U.S. patent number RE40,446 [Application Number 10/368,603] was granted by the patent office on 2008-08-05 for strength-enhancing apparatus for metal part.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Satoru Ichihashi, Yutaka Ito, Masaichi Ohno, Shigeru Watanabe.
United States Patent |
RE40,446 |
Ichihashi , et al. |
August 5, 2008 |
Strength-enhancing apparatus for metal part
Abstract
Disclosed is a strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part
comprising a recovery mechanism for sucking powder flow dust
generated from glass beads crushed on a surface of a gear in a
chamber to recover it together with drainage, wherein the recovery
mechanism includes a liquid-spouting means arranged on a ceiling in
the chamber, for effecting showering for the whole interior of the
chamber. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably recover the mist
containing the powder flow dust floating in the chamber, and it is
possible to reliably avoid adhesion and accumulation of the powder
flow dust.
Inventors: |
Ichihashi; Satoru (Saitama,
JP), Ito; Yutaka (Tochgi, JP), Ohno;
Masaichi (Tochigi, JP), Watanabe; Shigeru
(Saitama, JP) |
Assignee: |
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki
Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
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Family
ID: |
27552485 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/368,603 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
09362406 |
Jul 28, 1999 |
06189355 |
Feb 20, 2001 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jul 28, 1998 [JP] |
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10-213272 |
Jul 28, 1998 [JP] |
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10-213289 |
Jul 28, 1998 [JP] |
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10-213291 |
Jul 28, 1998 [JP] |
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10-213294 |
Apr 23, 1999 [JP] |
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11-116808 |
Apr 23, 1999 [JP] |
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11-116816 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
72/53; 451/38;
29/90.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24C
1/10 (20130101); B24C 9/006 (20130101); B24C
3/22 (20130101); B24C 3/04 (20130101); Y02P
70/179 (20151101); Y10T 29/479 (20150115); Y02P
70/10 (20151101) |
Current International
Class: |
C21D
7/06 (20060101); B21D 53/10 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;72/53 ;29/90.7
;451/38,39,40,75 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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19531665 |
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Mar 1997 |
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DE |
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0144237 |
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Jun 1985 |
|
EP |
|
2318077 |
|
Apr 1998 |
|
GB |
|
50-2294 |
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Jan 1975 |
|
JP |
|
50-38874 |
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Apr 1975 |
|
JP |
|
54-23062 |
|
Feb 1979 |
|
JP |
|
61-64901 |
|
May 1986 |
|
JP |
|
63-86902 |
|
Jun 1988 |
|
JP |
|
2167664 |
|
Jun 1990 |
|
JP |
|
3-102215 |
|
Oct 1991 |
|
JP |
|
4-101775 |
|
Apr 1992 |
|
JP |
|
521711 |
|
Mar 1993 |
|
JP |
|
6-312371 |
|
Nov 1994 |
|
JP |
|
07-148665 |
|
Jun 1995 |
|
JP |
|
08-103620 |
|
Apr 1996 |
|
JP |
|
9248761 |
|
Sep 1997 |
|
JP |
|
09248761 |
|
Sep 1997 |
|
JP |
|
09248765 |
|
Sep 1997 |
|
JP |
|
09-248765 |
|
Sep 1997 |
|
JP |
|
9248765 |
|
Sep 1997 |
|
JP |
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10-058327 |
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Mar 1998 |
|
JP |
|
Other References
Partial English Translation of JP-50-3887 (Published Apr. 22,
1975). cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Jones; David B
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Birch, Stewart, Kolasch &
Birch, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface of said metal part, comprising: a metal
part-holding mechanism for positioning and holding said metal part
in a processing chamber; a projecting mechanism for projecting a
spouting stream of glass beads and liquid from a nozzle toward said
surface of said metal part; and a recovery mechanism for recovering
powder flow dust generated from said glass beads crushed on said
surface of said metal part, wherein: said recovery mechanism
includes a liquid-spouting means arranged .Iadd.on .Iaddend.at
least .[.at.]. .Iadd.one of .Iaddend.a wall and a ceiling of said
processing chamber, for effecting showering in the whole interior
of said processing chamber so that said liquid is spouted toward
said powder flow dust floating in said processing chamber.
2. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 1, wherein said liquid-spouting means includes a plurality
of water-spouting nozzles.
3. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 1, further comprising a classifying mechanism arranged on
a downstream side of said recovery mechanism, for classifying said
powder flow dust and said liquid from drainage containing said
powder flow dust and said liquid in a mixed manner.
4. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 1, further comprising: a door structure for
opening/closing an opening of said processing chamber for
attaching/detaching said metal part, wherein said door structure
includes: an inner slide door arranged on a side of said opening;
an outer slide door arranged at the outside of said inner slide
door; a driving means for automatically moving said inner slide
door back and forth in an opening or closing direction; and a
pressing means for allowing an inner side surface of said inner
slide door to make tight contact with an outer wall of a casing for
forming said processing chamber when said inner slide door is
closed by the aid of said driving means.
5. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 4, further comprising: an engaging means for engaging said
outer slide door with said inner slide door to move said outer
slide door in said opening direction when said inner slide door is
moved in said opening direction by the aid of said driving means;
and a release means for releasing engagement between said outer
slide door and said inner slide door effected by said engaging
means in a state in which said outer slide door is arranged at an
open position.
6. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 4, wherein said pressing means includes: .[.to.]. a cam
follower provided on said inner slide door; and a cam member
provided on said casing, for making contact with said cam follower
to retract said inner slide door toward said opening.
7. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 1, wherein said metal part-holding mechanism includes: a
spindle unit provided with a driving rotary section for making
rotation while supporting a first end of said metal part; a support
means provided with a driven rotary section which is movable while
supporting a second end of said metal part; and a cylinder for
pressing said driven rotary section toward said second end of said
metal part to interpose said metal part by using said driven rotary
section and said driving rotary section.
8. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 7, further comprising: a position-adjusting means capable
of adjusting positions of said support means and said cylinder in
an integrated manner in an axial direction of said metal part,
wherein said position-adjusting means includes: a guide member
arranged in said processing chamber; a sleeve member slidably
inserted into the inside of said guide member, for installing said
support means and said cylinder thereto; and a movement means for
moving said sleeve member back and forth in said axial
direction.
9. The strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface of said metal part, comprising: a metal
part-holding mechanism for positioning and holding said metal part
in a processing chamber; a projecting mechanism for projecting a
spouting stream of glass beads and liquid from a nozzle toward said
surface of said metal part; a recovery mechanism for recovering
powder flow dust generated from said glass beads crushed on said
surface of said metal part together with drainage; and a
classifying mechanism for classifying said recovered drainage into
said liquid and said powder flow dust.
10. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 9, wherein said classifying mechanism includes: first and
second tanks for storing said classified liquid; and a switching
discharge means for selectively discharging said classified liquid
to said first tank and said second tank.
11. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 10, wherein one of said first and second tanks is a tank
for storing said liquid from which said powder flow dust is
removed, and the other is a tank for storing impure liquid
containing said powder flow dust in a mixed manner.
12. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 11, further comprising a supply mechanism for supplying
said liquid in said liquid-storing tank to said recovery
mechanism.
13. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 9, further comprising: a door structure for
opening/closing an opening of said processing chamber for
attaching/detaching said metal part, wherein said door structure
includes: an inner slide door arranged on a side of said opening;
an outer slide door arranged at the outside of said inner slide
door; a driving means for automatically moving said inner slide
door back and forth in an opening or closing direction; and a
pressing means for allowing an inner side surface of said inner
slide door to make tight contact with an outer wall of a casing for
forming said processing chamber when said inner slide door is
closed by the aid of said driving means.
14. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 13, further comprising: an engaging means for engaging
said outer slide door with said inner slide door to move said outer
slide door in said opening direction when said inner slide door is
moved in said opening direction by the aid of said driving means;
and a release means for releasing engagement between said outer
slide door and said inner slide door effected by said engaging
means in a state in which said outer slide door is arranged at an
open position.
15. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 13, wherein said pressing means includes: a cam follower
provided on said inner slide door; and a cam member provided on
said casing, for making contact with said cam follower to retract
said inner slide door toward said opening.
16. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 9, wherein said metal part-holding mechanism includes: a
spindle unit provided with a driving rotary section for making
rotation while supporting a first end of said metal part; a support
means provided with a driven rotary section which is movable while
supporting a second end of said metal part; and a cylinder for
pressing said driven rotary section toward said second end of said
metal part to interpose said metal part by using said driven rotary
section and said driving rotary section.
17. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 16, further comprising: a position-adjusting means capable
of adjusting positions of said support means and said cylinder in
an integrated manner in an axial direction of said metal part,
wherein said position-adjusting means includes: a guide member
arranged in said processing chamber; a sleeve member slidably
inserted into the inside of said guide member, for installing said
support means and said cylinder thereto; and a movement means for
moving said sleeve member back and forth in said axial
direction.
18. A strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface of said metal part, comprising: a metal
part-holding mechanism for positioning and holding said metal part
in a processing chamber; a projecting mechanism for projecting a
spouting stream of glass beads and liquid from a nozzle toward said
surface of said metal part; and a recovery mechanism for recovering
powder flow dust generated from said glass beads crushed on said
surface of said metal part together with drainage, wherein said
recovery mechanism includes: an external air inflow port capable of
introducing external air into said processing chamber; a suction
port which is open on a lower side in said processing chamber; a
chamber arranged in a discharge passage formed in communication
with said suction port; a suction means communicating with said
chamber, for sucking said powder flow dust in said processing
chamber from said suction port into said chamber; and a
liquid-spouting means for spouting said liquid toward said powder
flow dust introduced into said chamber.
19. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 18, wherein a classifying mechanism for classifying said
recovered drainage into said liquid and said powder flow dust is
arranged on a downstream side of said recovery mechanism.
20. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 18, wherein said chamber includes: a first chamber
communicating with said discharge passage, for accommodating said
liquid-spouting means; and a second chamber communicating with a
downstream side of said first chamber and communicating with said
suction means.
21. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 20, wherein a classifying mechanism for classifying said
recovered drainage into said liquid and said powder flow dust is
arranged on a downstream side of said recovery mechanism.
22. A strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface of said metal part, comprising: a metal
part-holding mechanism for positioning and holding said metal part
in a processing chamber; a projecting mechanism for projecting a
spouting stream of glass beads and liquid from a nozzle toward said
surface of said metal part; a recovery mechanism for recovering
powder flow dust generated from said glass beads crushed on said
surface of said metal part together with drainage; a classifying
mechanism arranged on a downstream side of said recovery mechanism,
for classifying said recovered drainage into said powder flow dust
and said liquid; and a powder flow dust-accommodating unit for
storing said powder flow dust, wherein said recovery mechanism
includes: an external air inflow port capable of introducing
external air into said processing chamber; a suction port which is
open in said processing chamber; a chamber arranged in a discharge
passage formed in communication with said suction port; a
communication passage for making communication between said powder
flow dust-accommodating unit and said chamber; a suction means
communicating with said chamber, for sucking said powder flow dust
floating in said processing chamber and said powder flow
dust-accommodating unit into said chamber; and a liquid-spouting
means for spouting said liquid toward said powder flow dust
introduced into said chamber.
23. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 22, wherein said chamber includes: a first chamber
communicating with said discharge passage and said communication
passage, for accommodating said liquid-spouting means; and a second
chamber communicating with a downstream side of said first chamber
and communicating with said suction means.
24. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 22, wherein said chamber includes: a first chamber
communicating with said discharge passage, for accommodating said
liquid-spouting means; and a second chamber communicating with a
downstream side of said first chamber and communicating with said
suction means; and a third chamber communicating with upstream
sides of said first and second chambers, for accommodating said
liquid-spouting means, while communicating with said discharge
passage and said communication passage.
25. A strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface of said metal part, comprising: a door
structure for opening/closing an opening of said processing chamber
for attaching/detaching said metal part, wherein said door
structure includes: an inner slide door arranged on a side of said
opening; an outer slide door arranged at the outside of said inner
slide door; a driving means for automatically moving said inner
slide door back and forth in an opening or closing direction; and a
pressing means for allowing an inner side surface of said inner
slide door to make tight contact with an outer wall of a casing for
forming said processing chamber when said inner slide door is
closed by the aid of said driving means.
26. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 25, further comprising: an engaging means for engaging
said outer slide door with said inner slide door to move said outer
slide door in said opening direction when said inner slide door is
moved in said opening direction by the aid of said driving means;
and a release means for releasing engagement between said outer
slide door and said inner slide door effected by said engaging
means in a state in which said outer slide door is arranged at an
open position.
27. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 25, wherein said pressing means includes: a cam follower
provided on said inner slide door; and a cam member provided on
said casing, for making contact with said cam follower to retract
said inner slide door toward said opening.
28. A strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part for enhancing
strength of a surface and said metal part, comprising: a metal
part-holding mechanism for positioning and holding said metal part
in a processing chamber, wherein said metal part-holding mechanism
includes: a spindle unit provided with a driving rotary section for
making rotation while supporting a first end of said metal part; a
support means provided with a driven rotary section which is
movable while supporting a second end of said metal part; and a
cylinder for pressing said driven rotary section toward said second
end of said metal part to interpose said metal part by using said
driven rotary section and said driving rotary section.
29. The strength-enhancing apparatus for said metal part according
to claim 28, further comprising: a position-adjusting means capable
of adjusting positions of said support means and said cylinder in
an integrated manner in an axial direction of said metal part,
wherein said position-adjusting means includes: a guide member
arranged in said processing chamber; a sleeve member slidably
inserted into the inside of said guide member, for installing said
support means and said cylinder thereto; and a movement means for
moving said sleeve member back and forth in said axial direction.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strength-enhancing apparatus for
a metal part for enhancing the surface strength of the metal
part.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the gear repeatedly receives the load when it is used.
Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the fatigue strength of the
gear surface. For this purpose, the shot peening has been hitherto
widely performed to give the compressive residual stress, for
example, by allowing steel balls to make collision against the gear
surface.
However, the shot peening is inconvenient in that the gear surface
becomes rough, and the surface roughness is deteriorated, because
the steel balls are used as the shot material in the shot peening.
In view of this point, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication
No. 5-21711, a strength-enhancing method for the metal surface is
known, in which a metal formed product is subjected to surface
hardening, followed by grinding for the metal surface, and then
glass beads having a grain diameter of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm are
impelled or projected thereagainst. Accordingly, it is intended to
prevent the metal surface from being rough so that the fatigue
strength is improved.
However, the conventional technique described above involves the
following problems. That is, the given compressive residual stress
is lowered, and it is impossible to improve and increase the
fatigue strength up to a desired value. Further, the directivity of
the projected glass beads is poor. Therefore, the glass beads are
scattered in various directions, and consequently the efficiency is
extremely lowered.
The present applicant has suggested a strength-enhancing apparatus
for a gear which makes it possible to give a sufficient compressive
residual stress and obtain a smooth surface over an area ranging
from the tooth surface to the tooth root. A patent application has
been filed therefor (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.
9-248761). In this prior art, there are provided a gear-holding
mechanism for positioning and holding, in a chamber, a gear after
being subjected to a heat treatment, an impelling mechanism for
impelling or projecting a spouting stream of glass beads and liquid
from a nozzle toward a gear surface, a liquid supply mechanism for
supplying the liquid to the impelling mechanism under a pressure,
and a glass bead supply mechanism for successively feeding a
predetermined amount of the glass beads to the impelling mechanism.
Accordingly, the glass beads correctly collide against the gear
surface while maintaining the directivity. A desired compressive
residual stress is given to the gear surface. Further, a smooth
surface is obtained over an area ranging from the tooth surface to
the tooth root of the gear surface as the glass beads are
crushed.
The glass beads collide against the gear surface as the metal
surface, and they are crushed. Therefore, the glass bead dust
(hereinafter referred to as "powder flow dust" as well) in a micron
order floats in the processing chamber. However, the gear, which is
subjected to the treatment, is rotated at a high speed while being
installed to a spindle. Therefore, the following problems occur.
That is, the minute powder flow dust tends to adhere to the spindle
rotating at the high speed. The spindle suffers an inconvenience
such as rotation defect.
