U.S. patent application number 10/650808 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-30 for method and apparatus for incremental forming.
Invention is credited to Nara, Masatoshi, Okada, Norihisa, Ro, Gen, Suzuki, Yohji.
Application Number | 20040187548 10/650808 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32821576 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040187548 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Okada, Norihisa ; et
al. |
September 30, 2004 |
Method and apparatus for incremental forming
Abstract
In forming a secondary form portion having a three-dimensional
shape to a part of a primary form portion having a two-dimensional
curved plane, a work 240 having a curved plane corresponding to the
shape of the primary form portion is prepared, and only the
secondary form portion is created by incremental forming.
Inventors: |
Okada, Norihisa;
(Hikari-shi, JP) ; Ro, Gen; (Fujinomiya-shi,
JP) ; Suzuki, Yohji; (Shizuoka-shi, JP) ;
Nara, Masatoshi; (Fujinomiya-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP
1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
SUITE 1800
ARLINGTON
VA
22209-9889
US
|
Family ID: |
32821576 |
Appl. No.: |
10/650808 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/379.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D 22/14 20130101;
B21D 31/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
072/379.2 |
International
Class: |
B21D 031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 28, 2003 |
JP |
2003-089942 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An incremental forming method for forming a product comprising a
primary form portion having a cross-section with a two-dimensional
curved plane and a secondary form portion having a
three-dimensional shape formed to a part of the primary form
portion, the incremental forming method comprising: preparing a
workpiece having a curved plane corresponding to the primary form
portion; and forming the secondary form portion having the
three-dimensional shape to a part of the workpiece via incremental
forming.
2. The incremental forming method according to claim 1, wherein
during the incremental forming process for forming the secondary
form portion, an incremental forming tool is moved along a path
parallel to the curved plane of the primary form portion.
3. An incremental forming apparatus comprising: a table mounting a
workpiece holder and a workpiece clamp for holding a periphery of a
workpiece; and an incremental forming tool having an axis disposed
substantially perpendicular to the table; wherein the workpiece
holder and the workpiece clamp have curved surfaces corresponding
to a curved surface of the workpiece.
4. The incremental forming apparatus according to claim 3, further
comprising a forming jig having a shape corresponding only to a
secondary form portion.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an incremental forming
method and an incremental forming apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] Patent document 1, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
2002-1444 (European Patent Application Publication No. 1147832 A2)
discloses an incremental forming method according to which a rod
shaped tool is applied to the surface of a metal plate material and
incremental forming is performed by shaping the plate member with
the tool along a contour line corresponding to the shape of the
product to be formed.
[0003] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the product
manufactured through incremental forming that applies the present
invention.
[0004] The product, the whole structure of which being designated
by reference number 1, comprises a primary form portion 10 having a
two-dimensional curved cross-sectional shape, and a secondary form
portion 20 having a three-dimensional shape and protruding from the
center of the primary form portion 10.
[0005] FIGS. 5 through 9 illustrate the conventional process for
manufacturing the product 1 through conventional incremental
forming.
[0006] A forming jig 100 disposed on a table 50 includes a first
mold member 110 corresponding to the primary form portion 10 of the
product and a second mold member 120 corresponding to the secondary
form portion 20 of the product.
[0007] A metal plate 140 being the workpiece (base material) is a
flat plate-shaped member, having its periphery supported by a
workpiece holder 130 and a workpiece clamp 150. The workpiece
holder 130 can be lowered from the peak area of the second mold
member. An incremental forming tool 160 has an axis that is
disposed along the perpendicular direction Z, and is capable of
moving both in the horizontal direction X, Y and perpendicular
direction Z.
[0008] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the conventional incremental
forming, and FIG. 7 shows the forming path.
[0009] As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, incremental forming is
performed throughout the whole workpiece via a path P, for forming
the first form portion and a path P.sub.2 for forming the second
form portion, thereby shaping the workpiece to create a
product.
[0010] As shown in FIG. 8, during incremental forming, the
incremental forming tool 160 moves along the X-Y axis parallel to
the upper surface of a plate-shaped workpiece 140, while moving in
the Z axis direction corresponding to a pitch P at a time. Though
there are plural incremental forming tools 160 illustrated in each
of the drawings in FIG. 8, actually there is only one incremental
forming tool. Three tools 160 are illustrated in each drawing to
show that the tool is moved along a contour line.
[0011] When the pitch P for moving the tool in the Z direction is
constant, the forming of the workpiece is progressed along a
contour line. If the radius of curvature of the curved plane of the
first form portion is large, the distance between the adjacent
paths is widened, deteriorating formability.
[0012] However, if the pitch is narrowed to improve formability and
to overcome the above problem, another drawback is caused in that
the total length of the form path is increased and the total work
time lengthened.
[0013] FIG. 9(a) shows a state in which the incremental forming
process is completed and a primary form portion 10 and a secondary
form portion 20 are created on the workpiece 140.
[0014] Thereafter, the workpiece 140 is subjected to an appropriate
trimming process C.sub.1 for trimming the peripheral area of the
workpiece to correspond to the product, thereby forming the product
1.
[0015] After the trimming process, the workpiece 140 is left with
an end material having a space 142 from which the product is cut
out by the trimming, which causes deterioration of the yield factor
of the material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Therefore, the present invention aims at providing a method
and apparatus for incremental forming that overcomes the
above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
[0017] In order to achieve the above object, the three-dimensional
incremental forming method according to the present invention
involves preparing a workpiece having a curved plane corresponding
to the primary form portion, and forming a three-dimensional
secondary form portion to a part of this workpiece via incremental
forming.
[0018] The incremental forming apparatus according to the present
invention comprises a table mounting a workpiece holder and a
workpiece clamp for holding the periphery of a workpiece, and an
incremental forming tool disposed to have its axial direction
perpendicular to the table, wherein the workpiece holder and the
workpiece clamp have curved surfaces that correspond to the curved
plane of the workpiece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the product formed according
to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device used in the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating the preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view illustrating the preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the device used
according to the prior art;
[0024] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the incremental
forming according to the prior art;
[0025] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the incremental
forming according to the prior art;
[0026] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the incremental
forming according to the prior art; and
[0027] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the incremental
forming according to the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] FIGS. 2 through 4 are explanatory views illustrating the
method for creating a product by the incremental forming according
to the present invention.
[0029] According to the present invention, a forming jig 200
positioned on a table 50 comprises only a mold member 220
corresponding to a secondary form portion of the product.
[0030] A metal plate 240 being the workpiece (material) is formed
in advance into a curved plate having a two-dimensional curved
surface that corresponds to a primary form portion of the
product.
[0031] A workpiece holder 230 comprises a holder surface 232 that
corresponds to the curved surface of the workpiece 240. Similarly,
a workpiece clamp 250 has a clamp surface 252 that corresponds to
the curved surface of the workpiece 240.
[0032] During the forming process, an incremental forming tool 260
and the table are relatively moved along the planar shape of the
secondary form portion on an X-Y plane, and when the incremental
forming tool 260 is relatively moved in the Y axis direction, the
tool 260 is controlled so that it moves along the primary form
portion, that is, along the curved surface of the workpiece
240.
[0033] Along with the advancement of the forming process, the
incremental forming tool 260 is advanced by a predetermined pitch
P.sub.2 to create the secondary form portion, in a manner similar
to the conventional incremental forming.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, since according to the present invention
a two-dimensional curve is provided in advance to the workpiece 240
and only the secondary form portion having a three-dimensional
structure is processed by incremental forming, the form path can be
shortened greatly and the work time cut down.
* * * * *