Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CHIP DISCHARGE SYSTEM
The present invention relates to a chip discharge system, and more
particularly to a chip
discharge system designed to at least partially remove chips of metal from a
fluid. The invention
is particularly directed to a chip discharge system to at least partially
remove chips of metal from
a dirty coolant, and will be particularly described with reference thereto;
however, it will be
appreciated that the invention has broader applica.tions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTTON
During a metal working or a resin finishing process such as when cutting or
grinding is
performed by a machine-tool, the machine tool discharges coolant and chips of
metal or resin of
assorted sizes. Common metal that are cut and/or machined include aluminum,
brass, copper,
iron, magnesium, manganese, stainless steel, etc. When the machine tool cuts
or grinds metal or
resin material, a coolant such as cutting oil or lubricant dissolved in water
is typically used to cool
the cutting or grinding instrument of the machine tool, and/or to cool the
workpiece. The coolant
is also used to extend the life of the cutting or grinding instrument of the
machine tool. The dirty
coolant that contains the metal or resin chips is discharged from the machine
tool to be later
treated by a chip discharge system, whereby only the chips contained in the
dirty coolant are
separated from the coolant and collected.
The removal of metal chips from used or dirty coolant is well known in the
art.
Conventionally, a chip discharge conveyor system is used to separate chips
from the coolant. The
chip discharge conveyor system typically includes a hinged belt conveyor
designed to remove only
chips from the dirty coolant discharged from the machine tool and to then
discharge such chips
out from a treatment tank while clean coolant filtered by a filtration drum is
discharged in into
another tank or receptacle. On such chip discharge conveyor system is
disclosed in Japanese
Unexamined Patent Application 2000-202215 published July 25, 2000 entitled
"Turning Carrier
System Filter Device;
One such prior art arrangement is illustrated in FIGURE 8. FIGURE 8 discloses
a
conventional chip discharge system, comprising a dirty coolant treatment tank
2 wherein dirty
coolant D containing chips that are discharged from a machine tool M is
charged, and an endless
hinged belt 4 provided in the dirty coolant treatment tank 2 wherein the
hinged belt circulates.
The dirty coolant tank 2 comprises a series of adjacent metal plates 2a, 2b,
2c, 2d and 2e, ivhich
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are in close proximity to and separated from the endless hinged belt 4.
When the dirty coolant D containing chips K is charged into the dirty coolant
treatment
tank 2, the hinged belt 4 scoops up chips from the dirty coolant treatment
tank 2 and transports
the scooped chips along a partition plate 6 to a chip discharge portion B to
discharge the chips
at a downturn belt section located at the top of the hinged belt 4, wherein
the discharged chips
are discharged into a chip collection box F or the like. The downturn belt
section located at the
top ofthe hinged belt 4 accommodates both a driving sprocket 4d to transmit
power to the hinged
belt 4 and a drive motor. A cylindrical member 5 is provided at a tail end
portion A of hinged belt
4, whereby the hinged belt 4 makes an upward turn from the bottom and serves
as a return of belt
4b to the top where the hinged belt serves as a transport to belt 4a.
The dirty coolant tank has a filtration drum 8 provided with a filtration
medium 8a which
filters coolant retained in the dirty coolant tank to discharge the filter
coolant from the tank 2.
Filtered coolant C is discharged through a coolant discharge opening 8b into a
clean coolant tank
E, which is located outside of the dirty coolant treatment tank. The filtered
coolant is collected
for reuse and/or disposal. Chips which do not pass through the filtration drum
8 and remain in
tank 2 are scooped up by the hinged belt 4 and discharged from the chip
discharge portion B.