In view of the above, a structure is usually known and used, in
which water is jetted or spouted toward the portion at which the
powder flow dust causes adhesion and accumulation in the processing
chamber so that the powder flow dust is removed therefrom. However,
the mist containing the powder flow dust floats in the processing
chamber. Such a structure fails to effectively remove the mist.
Therefore, a problem is pointed out in that it is impossible to
reliably dissolve the adhesion and accumulation of the powder flow
dust.
Further, the powder flow dust as described above tends to leak from
the processing chamber to the outside, because the dust is
extremely minute. Various problems arise, for example, concerning
the maintenance of the apparatus and the environment around the
apparatus. Furthermore, a large noise is generated when the
spouting stream of the glass beads and the liquid is projected onto
the metal surface. A problem is also pointed out concerning the
noise control.
In the gear-holding mechanism described above, the gear is
installed to the spindle provided for the spindle unit. The gear is
rotated integrally with the spindle. However, in the case of such a
structure, it is feared that any deflection occurs in the gear
during the rotation, for example, when a lengthy gear such as a
counter shaft is used. Therefore, the following problem is pointed
out. That is, it is impossible to correctly project the spouting
stream of the glass beads and the liquid toward the gear surface,
and it is difficult to apply the highly accurate strength-enhancing
treatment to the gear.
On the other hand, the present applicant has suggested a
strength-enhancing apparatus for a gear which makes it possible to
give a sufficient compressive residual stress and obtain a smooth
surface over an area ranging from the tooth surface to the tooth
root, and which makes it possible to reliably remove the minute
glass bead dust. A patent application has been filed therefor (see
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-248765).
In this prior art, there are provided an impelling mechanism for
impelling or projecting, in a chamber, a spouting stream of glass
beads and liquid from a nozzle toward a gear surface after being
subjected to a heat treatment, and a recovery mechanism for sucking
and recovering powder flow dust generated from the glass beads
crushed on the gear surface. The recovery mechanism includes a
suction port which faces the inside of the chamber and which is
arranged in the vicinity of the gear. Accordingly, the glass beads
correctly collide against the gear surface while maintaining the
directivity. A desired compressive residual stress is given to the
gear surface. Further, the minute powder flow dust, which is
generated as the glass beads are crushed, is reliably sucked and
recovered from the suction port.
The recovery mechanism described above is used such that the mist
containing the powder flow dust floating in the chamber is sucked
and discarded. However, when the strength-enhancing treatment is
continuously performed for the gear, the amount of discarded
drainage arrives at a considerable amount. For this reason, it is
difficult to reliably remove the powder flow dust from the inside
of the chamber. Further, the powder flow dust, which is contained
in the drainage, can be used to produce the glass beads. On the
other hand, the liquid can be recycled as the washing water to be
used in the chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to provide a
strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part, which makes it
possible to reliably recover the mist containing the powder flow
dust floating in the chamber, and effectively avoid adhesion and
accumulation of the powder flow dust.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a
strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part, which is excellent
in noise control performance and operability in which the mist
containing the powder flow dust floating in the chamber does not
leak to the outside.
Another principal object of the present invention is to provide a
strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part, which makes it
possible to reliably hold various types of metal parts having
different shaft lengths, and accurately apply the
strength-enhancing treatment to the metal part.
Still another principal object of the present invention is to
provide a strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part, which
makes it possible to economically and efficiently process the
drainage containing the powder flow dust generated when glass beads
are crushed, in order to effectively utilize the resource of this
type.
