The present invention relates to a drilling apparatus that is used to drill a workpiece and capable of being equipped with cutting tools of different diameters.
The load on a drilling apparatus varies according to various factors such as the diameter of an annular cutting tool (hereinafter referred to simply as “cutting tool”), the pressing force applied to a workpiece from the cutting tool, the kind and constituent material of the workpiece, and clogging of the flutes of the cutting tool with chips. If a cutting tool having a relatively small diameter is overloaded, the service life thereof may be shortened.
Under these circumstances, Patent Literature 1 note below discloses an overload monitoring apparatus that detects an electric current flowing through a driving motor (i.e. motor current) during drilling of a workpiece and that stops the drilling operation when the motor current has exceeded a preset reference value.
In a conventional drilling apparatus equipped with an automatic cutting tool feed mechanism, the feed rate is controlled in accordance with a change in the motor current. For example, when the motor current has exceeded a certain level, the feed rate control enters an intermittent operation mode in which the cycle of “full stop of feeding” and “feeding” is effected. In another example, when the motor current has exceeded a certain level during cutting, the control shifts to a mode of slower feeding than for the normal cutting operation. Thus, the conventional feed rate controls are performed by switching between two operation modes.
Conventionally, the feed rate control is effected with the same overload detection level irrespective of the size of the tool diameter. In this regard, as the tool diameter decreases, the rotational load torque decreases relative to the force applied in the thrust direction during cutting. Therefore, the feed is not stopped unless an excessively large force is applied to the cutting tool in the thrust direction. Accordingly, the cutting tool is heavily loaded, which shortens the service life of the cutting tool.
If the feed rate is too low, chips become fine and difficult to discharge. Eventually, the flutes of the cutting tool will be clogged with chips, and it will become impossible to discharge the chips, which may result in cutting failure. If the feed is fully stopped, chips may enter the area between the workpiece and the cutting edge. If such occurs, the cutting edge may fail to cut into the workpiece, resulting in cutting failure. This phenomenon is particularly remarkable in the case of a small-diameter cutting tool and leads to a reduction in service life of the cutting tool.
An object of the present invention is to solve such problems as the reduction in service life of cutting tools and the overloading of the motor, which are attributable to the tool diameter.
The present invention provides a drilling apparatus having an electric drill that rotationally drives a cutting tool by using a drill motor as a drive source, and a drill feed unit that reciprocates the electric drill relative to a workpiece. The electric drill and the drill feed unit are driven to drill the workpiece. The drilling apparatus comprises a motor current detector that detects an electric current flowing through the drill motor, and a controller that controls the energization of the drill motor. The controller makes identification of the tool diameter of the cutting tool being used for drilling on the basis of an electric current detected by the motor current detector at a predetermined drill feed rate and sets one of control modes provided for respective tool diameters according to the result of the identification.
Specifically, the controller sets a plurality of reference values corresponding to the tool diameters of usable cutting tools and compares the electric current detected by the motor current detector with the reference values to identify the tool diameter.
More specifically, the reference values include a first reference value measured by using a cutting tool having a predetermined first tool diameter and a second reference value measured by using a cutting tool having a second tool diameter smaller than the first tool diameter. The control modes are three different modes that are a large-diameter mode set when the detected electric current is not less than the first reference value, an intermediate-diameter mode set when the detected electric current is less than the first reference value and not less than the second reference value, and a small-diameter mode set when the detected electric current is less than the second reference value.
The controller performs a normal feed control for the drill feed unit after setting one of the control modes according to the tool diameter.
Further, the controller assigns to each of the control modes a control program corresponding to each tool diameter, and when a motor electric current detected by the motor current detector during execution of the control program exceeds a preset threshold value, the controller stops the drill motor and a feed motor of the drill feed unit.
