ROTARY CUTTING TOOL COMPRISING TWO CUTTING PORTIONS HAVING OPPOSED CUTTING DIRECTIONS

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary cutting tool (1) extending along a longitudinal axis (10) and comprising a first cutting portion (4) including a plurality of first helical teeth (12) having a given helix direction and being designed to work in a first direction of rotation of the tool. According to the invention, said tool also includes a second cutting portion (8) including a plurality of second helical teeth (16) having, as helix direction, the given helix direction and being designed to work in a second direction of rotation of the tool, opposed to the first.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This description will be given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a front view of a rotary cutting tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 represents a view in cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a view in cross section taken along line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically illustrate two successive steps of a machining method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, implemented using the tool shown in FIGS. 1 to 3; and

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a machining step implemented during a method using the cutting tool shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Claims

1. A rotary cutting tool extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a first cutting portion including a plurality of first helical teeth having a given helix direction and being designed to work in a first direction of rotation of the tool, wherein said tool additionally includes a second cutting portion offset from the first along the longitudinal axis such that said first cutting portion is situated between said second cutting portion and a sleeve of the tool, said second cutting portion including a plurality of second helical teeth having, as helix direction, said given helix direction and being designed to work in a second direction of rotation of the tool, opposed to the first.

2. The cutting tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said given helix direction is right-handed.

3. The cutting tool as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said first direction of rotation of the tool associated with the first teeth is the clockwise direction in cross section as viewed from a sleeve of the tool toward said first cutting portion, and wherein said second direction of rotation of the tool associated with the second teeth is the counterclockwise direction in cross section as viewed from the sleeve toward said second cutting portion.

4. The cutting tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first cutting portion is spaced apart from the second cutting portion along the longitudinal axis by a cylindrical intermediate portion of the tool.

5. The cutting tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first cutting portion is closer to a sleeve of the tool than is said second cutting portion.

6. The cutting tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tool is a milling tool.

7. A method of machining a workpiece using the rotary cutting tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims mounted on a machine tool, the method comprising a first machining step using said first cutting portion of the tool and also a second machining step using said second cutting portion of the tool, these first and second machining steps being carried out successively while keeping said rotary cutting tool mounted on the machine tool.

8. The machining method as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the first and second machining steps is implemented in such a way that the first and second cutting portions work in climb mode the material of the workpiece to be machined.

9. The machining method as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said first machining step is implemented in such a way as to obtain a first direction of relative feed between said cutting tool and the workpiece to be machined, and wherein said second machining step is implemented in such a way as to obtain a second direction of relative feed between said cutting tool and the workpiece to be machined, opposed to said first direction.

10. The machining method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said first and second machining steps are milling steps.