Since the filtration medium 8a comprising the filtration drum 8 progressively
clogs, a fluid
dispersing means 9 is used to clean the filtration medium. The fluid
dispersing means is designed
to spray cleaning fluid onto filtration drum 8 to cause chips adhering to a
surface of the filtration
medium 8a to be blown off the filtration drum. FIGURE 9 shows a structure of
the fluid
dispersing means 9 used in a conventional chip discharge system. As
illustrated in FIGURE 9,
cleaning fluid supplied from a supply pipe 9a to a fluid discharge pipe 9b
(which is called a spray
bar) is blown out as dispersing flow S in a fan-like shape from a plurality of
fluid dispersing holes
9c, each of which is provided with a nozzle to disperse and spray cleaning
fluid in a fan shaped
pattern.
The fluid dispersing means used in such a conventional chip discharge system
typically
uses filter coolant discharged from clean coolant storage tank E. The filtered
coolant typically
includes fine chips. These fine chips tend to gradually accumulate in the fan-
shaped nozzles of
fluid dispersing holes 9c and inside fluid discharge pipe 9b. This
accumulation of the fine chips
eventually impairs the flow of clean coolant from pipe 9b and through holes or
nozzles 9c, thus
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impairing or preventing the function as a fluid dispersing means from being
performed, i.e.
cleaning chips from filtration drum 8.
The fan-shaped nozzles need to be finely fabricated to accomplish uniformly-
spreading
fan-shaped flow of the coolant to be sprayed out from the fluid dispersing
means; however, these
finely fabricated nozzles increased production costs of the fluid dispensing
means and the chip
discharge system. Moreover, for the purpose of adjusting the rate or momentum
of dispersing
flow, a device such as a valve and/or an orifice which is used to adjust the
flow characteristics of
the coolant through the fluid dispersing mean such as pressure and/or volume
to be supplied from
the fluid discharge pipe is needs to be additionally provided, which devices
also results in an
increase in the number of parts of the system and increased costs.
In view of the present state of chip discharge systems, there is a need for a
chip discharge
system that includes less parts, that is less expensive to assemble and
maintain, and which
improves the efficiency of chip removal from dirty coolant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a chip discharge system, and more
particularly to a chip
discharge system designed to at least partially remove chips of metal from a
fluid. The invention
is particularly directed to a chip discharge system to at least partially
remove chips of metal from
a dirty coolant, and will be particularly described with reference thereto;
however, it will be
appreciated that the invention has broader applications. When processing,
forming, and/or cutting
metals such as, but not limited to, aluminum, brass, copper, iron, magnesium,
manganese, stainless
steel, etc., and/or resin material, a coolant such as a cutting oil and/or
lubricating oil is used to
facilitate in the processing, forming, and/or cutting metals, and/or to extend
the life of the
machinery used to process, form, and/or cut metals. During the processing,
forming, and/or
cutting metals, metal chips are mixed with coolant resulting a dirty coolant.
The dirty coolant is
then charged into a dirty coolant treatment tank and the chips are separated
from the coolant and
scooped up to transport such chips out from the treatment tank. The present
invention is an
improvement over prior art chip discharge systems. The present invention is
designed to
overcome the foregoing drawbacks of prior art chip discharge systems. The
present invention is
directed to a chip discharge system that includes less parts, that is less
expensive to assemble and
maintain, and which improves the efficiency of chip removal from dirty
coolant.
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In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a chip discharge system to
separately
discharge chips contained in dirty coolant discharged from a machine tool,
wherein the chip
discharge system has a fluid dispersing means to remove chips remaining in the
system, and the
fluid dispersing means comprises a fluid discharge pipe with at least one
fluid dispersing hole, and
a deflector plate to at least partially deflect and/or disperse flow from one
or more the fluid
dispersing hole or holes. One or more of the deflector plates are typically
secured to the fluid
discharge pipe; however, this is not required. The one or more of the
deflector plates can be
designed to deflect the fluid flow at a uniform or at different angles from
the dispersing holes.
In another and/or alternative aspect of the invention, there is provided a
chip discharge
system that includes a fluid dispersing means which has a fluid dispersing
hole or a plurality of
fluid dispersing holes on a lateral face of the fluid discharge pipe, and
purging means to at least
partially discharge fluid which is not sprayed out from the one or more fluid
dispersing holes. The
purging means typically includes one or more openings in the fluid discharge
pipe. In one
embodiment, the purge means is located at an end of the fluid discharge pipe.
