Patent Application
20080145166
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical engraver, and, particularly, to a mechanical engraver used to engrave marks and designs on workpieces.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), are widely used. These portable electronic devices often require some inscriptions, such as the name of the manufacturer, the model number, date made, and/or trademark symbols, formed on their housings. These inscriptions can be engraved on the portable electronic devices, by means, e.g., of a laser or a mechanical engraver. Mechanical engravers are used more than laser because mechanical engravers tend to be cheaper to purchase, maintain, and operate.
In a typical mechanical engraver, a cutting tool is used to engrave the inscriptions on the housings of portable electronic devices. However, if the housing of a portable electronic device is made of metal or decorated by metal, there is usually a layer of oxide formed on a surface of the housing. The oxide requires to be cut through first before any precise engraving can be achieved. Thus, the cutting tool is firstly used to cut off the oxide and secondly used to engrave marks and designs. Thus, the engraving procedure is complex, time consuming, and costly.
Therefore, a new mechanical engraver is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.
In a preferred embodiment thereof, a mechanical engraver includes a rotating plate, a first cutting tool, and a second cutting tool. The rotating plate has a rotating axis. The first cutting tool is installed on the rotating plate and includes a first knifepoint. The second cutting tool is installed on the rotating plate and including a second knifepoint. A distance between the first knifepoint and the rotating axis is longer than a distance between the second knifepoint and the rotating axis. A distance between the first knifepoint and a bottom of the rotating plate is shorter than a distance between the second knifepoint and the bottom of the rotating plate.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Many aspects of the present mechanical engraver can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present mechanical engraver. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the diagrams.
Referring now to the drawings in detail,
The rotating plate 11 includes a main body 110 and a barrel 111. The main body 110 is approximately a circular plate. The barrel 111 is formed on a central portion of the main body 10 and is integrated with the main body 110. A connecting hole 1111 is defined in a central portion of the barrel 111, and the connecting hole 1111, the main body 110, and the barrel 111 share an axis O-O. A first receiving groove 112 and a second receiving groove 113 are defined in a peripheral portion of the main body 110, and the first receiving groove 112 and the second receiving groove 113 are located symmetrically at two sides (i.e., diametrically) of the axis O-O. A first screw hole 114 is defined in a portion corresponding to the first receiving groove 112 of the main body 110, and a second screw hole 115 is defined in a portion corresponding to the second receiving groove 113 of the main body 110. The first holding member 14 is a bolt corresponding to the first screw hole 114. The second holding member 15 is a bolt corresponding to the second screw hole 115.
Referring to
The second cutting tool 13 includes a second handle (i.e., mounting portion) 130 and a second cutting portion 132. A second holding hole 131 is defined in a central portion of a bottom of the second handle 130. The second cutting portion 132 is also usefully made of diamond or, potentially, another high-hardness material (e.g., cubic boron nitride (CBN) or alumina) and is installed on or integrally formed with a central portion of a top of the second handle 130, in a similar manner as the first cutting tool 12. The second cutting portion 132 includes a second knifepoint 1321, a second cutting edge 1322, and a third cutting edge 1323. The second knifepoint 1321 (i.e., blade edge) is formed on a distal end of the second cutting portion 132, at the linear intersection of the second cutting edge 1322 and the third cutting edge 1323. The second cutting edge 1322 and the third cutting edge 1323 forms, advantageously, a cutting angle β of about 130-150 degrees and, most appropriately, 140 degrees. Because the linear intersection of the second cutting edge 1322 and the third cutting edge 1323 where the second knifepoint 1321 is formed extends farther than another linear intersection of the second cutting edge 1322 and the third cutting edge 1323, the second knifepoint 1321 is formed to be a top end of a triangular pyramid to engrave marks and designs on workpieces.
In assembly, the first cutting tool 12 is installed in the first receiving groove 112 of the rotating plate 11. The first holding member 14 runs/extends through the first holding hole 121 of the first cutting tool 12, and the first holding member 14 is then inserted into and screwed in the first screw hole 114 of the rotating plate 11. In this way the first cutting tool 12 is secured in the first receiving groove 112. The second cutting tool 13 is installed in the second receiving groove 113 of the rotating plate 11. The second holding member 15 runs/extends through the second holding hole 131 of the second cutting tool 13, and the second holding member 15 is then inserted into and screwed in the second screw hole 115 of the rotating plate 11. In this way the second cutting tool 13 is secured in the second receiving groove 113.
A motor (not shown) is connected to the barrel 111 of the rotating plate 11, via the connecting hole 1111, thus configuring the barrel 111 and the rotating plate 11 for rotation by the motor, and the rotating plate 11 can be moved along the axis O-O by the motor. A distance between the first knifepoint 1221 of the first cutting tool 12 and the axis O-O is longer than a distance between the second knifepoint 1321 of the second cutting tool 13 and the axis O-O to permit the first cutting tool 12 the opportunity to remove an oxide layer before the underlying metal is engraved via the second cutting tool 13. A distance between the first knifepoint 1221 of the first cutting tool 12 and a bottom of the rotating plate 11 is shorter than a distance between the second knifepoint 1321 of the second cutting tool 13 and the bottom of the rotating plate 11. This distance differential to the bottom of the rotating plate 11 is advantageously chosen in manner based on a typical oxide layer thickness. By being based on a typical oxide layer thickness, the outermost first cutting tool 12 is usefully sized to scrape off the oxide but not necessarily into metal of the work surface 21.
Referring to
The workpiece 20 is moved relative to the rotating plate 11 of the mechanical engraver 10. Because the first knifepoint 1221 rotates in a peripheral portion of the rotating plate 11, the work surface 21 is firstly engraved by the first knifepoint 1221. As such, the oxide layer formed on the machining surface 1221 is scraped off by the first knifepoint 1221 while the workpiece 20 moved. After the oxide layer is cut off, the workpiece 20 is moved towards a center of the rotating plate 11, and, thus, the work surface 21 is engraved by the second knifepoint 1321 rotating in a further inward portion of the rotating plate 11.
On the work surface 21, the engraving path formed on the workpiece 20 is engraved along a direction that is a combination of the movement of the workpiece 20 and the rotation of the rotating plate 11. Therefore, the engraving path can be adjusted by means of adjusting velocity vectors of the movement of the workpiece 20 and the rotation of the rotating plate 11 momentarily. For example, if a straight line is required to be engraved on the work surface 21, the moving velocity vector of the workpiece 20 is momentarily adjusted for the combination of the moving velocity vector of the workpiece 20 and all rotating velocity vectors (i.e., an instantaneous velocity vector along a tangent at each point of the edge of the rotating plate 11) is always along a same direction, in this way, the engraving path engraved along the combination of the moving velocity vector of the workpiece 20 and all rotating velocity vectors is formed to be a straight line. If a curve is required to be engraved, the moving velocity vector of the workpiece 20 is momentarily adjusted for the combination of the moving velocity vector of the workpiece 20 and all rotating velocity vectors is always along predetermined directions. In this way, marks and designs can be engraved on the work surface 21.
Understandably, the first cutting tool 12 and the second cutting tool 13 can be installed on (i.e., attached to) the rotating plate 11 in other ways such as welding, in addition to or in lieu of bolting thereto. The cutting angle β can be changed to be other angles that are smaller than 180 degrees to engrave workpieces formed of different materials and/or having different shapes. Additionally, the second cutting portion 132 of the second cutting tool 13 can be in other shapes, such as conical or pyramid with more sides, to form the second knifepoint 1321.
It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200610157534.0 | Dec 2006 | CN | national |
