A woodworking drilling machine with an improved panel drilling unit

Abstract

 A drilling machine comprising a loading channel (1) defining a working plane (XY) and a feeding and loading direction (X) of a panel (P) to be processed, a drilling unit (5) being arranged for operation in correspondence and below with respect to the working plane (XY), the drilling unit (5) comprising a tool-bearing head (9) adapted to be moved at least along a transversal direction (Y) perpendicular to the loading direction (X) on the working plane, and along a working axis (Z) orthogonal with the working plane (XY). The drilling unit comprises a ring-shaped carriage (8) slidably supported along the transversal direction (Y) and having a central hole (8a) inside which the tool-bearing head (9) is housed and is slidably supported according to the working axis (Z) by the carriage itself.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to the field of woodworking and in particular to a drilling unit for mounting and supporting tools, used in a numerical control drilling machine for processing wood panels.

[0002] It is known that, over recent years, it has become increasingly more common to use furniture made up of panels with standard dimensions produced in large batches and subsequently assembled so as to make the desired piece of furniture. Of course, this type of production makes it possible to substantially reduce the manufacturing costs and therefore also the end price of the furniture. Such types of furniture, therefore, have rapidly become widespread and are currently amongst the most popular ones.

[0003] As mentioned, the piece of furniture is assembled starting from panels, preferably made from solid wood or chipboard, having standard sizes and pre-processed with the holes and cavities necessary for the connection with other panels, with finishing accessories, locks etc.

[0004] In particular, in a pre-processing step, holes are drilled so as to allow for the fastening of the hinge elements to the doors, or also the arrangement of the locks and/or handles.

[0005] Such processing is carried out on numerical control workstations simply referred to as drilling machines. The drilling machine is programmed with the mapping of the slits and holes to be made on the panel, which is moved so as to slide in correspondence to the drill bit that is suitable for the hole to be made.

[0006] In order to support the group of drill bits and tools in general (like for example mills) used in the processing of panels, various systems are currently in use. Normally, the support is in cantilevered fashion, so as to assist the projection of the drill bit and the movement towards the panel to be processed. However, known support systems are not functional on more advanced machines which have an ever increasing number of drill bits and various tools. This leads to a heavy mechanical unit, which is difficult to both support and move with consequent positioning and processing errors.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problem, by providing a drilling machine equipped with a drilling unit for mounting and supporting a group of drill bits, which makes it possible to have obtain a greater structural rigidity, greater processing precision and a faster adjustment.

[0008] Such an object is achieved with a drilling machine according to the invention, the essential characteristics of which are defined by the first of the attached claims.

[0009] The characteristics and the advantages of the drilling machine according to the invention shall become clearer from the following description of its embodiment, given as an example and not for limiting purposes, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

• figure 1 represents a perspective view of a drilling unit of the machine according to the invention;
• figure 2 shows a bottom view of the drilling unit of figure 1;
• figure 3 is a front view of a drilling machine, without a front cover, with the drilling unit according to the invention;
• figure 4 is a side view of the drilling machine without a side cover; and
• figure 5 is a detail of the drilling unit seen like in figure 4;
• figure 6 shows a sectional view taken along line AA of figure 2, in which the representation of the carriage of the drilling unit has been omitted.

[0010] With reference to the above figures, according to the invention a drilling unit is integrated in a drilling machine or numerical control workstation for processing and particularly for drilling wood panels (and/or the like) intended for the production of furniture. The overall characteristics of the drilling device are in accordance with the prior art; the machine, therefore, is neither illustrated nor described in detail.

[0011] As far as the present invention is concerned, it will be sufficient to note that the drilling machine comprises an insertion channel 1 of a panel made from wood to be processed on a working plane, typically, like in the illustrated example, a horizontal plane (with reference to the plane of the ground). The panel (not shown in the figures) moves according to a loading and feeding direction X inside the drilling machine until it comes to a working area of a drilling unit 5 which provides for the drilling of the panel itself.

[0012] The drilling unit 5, which supports and moves the various tools, is positioned below the working plane defined by the insertion channel 1, and is slidingly connected to the drilling machine (as shall be described in greater detail hereafter), so as to slide according to a transversal direction Y. Said transversal direction Y is perpendicular to said direction X and parallel to the working plane.

[0013] In particular, the unit 5 comprises a ring-shaped carriage 8, having a central hole 8a for housing and permitting the passage of a mounting head 9 to which the group of tools is fixed. The ring-shaped carriage 8, when mounted on the drilling machine, lies parallel to the working plane, and its arrangement can be used as a reference to define the spatial arrangement of further components of the machine; in particular, the elements which project above the carriage towards the working plane cane be defined as upper components/parts, whereas the elements which extend below the carriage towards the ground can be defined as lower components/parts. Analogously, an upper area (above) and a lower area (below) will be defined with respect to the lying plane of the same carriage.

[0014] As mentioned, the tool-bearing head 9 is fixed to the carriage 8 so as to project at least partially above the carriage itself. The head 9 is housed inside the hole 8a and can be displaced along a working axis Z perpendicular to the plane XY. The components and the characteristics of the fixing head, unless specified otherwise, are analogous to the corresponding units that can be found in the prior art. These features are therefore, as such, outside the scope of the invention and are not described in detail.