In another and/or
alternative embodiment of the invention, the purge means includes a purge
opening that is larger
than at least one of the fluid dispersing holes. In one aspect of this
embodiment, the purge
opening is larger than each of the fluid dispersing holes.
In still another and/or alternative aspect ofthe invention, there is provided
a chip discharge
system that includes a fluid dispersing means having a deflector plate wherein
an angle and/or a
location of the deflector plate can be changed in relation to a location of
the fluid dispersing hole
and a direction of fluid sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole, whereby
deflection and
dispersion of flow sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole can be adjusted.
In yet another and/or alternative aspect ofthe invention, there is provided a
chip discharge
system which has no particular restriction for the location or the like for
the fluid dispersing means
to be provided, as long as the fluid dispersing means is provided as a fluid
dispersing means to
remove chips retained in the chip discharge system, such as a fluid dispersing
means provided in
the chip discharge system to prevent a filtration medium from clogging, or a
fluid dispersing
means to be provided to prevent chips from adhering and precipitating onto a
dirty coolant
discharge path.
In still yet another and/or alternative aspect of the invention, there is
provided a chip
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discharge system that includes a fluid dispersing means that resists clogging.
The fluid dispersing
means includes one or more fluid dispersing holes on a lateral face of a fluid
discharge pipe, and
a deflector plate is provided to deflect and disperse flow sprayed from the
fluid dispersing hole.
Such action by the deflector plate results in reduced clogging in the fluid
dispersing means, thus
the chip discharge system can be operated for a long period without special
maintenance being
required.
In a further and/or alternative aspect of the invention, there is provided a
chip discharge
system that includes a fluid dispersing means having a purging means at an end
of the fluid
discharge pipe, whereby fluid which is not sprayed out from the fluid
dispersing hole is rapidly
drained, thus clogging at the fluid dispersing means is inhibited or
eliminated thereby enabling the
chip discharge system to be operated for a longer period without special
maintenance being
required.
In still a further and/or alternative aspect of the invention, there is
provided a chip
discharge system that includes a fluid dispersing means having a deflector
plate wherein an angle
and or a location of the deflector plate can be changed in relation to a
location of the fluid
dispersing hole and a direction of fluid sprayed out from the fluid dispersing
hole, whereby
deflection and dispersion of flow sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole
can be changed.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to overcome the
foregoing
drawbacks of the prior art.
Another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
chip discharge
system whereby problems arising in the conventional chip discharge system
mentioned above are
solved, and wherein a fluid dispersing means is provided that reduces
clogging, has a simple
structure, can spray out a uniformly-spreading flow, and can adjust the
momentum of dispersing
flow without requiring an additional device.
Still another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide
a chip
discharge system whereby the chip discharge system has a fluid dispersing
means includes a
deflector plate to deflect and disperse flow from the fluid dispersing hole or
holes.
Yet another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
chip
discharge system whereby a fluid dispersing means has a fluid dispersing hole
or a plurality of fluid
dispersing holes on a lateral face of the fluid discharge pipe.
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Still yet another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide a chip
discharge system whereby a fluid dispersing means includes a purging means to
discharge fluid
which is not sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole.
A further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
chip discharge
system that includes a fluid dispersing means wherein the direction of fluid
sprayed out from the
fluid dispersing means can be adjusted.
Still a further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to
provide a chip
discharge system that includes a fluid dispersing means having a deflector
plate wherein an angle
and/or a location of the deflector plate can be changed in relation to a
location of the fluid
dispersing hole.
Yet a further and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide
a chip
discharge system that inhibits or prevents a filtration medium from clogging.
Still yet a further and/or alternative object of the present invention. is to
provide a chip
discharge system that inhibits or prevents chips from adhering and
precipitating onto a dirty
coolant discharge path.