An embodiment of the drilling apparatus according to the present invention will be explained below with reference to
As shown in
The body 10 is further provided with a handle 18 and a drill feed unit 20 for vertically moving the slide plate 14. The drill feed unit 20 incorporates a feed motor, whereby the electric drill 16 can be vertically moved through a transmission mechanism in the drill feed unit 20. The electric drill 16 can be moved vertically by a manual operation. That is, the clutch of the output system for the feed motor is disengaged, and the handle 18 is rotated by hand to move the electric drill 16 vertically through the transmission mechanism in the drill feed unit 20.
The electric drill 16 incorporates a drill motor (AC motor). The rotation of the drill motor causes rotation of an annular cutting tool 24 attached to a spindle 22. The annular cutting tool 24 has a center pin 24a provided such that the center pin 24a can project from and withdraw into the lower end of the annular cutting tool 24. The spindle 22 is vertically movably supported by a bracket 26 extending sideward from a lower end portion of the body 10.
A rotary switch 30 is provided on the left-hand side (as seen in
(Operation of the Drilling Apparatus)
Next, a general operation of the drilling apparatus 100 will be explained.
In
Upon completion of the drilling, the feed motor is rotated reversely. When the electric drill 16 reaches a predetermined position, the feed motor and the electric drill 16 stop. If the operator wants to stop the drive of the electric drill 16, he or she rotates the rotary switch 30 from “Electric Drill ON” position to “Power ON” position to turn off the electric drill switch 34. As a result of the electric drill switch 34 being turned off, the energization of the drill motor is cut off, and the electric drill 16 stops rotation. In addition, the energization of the feed motor is cut off, and the downward movement of the electric drill 16 stops.
(Circuit Configuration of the Drilling Apparatus)
An alternating-current (AC) power supply (e.g. AC100V) 40 is connected with a full-wave rectifier 42 through the power switch 28. The full-wave rectifier 42 is connected at the output thereof with a magnet coil 12a of the electromagnet in the electromagnetic base 12. Further, the AC power supply 40 is connected with a transformer 44 through the electric drill switch 34 and the power switch 28. The transformer 44 steps down the voltage of power supplied from the AC power supply 40.
Further, between the electric drill switch 34 and the AC power supply 40 are series-connected a drill motor 46, a drill motor controller 48 and a motor current detector 50 and also series-connected a feed motor power circuit 52, a feed motor controller 54 and a feed motor 20a of the drill feed unit 20.
The feed motor 20a is connected with a feed motor NG determination unit 56 that determines the condition of the feed motor 20a. The magnet coil 12a is connected with a magnet disconnection detecting circuit 58. The feed motor NG determination unit 56 and the magnet disconnection detecting circuit 58 are connected to a main controller 64 that controls the drill motor controller 48.
The main controller 64 is connected with a lateral shift detector 60 that detects a lateral shift of the drilling apparatus 100, a restart preventing detection circuit 62 that prevents restarting of the drill motor 46 that has been stopped, an LED display 68 that displays operating conditions, and a power supply circuit 70 that generates a direct-current power for the main controller 64 from the output voltage of the transformer 44.
The main controller 64 comprises, for example, a CPU, a ROM 64a, a RAM and an interface circuit. The ROM 64a has stored therein programs containing processing operations shown in
(Operation of the Drilling Apparatus)
Next, the operation of the drilling apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to
First, the operator inserts the plug of the power cord into a power outlet and, thereafter, sets the drilling apparatus 100 at a predetermined position on a workpiece. Next, the operators rotates the rotary switch 30 from “OFF” position to “Power ON” position to turn on the power switch 28. Consequently, the voltage from the AC power supply 40 is applied to the full-wave rectifier 42, which, in turn, excites the magnet coil 12a (S101).
If, in this state, the rotary switch 30 is rotated from “Power ON” position to “Electric Drill ON” position to turn on the electric drill switch 34, the power supply circuit 70 operates to activate the main controller 64, which, in turn, activates the drill motor controller 48 to rotate the drill motor 46 (S102).
Further, as a result of the electric drill switch 34 turning on, the feed motor power circuit 52 and the feed motor controller 54 operate to drive the feed motor 20a of the drill feed unit 20 so that the electric drill 16 moves downward at a constant feed rate (S103).