[0015] By translating according to the working axis Z, the tool-bearing head 9 moves closer to, or away from, the working plane, so as to be adapted to drive the tools suitably for carrying out the drilling (or any other necessary processing) of the panel.

[0016] In particular, the head 9 can be reciprocated from below towards the panel, so as to obtain a consequent advancement motion of the tool (the opposite movement corresponding to a tool return motion).

[0017] The connection between the head 9 and the carriage 8 is realized through first sliding means such as linear guides 10 arranged along the periphery of the same head, and along the edge of the hole 8a. The linear guides are aligned according to the working axis Z and, in the described example, in number of three: two guides are on one side of the head, and one is on the opposite side, disaligned in a substantially intermediate position with respect to the other two, so as to support the head and drive it in a more precise and stable manner.

[0018] The movement of the head 9 along the working axis Z is driven through driving means comprising a motor 16 supported by the carriage 8 so as to project below the same, without hindering the movement of the tool-bearing head 9. For transmitting the operation from the motor 16 to the head 9, a toothed belt drive 14 is arranged between a driving pulley 15 brought in rotation by the motor 16, and a driven pulley 13 coaxially integral with a threaded bar 12 (see figure 6) on which a recirculating ball screw 17 is engaged, in turn integral with the head 9.

[0019] As mentioned, the drilling unit 5 can translate in its entirety along the transversal direction Y, so as to be able to move below the working plane and, consequently, below the panel to be processed. As shown in figure 5, the translation of the carriage in direction Y is allowed thanks to second sliding means such as a pair of linear ball guides 4 with sliders 4a connected to the ring-shaped carriage 8. In particular, the sliders 4a are mounted on the top part of the carriage, arranged on opposite sides of the same, aligned in pairs both according to the loading direction X and the transversal direction Y. The sliders 4a engage with tracks 4b fixedly connected with a framework of the machine.

[0020] Such a translation of the carriage 8, and therefore of the entire unit 5, is actuated by second driving means with a second motor 7 supported cantileverly on one side of the carriage, and extending downwards for bulk reasons analogous to those previously mentioned. A driving shaft of the motor 7, however, projects upwards with a pinion 7a which engages with a respective rack 6 arranged according to the transversal direction Y and fixed to the framework of the machine above the drilling unit 5.

[0021] The advantages of the drilling machine according to the invention are clear from the previous description. The unit provides for a housing, connection and movement system of the tools which is extremely compact so as to obtain a greater structural rigidity, which leads to a greater processing precision and a faster implementation.

[0022] Moreover, the configuration described, in which the unit is positioned below the working plane, assists an easier falling of the chips resulting from the working; thanks to this, holes and panels remain perfectly clean.

[0023] The present invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments. It should be understood that there can also be other embodiments that belong to the same inventive core, all covered by the scope of protection of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A woodworking drilling machine comprising a loading channel (1) defining a working plane (XY) and a feeding and loading direction (X) of a panel (P) to be processed, a drilling unit (5) being arranged for operation in correspondence and below with respect to said working plane (XY), said drilling unit (5) comprising a tool-bearing head (9) adapted to be moved at least along a transversal direction (Y) perpendicular to said feeding and loading direction (X) on said working plane, and along a working axis (Z) orthogonal with said working plane (XY), characterized in that said drilling unit comprises a ring shaped carriage (8) slidingly supported along said transverse direction (Y), a central hole (8a) being formed in said ring shaped carriage (8), said tool-bearing head (9) being housed and slidingly supported along said working axis (Z) by said carriage (8) within said central hole (8a).

2. The drilling machine according to claim 1, wherein said tool-bearing head (9) is connected through first sliding means to said ring shaped carriage (8), said first sliding means comprising a plurality of linear guides (10) arranged on the periphery of said head (9) and along a peripheral edge of said central hole (8a).

3. The drilling machine according to claim 2, wherein said linear guides (10) are in number of three, two on one side and one on a opposite side, disaligned in a substantially intermediate position between the other two.

4. The drilling machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said tool head (9) is driven along said working axis (Z) by first driving means comprising a motor (16) supported by said carriage (8) so as to project below said carriage without hindering the movement of the tool-bearing head (9).

5. The drilling machine according to claim 4 wherein a belt drive (14) is provided for transmitting the operation from said motor (16) to said tool-bearing head (9), said belt drive (14) being arranged between a driving pulley (15) driven by the motor (16) and a driven pulley (13) coaxially integral with a threaded rod (12) on which complementary threaded means (17) integral with said head (9) are engaged.

6. The drilling machine according to any of the previous claims, wherein said carriage (8) is supported by second sliding means (4) comprising at least two linear guides (4) with sliders (4a) connected to a top part of said carriage, said sliders (4a) being engaged with respective tracks (4b) integrally connected with a framework of said drilling machine.

7. The drilling machine according to claim 6, wherein said carriage (8) is driven along the transverse direction (Y) by second driving means comprising a second motor (7) supported cantileverly and extending downwards on a side of said carriage, said motor comprising a driving shaft projecting upwards with a pinion (7a) engaging with a respective rack (6) fixed to said framework of the machine.

Drawing