Another and/or alternative object of the present invention is to provide a
chip discharge
system whereby the chip discharge system can be operated for a long period
without special
maintenance being required.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following
description used to illustrate the preferred embodiment ofthe invention when
read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a chip discharge system
according to a
first embodiment of the present invention;
FIGURES 2 and 2a are an enlarged perspective view ofthe fluid dispersing means
and its
cross-sectional view according to the present invention;
FIGURES 3a-c are enlarged cross-sectional views of the fluid dispersing means
that
illustrate various locations of a deflector plate for the fluid dispersing
means and the condition of
the dispersing flow;
FIGURES 4a and 4b are enlarged cross-sectional views ofthe fluid dispersing
means that
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illustrate the relation between the size of a deflector plate for the fluid
dispersing means and the
condition of dispersing flow;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a discharge system of a second embodiment
according
to the present invention;
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of a discharge system of a third embodiment
according to the present invention;
FIGURE 7 is a side view of a discharge system of a fourth embodiment according
to the
present invention;
FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior art chip discharge
system; and,
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of fluid dispersing means for a conventional
prior art chip
discharge system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the preferred embodiment of the drawings, wherein the
showings are for
the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and
not for the, purpose
of limiting the invention, FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view on one
embodiment of a chip
discharge system according to the present invention. The chip discharge system
has a fluid
dispersing means 9 whereby a filtration medium ofthe filter drum 8 is cleaned
to inhibit or prevent
the filtration medium 8a from clogging. The fluid dispersing means 9 includes
a fluid discharge
pipe 9b with one or more fluid dispersing holes 9c provided on a lateral face
ofthe discharge pipe.
The fluid dispersing means also includes a deflector plate 9e to deflect the
flow of the coolant
sprayed from the one or more fluid dispersing hole.
The structure of the chip discharge system, except the fluid dispersing means
9, is similar
to that of the conventional chip discharge systems mentioned above. As such
the reference
symbols used to described the prior art chip discharge system illustrated in
FIGURE 8 are used
to denote corresponding structures of the chip discharge system illustrated in
FIGURE 1. Chip
discharge system 1 includes a dirty coolant treatment tank 2 wherein dirty or
used coolant D
containing chips K (e.g., metal chips, graphite chips, etc.). The dirty
coolant is typically
discharged fluid from a machine tool M used to cut, form and/or shape metal
materials; however,
the dirty coolant can be from other sources. The dirty coolant typically
includes water, lubricating
oil and/or cutting oil and chips of material that were cut, form and/or shape
by the machine tool.
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The dirty coolant D from the machine tool M is directed into dirty coolant
treatment tank 2 are
indicated by the arrow. Positioned in dirty coolant treatment tank 2 is an
endless hinged belt 4
wherein the hinged belt circulates. The dirty coolant treatment tank 2 also
includes a series of
adjacent metal plates 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e, which are in close proximity to
and separated from
the endless hinged belt 4.
When the dirty coolant D containing chips K is charged dirty coolant treatment
tank 2,
hinged belt 4 scoops up the chips from the dirty coolant treatment tank and
transports the
scooped chips along a partition plate 6 to a chip discharge portion B to
discharge the chips at a
downturn belt section located at the top of the hinged belt 4. At this point,
the chips are
discharged into a chip collection box F or the like. The downturn belt section
located at the top
of the hinged belt 4 typically includes both a driving sprocket 4d to transmit
power to the hinged
belt 4 and a drive motor to cause the hinge belt to continuously travel along
metal plates 2a, 2b,
2c, 2d and 2e. A cylindrical member 5 is provided at a conveyor tail end
portion A of hinged belt
4, whereby the hinged belt 4 makes an upward turn from the bottom and serves
as a return of belt
4b to belt portion 4a to again travel to the chip discharge portion B.