As a result of the downward movement of the electric drill 16 caused by the drill feed unit 20, the annular cutting tool 24 reaches the workpiece. In this regard, the electric current flowing through the drill motor 46 immediately after the annular cutting tool 24 has come in contact with the workpiece is unstable as compared to the motor current during drilling. Therefore, the motor current detected at this time is excluded from the detection results (S104). After the annular cutting tool 24 has contacted the workpiece, the main controller 64 determines the motor current Im of the drill motor 46 to detect a loaded condition (S105). If a loaded condition is detected (Yes at S105), the processing of identifying the tool diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is executed.
First, the main controller 64 determines whether or not the value detected by the motor current detector 50 is not less than a reference value (S106). As reference values, two values have been preset, i.e. a first reference value (hereinafter referred to as “reference value x”) determined by preliminarily measuring a first cutting tool having a predetermined diameter, and a second reference value (hereinafter referred to as “reference value y”) determined by preliminarily measuring a second cutting tool having a diameter smaller than the first tool diameter. Here, “the first tool diameter” and “the second tool diameter” are properly determined according to the configuration and constituent material of cutting tools to be used and the constituent material of workpieces.
If the motor current Im of the drill motor 46 is not less than the reference value x (A) (i.e. “motor current Im≧reference value x”; Yes at S106), the main controller 64 determines that the diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is a large diameter, and sets a large-diameter control mode (S107).
If it is determined at step S106 that “motor current Im<reference value x” (No at S106), the main controller 64 determines by using a reference value y(A) different from the reference value x (where x>y) whether or not “motor current Im≧reference value y” is affirmative. (S108). If “motor current Im >reference value y” is determined to be affirmative (Yes at S108), the main controller 64 determines that the diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is an intermediate diameter, and sets an intermediate-diameter control mode (S109). If “motor current Im<reference value y” is affirmative (No at S108), the main controller 64 determines that the diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is a small diameter, and sets a small-diameter control mode (S110).
Upon completion of any of the above-described steps S107, S109 and S110, the feed motor controller 54 executes the processing of gently increasing the feed rate of the drill feed unit 20 (S111). After a predetermined period of time, a normal feed control is executed (S112). During the execution of this control, whether or not a no-load condition exists is detected by the motor current detector 50 and the main controller 64 every a predetermined time (S113).
If a no-load condition is detected (Yes at S113), the main controller 64 determines that the drilling of the workpiece has been completed, and reversely rotates the feed motor 20a of the drill feed unit 20 to move the electric drill 16 upward (S114). When a limit switch provided in the drill feed unit 20 is turned on in the course of the upward movement of the electric drill 16, the rotation of the electric drill 16 is stopped, and the feed motor 20a is stopped (S115). It should be noted that if a no-load condition is not detected (No at S113), the control process returns to step S112 to continue the normal feed control.
(Normal Feed Control)
Upon completion of the processing at the above-described step S111, the main controller 64 checks whether or not there is an NG signal from the feed motor NG determination unit 56, the magnet disconnection detecting circuit 58, the lateral shift detector 60 and so forth (S201). If there is an NG signal (Yes at S201), the main controller 64 stops the feed motor 20a and the electric drill 16 and lights up the LED display 68 according to the reason of NG (S202).
If there is no NG signal (No at S201), the main controller 64 checks the control mode set on the basis of the tool diameter determined at step S106 or S108, i.e. checks which of the large-, intermediate- and small-diameter control modes has been set (S203), and executes a control program according to the set operating mode (S204, S211, or S213). If the large-diameter control mode has been set (Large at S203), the main controller 64 executes a control program for large diameter (S204) to control the drilling operation at a feed rate suitable for the large diameter and to rate up or slow down the feed according to the motor current Im of the drill motor 46. Subsequently, the main controller 64 compares the motor current Im of the drill motor 46 with a threshold value a(A) (S205). If it is determined that “motor current Im≧threshold value a” (Yes at S205), it means that an overload condition exists. Therefore, the main controller 64 stops the feed motor 20a and the electric drill 16 and lights up the LED display 68 (S207).
