool may mount the same type of pad. Sometimes, one type of pad may be mounted to one rotatable tool and another type of pad may be mounted to another rotatable tool. This way, a single edge of a work piece may be processed in different ways simultaneously at different locations along the edge.

In one embodiment, the mounting interface comprises a clamp configured to receive a mounting part of the CNC router, the clamp comprising a locking lever which, when closed, locks the clamp to the mounting part of the CNC router and when open enables the sander to be removed from the CNC router.

FIGURES

Aspects and embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of reference to the following figures.

FIG.1 is an isometric view of apparatus according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side view of apparatus according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a top view of apparatus according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a front view of apparatus according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a part-exploded view of apparatus according to the present disclosure. DESCRIPTION The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as "lower," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "above," "below," "up," "down," "top" and "bottom" as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally," "downwardly," "upwardly," etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as "attached," "affixed," "connected," "coupled," "interconnected," and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

The figures illustrate various views of apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. Apparatus 10 generally comprises a main body 12 that has a top surface 14 and a perimeter wall 16. The top surface 14 provides a cutout 18 through which a CNC router spindle may pass. The perimeter wall 16 is shown as being generally rectangular in shape with two short edges and two long edges. One of the long edges is defined by a cover 20 which may be removed or opened to provide access into the main body 12. The cover 20 may be hinged to the main body 12 and may be held in a closed position by a simple locking mechanism (not shown). The main body 12 may be mounted on to a CNC router by way of a mounting interface 22. The mounting interface 22 may be welded, bolted, or otherwise fastened to the top surface 14 of the main body 12. As shown in the figures, one example of mounting interface 22 comprises a base plate 24 from which at least two supporting rods 26 extend upwardly. The supporting rods 26 support a mounting clamp 28 that is configured to envelop a mounting part of the CNC router. The mounting clamp 28 includes a locking lever 30 associated between a join 32 in the mounting clamp 28. The locking lever 30 may be opened and closed. When the locking lever 32 is opened, the mounting interface 22 may be mounted to/removed from the CNC router. When the locking lever 32 is closed, the mounting interface 22 is securely locked to the CNC router.

The main body 12 houses a plurality of rotatable tools 34 that are each configured to receive various sanding, grinding, polishing, for example, pads 36. The pads 36 may be mounted to respective rotatable tools 34 by a push fit mechanism, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, each rotatable tool 34 is mounted to and driven by a respective pulley 38. A common drive belt 40 is positioned around each of the pulleys 38 and driven by the CNC router spindle. As the CNC router spins, the drive belt 40 causes a second 38b and fourth 38d pulley to rotate in a clockwise direction and a first 38a and third 38c pulley to rotate in an anticlockwise direction.

The long side of the main body 12 opposite the cover 20 is provided with an extraction port 42 configured to attach to an extraction hose or tube (not shown). This arrangement facilitates the removal of dust and debris from within the main body 12. Each short side of the main body 12 comprises a safety bumper bar 44. In the figures, the safety bumper bar 44 is disclosed as being of generally curved construction and comprising a rigid part mounted to the main body 12 and a moveable part that is configured to depress upon contact with a person or object. Upon depression of the removable part a microswitch is activated to cause power to the CNC router to be cut until reset.

In use, the rotatable tools 34 may be driven at a constant speed in a uniform direction, some rotatable tools may be driven in a first direction and others in a second direction, the rotational speed of the rotatable tools 34 may be varied through change of the rotational speed of the CNC routing spindle 106. In some embodiments, the CNC routing spindle 106 may oscillate in opposing directions.

Reference to a CNC router 100 in this disclosure generally refers to a motor attachment for a CNC machine. Such a motor attachment comprises a motor housing 102, a mounting part 104, and a CNC routing spindle 106.

It should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

While some embodiments described herein include some, but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the disclosure, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by the skilled person. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Thus, while certain embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, and it is intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other implementations, which fall within the true spirit and scope of this disclosure. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the scope of this disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.

While various implementations of the disclosure have been described, it will be readily apparent to the skilled person that many more implementations are possible within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sander comprising: a main body; a mounting attachment configured to mount the main body on to a CNC router; and at least one rotatable tool housed within the main body, wherein the at least one rotatable tool protrudes from an open bottom surface of the main body.
2. A sander according to claim 1, wherein the main body further comprises a top surface through which a drive spindle of the CNC router penetrates, and a perimeter wall.
3. A sander according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the perimeter wall comprises at least one openable cover providing access to the at least one rotatable tool housed within the main body.
4. A sander according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body further comprises an extraction port configured to receive an end of an extraction tube or hose.
5. A sander according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one rotatable tool comprises four rotatable tools arranged linearly within the main body.
6. A sander according to claim 5, wherein each rotatable tool is mounted to a pulley with a drive belt configured to drive each pulley in unison.
7. A sander according to claim 6, wherein adjacent pulleys are configured to be driven in opposing directions.
8. A sander according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one safety bumper bar is positioned on the main body, wherein activation of the safety bumper bar through impact or contact causes power to the CNC router to be turned oft
9. A sander according to claim 6, wherein each of the rotatable tools is configured to receive a removable pad.
10. A sander according to any preceding claim, wherein the mounting interface comprises a clamp configured to receive a mounting part of the CNC router, the clamp comprising a locking lever which, when closed, locks the clamp to the mounting part of the CNC router and when open enables the sander to be removed from the CNC router.