The dirty coolant treatment tank includes a filtration drum 8 provided with a
filtration
medium 8a which filters coolant retained in the dirty coolant tank to thereby
discharge the filter
coolant from the tank 2. The filtered coolant is discharged through a coolant
discharge opening
8b into a clean coolant storage tank E, which is located outside or separate
from the dirty coolant
treatment tank. The filtered coolant is collected for reuse and/or disposal.
The chips which do
not pass through the filtration drum 8 and remain in tank 2 are scooped up by
the hinged belt 4
and discharged from the chip discharge portion B into chip collection box F.
The filtration drum
includes a fluid dispersing means 9 to inhibit or prevent the filtration
medium 8a from becoming
clogged. The fluid dispersing means is designed to spray clean or filtered
fluid onto filtration
drum 8 to cause chips adhering to a surface of the filtration medium 8a to be
blown off or
removed from the filtration drum. The fluid dispersing means typically
filtered coolant discharged
from clean coolant storage tank E; however, other and/or additional sources
coolant can be used.
Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is disclosed an improved fluid dispersing
means from
the fluid dispersing means disclosed in FIGURE 9. As illustrated in FIGLTRE 2,
fluid dispersing
means includes a fluid discharge pipe 9b denotes a fluid discharge pipe (which
is called a spray
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bar), and cleaning fluid W is supplied to the fluid discharge pipe via a
supply pipe (which is not
shown). Cleaning fluid W is typically filtered coolant that has been
discharged into clean coolant
storage tank E; however, other or additional sources can be used. On a lateral
face of the fluid
discharge pipe 9b, a plurality of fluid dispersing holes 9c are provided,
whereby the cleaning fluid
is sprayed out. A deflector plate 9e having an arched shape and connected to
the fluid discharge
pipe is designed to at least partially deflect the sprayed cleaning fluid from
fluid discharge pipe 9b.
The cleaning fluid that is sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole 9c
subsequently deflected by
deflector plate 9e disperses the spray of cleaning fluid due to the impact of
the fluid on the
deflector plate. As a result, a conventional fan-shaped nozzle does not need
to be used for the
fluid dispersing hole 9c as used in prior art arrangements. The absence of a
need to use a specially
designed nozzle in the fluid dispersion hole results in a simplification of
the design of the fluid
discharge pipe 9b. As a result, fluid dispersing holes 9c can merely be
standard holes formed by
simple drilling process of the like. In addition, the size of the fluid
dispersing hole 9c is not
specifically restricted as long as the hole is sufficiently larger than the
size of solid substances
contained in the cleaning fluid (e.g., metal chip fines). This design allows
for a simpler and more
cost effective design as compared with past design as illustrated in FIGURE 2.
The size of the
fluid dispersing holes 9c can also be sized and configured (e.g., circular
cross-sectional shape as
opposed to a prior art elliptical cross sectional shape) so as to reduce the
incidence of clogging
of the fluid dispersing holes.
The deflection and dispersion of the cleaning fluid sprayed out from the fluid
dispersing
hole 9c can be changed by changing the dimensions and location of the
deflector plate 9e.
FIGURES 3a-c and 4a-b illustrate various dimensions of the deflector plate and
the relation
between the location and the deflection and dispersion of dispersing flow. As
can be appreciated,
many other configurations can be used. As a comparison between FIGURE 3 a and
FIGURE 3b
illustrates, when the distances L1 between the deflector plate 9e and the
fluid discharge opening
9c are kept substantially the same while making the incident angles greater
(incident angle a<
incident angle (3), the momentum of deflected and dispersed flow S is reduced.
It should also be
noted that, as shown by comparison between FIGURE 3b and FIGURE 3c, when
incident angles
are kept identical (incident angle (3) while making the distances between the
deflector plate 9e and
the dispersing hole 9c greater (L 1< L2), momentum of deflected and dispersed
flow S becomes
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also is reduced. As such, the velocity of the fluid from the configuration in
FIGURE 3 a is greater
than the configuration in FIGURE 3b, which in turn is greater than the
configuration in FIGURE
3 c.