If the main controller 64 determines that “motor current Im<threshold value a” at step S205 (No at S205), the motor current Im of the drill motor 46 is compared with a threshold value d(A) (S208). If the main controller 64 determines that “motor current Im≧threshold value d” (Yes at S208), the feed motor 20a is intermittently operated to cut chips (S209). The intermittent operation of the feed motor 20a (S209) is repeated until it is determined at step S208 that “motor current Im≧threshold value d” is not affirmative (i.e. No at S208) as a result of chips being cut and consequently the load on the drill motor 46 being reduced.
If it is determined at step S208 that “motor current Im<threshold value d” (No at S208), the main controller 64 executes the processing at step S113, which has been explained in connection with
If it is determined at step S203 that the set control mode is the intermediate-diameter control mode (Intermediate at S203), the main controller 64 executes a control program for intermediate diameter (S211) to control the drilling operation at a feed rate appropriate for the intermediate diameter and to speed up or slow down the feed according to the motor current Im of the drill motor 46. Subsequently, the main controller 64 compares the motor current Im with a threshold value b(A) (S212). If it is determined that “motor current Im≧threshold value b” (Yes at S212), it means that an overload condition exists. Therefore, the main controller 64 stops the feed motor 20a and the electric drill 16 and lights up the LED display 68 (S207).
If it is determined at step S203 that the set control mode is the small-diameter control mode (Small at S203), the main controller 64 executes a control program for small diameter (S213) to control the drilling operation at a feed rate appropriate for the small diameter and to speed up or slow down the feed according to the motor current Im of the drill motor 46. Further, the main controller 64 compares the motor current Im with a threshold value c(A), and if it is determined that “motor current Im≧threshold value c” (Yes at S214), it means that an overload condition exists. Therefore, the main controller 64 stops the feed motor 20a and the electric drill 16 and lights up the LED display 68 (S207).
If the main controller 64 determines at step S212 that “motor current Im<threshold value b” (No at S212) or determines at step S214 that “motor current Im<threshold value c” (No at S214), the main controller 64 executes the processing at step S113, which has been explained in connection with
As has been explained above, the tool diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is determined whether it is a small, intermediate or large diameter. In the case of a small-diameter cutting tool, the drilling operation is controlled so that the drill feed is not fully stopped and the feed rate is not too low to prevent tool damages incidental to a small-diameter cutting tool as stated in the background of the invention. In the case of a large-diameter cutting tool, if the feed rate is too high, the annular cutting tool 24 is easily overloaded and the overload protection function works immediately to stop the drilling operation undesirably. Therefore, an intermittent operation is applied to the feed control to cope with the situation as shown in steps S208 and S209. In the case of a large-diameter cutting tool, an alternative control may be applied instead of the above when the current value of the electric drill 16 exceeds a certain level, whereby the drill feed is not fully stopped and the feed rate is not too high. Regarding an intermediate-diameter cutting tool, it is possible to select a feed control similar to that for a small-diameter cutting tool or a large-diameter cutting tool according to the tool diameter, for example. Thus, it is possible to set a feed rate appropriate for an intermediate-diameter cutting tool.
As has been stated above, according to the foregoing embodiment, the tool diameter of the annular cutting tool 24 is detected and classified as one of large, intermediate and small diameters, and an overload detection level is set to a value appropriate for the large, intermediate or small diameter. Further, the feed control is changed according to the circumstances. Therefore, the service life and durability of cutting tools can be improved without impairing the operability. In addition, burning of the drill motor 46 can be prevented.
In the foregoing embodiment, the control modes are provided for three different tool diameters, i.e. large, intermediate and small tool diameters. It should be noted, however, that control modes may be provided for two or four or more different tool diameters.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-025194 | Feb 2007 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2008/051682 | 2/1/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/4/2009 |