Foil cutting tools for sheet metal processing machines and related systems and methods

{
  "publication_number": "US9339942B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Foil cutting tools for sheet metal processing machines and related systems and methods",
  "abstract": "In some aspects, a tool for a sheet metal processing machine for penetrating a foil disposed on a surface of workpiece to be processed includes a rotatably supported ball for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A tool for a sheet metal processing machine for cutting a foil disposed on a planar surface of a workpiece to be processed, the tool comprising: a rotatably supported ball at a first end of the tool for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece, wherein the tool is configured to cut the foil along arbitrary paths including nonlinear paths by a rolling cutting movement of the rotatably supported ball over the surface of the workpiece; and a biasing member at a second end of the tool opposite the first end and configured to cause the rotatably supported ball to completely penetrate the foil so that the ball contacts the planar surface of the workpiece after penetrating the foil.",
    "2. The tool according to claim 1, further comprising a ball accommodation apparatus having an accommodation chamber formed at an end of the ball accommodation apparatus facing the workpiece, the accommodation chamber comprising an orifice at the end of the ball accommodation apparatus, the accommodation chamber being formed to accommodate the ball so that the ball protrudes from the orifice and out of the ball accommodation apparatus, and the ball is substantially only rotatable within the ball accommodation apparatus.",
    "3. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the ball accommodation apparatus comprises a cavity for accommodating a lubricant for reducing a coefficient of friction between a surface of the ball and an inner surface of the accommodation chamber, wherein the cavity is fluidly connected to the accommodation chamber.",
    "4. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the ball comprises a material that is harder than a material of the workpiece.",
    "5. The tool according to claim 4, wherein the ball comprises a ceramic material.",
    "6. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the ball has a diameter that is less than about 1 mm.",
    "7. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the tool is configured to be received in a punching tool holder of a punching machine.",
    "8. A system comprising: a sheet metal processing machine; and a tool for cutting a foil disposed on a workpiece to be processed by the sheet metal processing machine, the tool comprising: a rotatably supported ball for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece, wherein the tool is configured to cut the foil along arbitrary paths by a rolling cutting movement of the rotatably supported ball over the surface of the workpiece, and wherein the sheet metal processing machine comprises a tool holder for accommodating the tool and a workpiece support device for positioning the workpiece, and the sheet metal processing machine is configured such that the tool holder or the workpiece support device is vertically movable such that a determinable distance between the tool holder and a surface of the workpiece is produced so that the ball penetrates the foil and the determinable distance can be maintained while the sheet metal is moved horizontally with respect to the tool holder in order to cut the foil.",
    "9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the sheet metal processing machine is a punching machine comprising a workpiece movement device and the punching machine is configured such that the determinable distance is maintained while the sheet metal is moved along a plane by the workpiece movement device.",
    "10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the sheet metal processing machine is a laser processing machine.",
    "11. A tool for a sheet metal processing machine for cutting a foil disposed on a surface of a workpiece to be processed, the tool comprising: a rotatably supported ball for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece, wherein the tool is configured to cut the foil along arbitrary paths including nonlinear paths by a rolling cutting movement of the rotatably supported ball over the surface of the workpiece, a ball accommodation apparatus having an accommodation chamber formed at an end of the ball accommodation apparatus facing the workpiece, the accommodation chamber comprising an orifice at the end of the ball accommodation apparatus, the accommodation chamber being formed to accommodate the ball so that the ball protrudes from the orifice and out of the ball accommodation apparatus, and the ball is substantially only rotatable within the ball accommodation apparatus, and a biasing member by which the ball accommodation apparatus is forced in the direction towards the end, wherein the ball accommodation apparatus is accommodated in the tool in a slidable manner and is movable in a direction that is towards and away from the end.",
    "12. The tool according to claim 11, further comprising a biasing force adjusting device configured to adjust the biasing force of the biasing member in the direction towards the end.",
    "13. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the biasing member is configured to maintain a substantially constant biasing force in the direction towards the end independently of a displacement of the ball accommodation apparatus within the tool.",
    "14. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the ball accommodation apparatus comprises a cavity for accommodating a lubricant for reducing a coefficient of friction between a surface of the ball and an inner surface of the accommodation chamber, wherein the cavity is fluidly connected to the accommodation chamber.",
    "15. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the ball comprises a material that is harder than a material of the workpiece.",
    "16. The tool according to claim 15, wherein the ball comprises a ceramic material.",
    "17. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the ball has a diameter that is less than about 1 mm.",
    "18. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the tool is configured to be received in a punching tool holder of a punching machine."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This disclosure relates to foil cutting tools for sheet metal processing machines and to related systems and methods.\n\nTools for cutting the protection foil on sheet metal workpieces typically have a scriber. The scriber generally has a tip angle of 90° and is spring loaded in order to cut through the foil but not damage the surface of the sheet metal workpiece on which the foil is laid. The necessary press force to cut the foil may be varied by using pressure springs with different pressing forces. However, the resistance against the tool can increase when slight unevenness of the surface structure or differences of thickness of the sheet metal workpiece are present. As a result, scratches or imprints on the sheet metal workpiece can easily occur, in particular, when a direction of processing (e.g., the direction of the scriber motion) is oblique to a direction of grinding of a brushed sheet metal workpiece. Tools having a spring biased cutting wheel that rolls along the surface of the sheet metal workpiece and cuts the foil are also known.\n\nIn an aspect, a tool for a sheet metal processing machine for cutting a foil disposed on a surface of workpiece to be processed includes a rotatably supported ball for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece.\n\nIn another aspect, a system includes a sheet metal processing machine and a tool for cutting a foil disposed on a workpiece to be processed by the sheet metal processing machine. The tool includes a rotatably supported ball for cutting the foil by rolling the ball along the workpiece.",
  "cpc": [
    "B26F 3/04",
    "B26D 3/085",
    "B26F 1/3813",
    "C23F 1/08",
    "Y10T 83/04",
    "Y10T 83/263",
    "Y10T 83/6656",
    "Y10T 83/9372"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B26D 1/20",
    "B26D 7/08",
    "B26D 7/27",
    "B26D 3/08",
    "B26D 5/08",
    "B26F 3/04",
    "C23F 1/08"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen SE and Co KG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Oliver Steingrueber",
    "Holger Skare"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-03-20",
  "publication_date": "2016-05-17",
  "grant_date": "2016-05-17",
  "priority_date": "2011-03-21",
  "application_number": "US-201213424695-A",
  "family_id": "44211795",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
  "citations": [
    "US3463042A",
    "US3830128A",
    "US3787968A",
    "US4674372A",
    "JPH0285600U",
    "US5207141A",
    "US5211687A",
    "JPH0890989A",
    "JPH08300292A",
    "JPH1087158A",
    "US6577804B2",
    "CN1338439A",
    "JP2002085600A",
    "US20020069736A1",
    "CN1267255C",
    "US20050056127A1",
    "US20040216580A1",
    "US20120037605A1",
    "EP1747859A1",
    "US20120325070A1",
    "US20100005941A1",
    "US8505207B2",
    "EP2147900A1",
    "CN101657388A",
    "US20090000441A1",
    "WO2010015357A1",
    "EP2189259A1",
    "CN101733768A",
    "JP2011020224A",
    "US20120152078A1",
    "US20130233135A1"
  ]
}