In contrast, as shown in FIGURES 4a-b, when the incident angle is kept
identical
(incident angle y) while making the distance from the intersection between
dispersing direction
and the deflector plate to the tip of the deflector plate greater (Ml < 1VI2),
the momentum of
deflected and dispersing flow S is reduced. Accordingly, changes in dimensions
and location of
the deflector plate 9e can be used to control momentum and dispersion of the
dispersing flow
without having to change the shape or dimensions of the fluid dispersing hole
9c.
Referring now to FIGURE 2a, the fluid dispersing means 9 used in the chip
discharge
system includes a purging means 9d positioned at the tip of the fluid
discharge pipe 9b. As can
be appreciated, the purging means can be located in other or additional
locations. It can further
be appreciated that more than one purging means can be used on the fluid
discharge pipe. The
purging means is designed to drain out cleaning fluid which is not sprayed
through the fluid
dispensing holes. The purging means 9d includes a cone-shaped nozzle whose tip
is open. As
can be appreciated, other shapes for the nozzle can be used. By adjusting the
bore size of the =
nozzle, dispersing pressure ofthe cleaning fluid sprayed out from the fluid
dispersing holes 9c can
be adjusted. As illustrated in FIGURE 2a, purging means 9d is directly
connected to the fluid
discharge pipe 9b; however, the purging means can be provided separately from
the fluid
dispersing means 9 via piping, a hose, etc.. It should also be noted that an
orifice and/or a valve
can be used for the purging means as an alternative or in additional to the
nozzle described above.
When a valve is used, the valve can be manually operated, semi-manually
operated, or
automatically operated (e.g., automatically open at certain time periods,
automatically open when
a certain pressure level occurs, etc.).
Referring now to FIGURE 5, another embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated.
FIGURE
is a perspective view of a chip discharge system 1 that includes a dirty
coolant treatment tank
2 having a drain hole 10 provided on a side wall thereof to discharge dirty
coolant D from the
tank. The discharged dirty coolant passes through a inclined slope 11 and is
collected at a
separating screen box 12. The separating screen box is designed to collect the
larger sized chips
that pass through the drain holes. The fluid dispersing means 9 is provided to
remove chips
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adhering to and remaining on the slope 11. A deflector plate 9e is positioned
on return 11 and
is designed to direct fluid onto the slope 11 which is being discharged from
fluid discharge pipe
9b and sprayed through fluid dispensing holes 9c. The deflector plate
downwardly deflects the
sprayed coolant onto slope 11. The structure and function of the fluid
dispersing means is similar
to the fluid dispersing means disclosed in FIGURES 1-4, thus will not be
further described.
Referring now to FIGURE 6, a third embodiment of the present invention is
disclosed.
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of a chip discharge system 30 comprising a
dirty coolant
treatment tank 32. Positioned in the dirty coolant treatment tank is a
rotating filtration drum 31
that receives dirty coolant D which is discharged from a machine tool or the
like. The dirty
coolant is filtered by a filtration medium 31a on filtration drum 31, and
filtered coolant C is
discharged through a coolant discharge opening 31b provided on a side wall of
filtration drum 31.
The filtered coolant is collected in an external clean coolant tank 34 for
recycling, reuse and/or
disposal. Chips K that are contained in dirty coolant D are trapped by on a
surface of the filtration
medium 31a of filtration drum 31 and scooped up by the filtration drum. The
chips are
subsequently scraped offthe filtration drum by a rotating brush 33 which
contacts or is positioned
closely adjacent to the surface of the filtration drum 31. The rotating brush
causes the chips on
the filtration drum to be discharged from the dirty coolant tank 32. Arrows
described as Rl and
R2 in FIGURE 6 denote rotation directions of the filtration drum 31 and the
rotating brush 33,
respectively. SD and SC denote the fluid levels of dirty coolant in the dirty
coolant treatment tank
32 and of filtered coolant in the filtration drum 31, respectively. A fluid
dispersing means 39 is
provided inside filtration drum 31 to remove fine chips intruded into the
inside of the filtration
medium 31 a and/or chips caught by a surface of the filtration medium 31 a by
dispersing fluid so
as to inhibit or prevent the filtration medium 31a (e.g., screen, wire mesh,
fabric mesh, metal
and/or fabric filter material, etc.) from clogging. The structure and function
of the fluid dispersing
means 39 are similar to the fluid dispersing means described in FIGURES 1-4,
thus will not be
further described.
Referring now to FIGURE 7, a fourth embodiment of the present invention is
disclosed.
FIGURE 7 illustrates a side view of a chip discharge system 40. The dirty
coolant D containing
chips is discharged from a machine tool M onto an inclined slope 41. The
discharged dirty
coolant is collected in a separating screen box 42, wherein the chips in dirty
coolant D are caught
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and the filtered coolant is collected in a coolant tank 44 for recycling,
reuse and/or disposal. A
fluid dispersing means 49 is provided at upstream of the slope 41 to remove
chips adhering to and
retained on the surface of the slope. The structure and function of the fluid
dispersing means is
similar to the fluid dispersing means described with respect to FIGURE 1-4.
In the present invention, the fluid dispersing means can be provided to
inhibit or prevent
a drum-like filtration medium provided in the dirty coolant tank as explained
in the first and third
embodiments from becoming clogged, and it can also be used to inhibit or
prevent chips from
adhering to a dirty coolant discharge path as shown in the second and fourth
embodiments. In
addition, the fluid dispersing means can be provided at a variety of locations
on a chip discharge
system wherein chips remain.
Because the present invention has the system structure mentioned above, the
following
operation peculiar to the present invention is achieved.
First, the invention comprises a fluid dispersing means whereby a fluid
dispersing hole is
provided on a lateral face of a fluid discharge pipe, and a deflector plate is
provided to deflect and
disperse flow sprayed from the fluid dispersing hole, clogging in the fluid
dispersing means is
restrained from developing and, furthermore, the chip discharge system can be
operated for a long
period without special maintenance being required. It should also be noted
that deflection and
dispersion of the flow can be adjusted only by changing a location of the
deflector plate, whereby
chips can be efficiently removed.
It should also be noted that in the invention, in addition to operation
achieved by the
invention described above, a purging means is provided at an end of the fluid
discharge pipe,
whereby fluid which is not sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole is
rapidly drained and
clogging at the fluid dispersing means is better eliminated. Additionally,
maintenance activities
to be performed for the chip discharge system are further reduced.
It should also be noted that the invention, in addition to the operation
achieved by the
invention described above, comprises a deflector plate wherein an angle and/or
a location of the
deflector plate can be changed in relation to a location of the fluid
dispersing hole and a direction
of fluid sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole, whereby deflection and
dispersion of flow
sprayed out from the fluid dispersing hole can be easily adjusted. Moreover,
an adjustment device
such as a valve or the like are not additionally required, which consequently
decreases in the
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number of parts of the chip discharge system.
Description of the Reference Symbols
1, 30, 40 chip discharge system
2, 32 dirty coolant treatment tank
2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e metal plates
4 hinged belt
4a top transport hinged belt
4b bottom return hinged belt
4d driving sprocket
cylindrical member
6 partition plate
8, 31 filtration drum
8a, 31a filtration medium
8b, 31b coolant discharge opening
9, 39, 49 means for dispersing fluid
9a supply pipe
9b fluid discharge pipe
9c fluid dispersing hole
9d purging means
9e deflector plate
drain hole
11,41 slope
12, 42 separating screen box
33 rotating brush
34, 44 coolant tank
A conveyor tail portion
B chip discharge portion
C coolant
D dirty coolant
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E clean coolant storage tank
F chip collection box
M machine tool
S dispersing flow
W cleaning fluid
The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate
embodiments.
Modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art
upon reading and
understanding the detailed discussion of the invention provided for herein.
This invention is
intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they
come within the scope
of the present invention.
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