Still another principle object of the present invention is to
provide a strength-enhancing apparatus for a metal part, which
makes it possible to efficiently and reliably process the drainage
containing the powder flow dust generated when glass beads are
crushed.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention
is shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view illustrating a
strength-enhancing apparatus for a gear according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows front view illustrating the strength-enhancing
apparatus;
FIG. 3 shows magnified sectional front view illustrating upper
portion of the strength-enhancing apparatus;
FIG. 4 shows perspective view illustrating a metal part-holding
mechanism;
FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the side of
a spindle unit for constructing the metal part-holding
mechanism;
FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the side of
a support means for constructing the metal part-holding
mechanism;
FIG. 7 shows sectional view illustrating a position-adjusting mean
or constructing the metal part-holding mechanism;
FIG. 8 shows a schematic perspective view illustrating a door
structure shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 shows a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the
door structure;
FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal sectional side view illustrating the
door structure;
FIG. 11 illustrates an engaging means for constructing the door
structure;
FIG. 12 shows a partial perspective view illustrating a recovery
mechanism for constructing the strength-enhancing apparatus;
FIG. 13 shows another partial front view illustrating the recovery
mechanism shown in FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 shows another partial perspective view illustrating
recovery mechanism;
FIG. 15 shows a partial exploded schematic perspective view
illustrating classifying mechanism for constructing the
strength-enhancing apparatus;
FIG. 16 shows a plan view illustrating the classifying
mechanism;
FIG. 17 illustrates the operation of a switching discharge means
for constructing the classifying mechanism;
FIG. 18 illustrates a fluid circuit of the strength-enhancing
apparatus;
FIG 19 shows a time chart illustrating the operation of the
classifying mechanism;
FIG. 20 shows another partial front view illustrating a state in
which a liquid-spouting means for constructing the recovery
mechanism is installed to a wall;
FIG. 21 shows a perspective view illustrating a state in which the
door structure is open;
FIG. 22 illustrates the operation of the engaging means and a
release means;
FIG. 23 illustrates an arrangement in which a short gear is held by
the metal part-holding mechanism;
FIG. 24 shows a schematic perspective view illustrating a
strength-enhancing apparatus according to a second embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 25 shows a front view illustrating the strength-enhancing
apparatus;
FIG. 26 shows a magnified partial sectional front view illustrating
an upper portion of the strength-enhancing apparatus;
FIG. 27 shows a partial perspective view illustrating a recovery
mechanism for constructing the strength-enhancing apparatus;
FIG. 28 shows another partial perspective view illustrating the
recovery mechanism;
FIG. 29 illustrates a circuit of the strength-enhancing
apparatus;
FIG. 30 shows a front view illustrating a recovery mechanism for
constructing a strength-enhancing apparatus according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 31 shows a partial perspective view illustrating the recovery
mechanism shown in FIG. 30;
FIG. 32 shows a front view illustrating a recovery mechanism for
constructing a strength-enhancing apparatus according to a fourth
embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 33 shows a partial perspective view illustrating the recovery
mechanism shown in FIG. 32.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view illustrating a
strength-enhancing apparatus 10 for a metal part according to a
first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a front
view illustrating the strength-enhancing apparatus 10. FIG. 3 shows
a magnified sectional front view illustrating an upper portion of
the strength-enhancing apparatus 10.
The strength-enhancing apparatus 10 comprises a metal part-holding
mechanism 16 for holding a metal part to be processed, for example,
a gear 12 so that the gear 12 is positioned and held in a chamber
(processing chamber) 14a in a casing 14, a projecting mechanism 24
for projecting a spouting stream 22 of liquid such as water 18 and
glass beads 20 toward the gear 12, a recovery mechanism 26 for
sucking powder flow dust 20a generated from the glass beads 20
crushed on the surface of the gear 12 so that the powder flow dust
20a is recovered together with drainage, and a classifying
mechanism 28 for classifying the recovered drainage into the water
18 and the powder flow dust 20a.
As shown in FIG. 4, the metal part-holding mechanism 16 includes a
spindle unit 32 which is provided with a driving rotary section 30
for making rotation while supporting a first end of the gear 12, a
support means 36 which is provided with a driven rotary section 34
that is rotatable while supporting a second end of the gear 12, and
a cylinder 38 for pressing the driven rotary section 34 toward the
second end of the gear 12 so that the gear 12 is interposed by the
driven rotary section 34 and the driving rotary section 30.
As shown in FIG. 5, a rotary shaft 40a of a servo motor 40 for
constructing the spindle unit 32 is coupled via a coupling 42 to a
driving shaft 44 for constructing the driving rotary section 30.
The driving shaft 44 is rotatably supported by a cylinder 48 by the
aid of a bearing 46. The cylinder 48 is fastened by screws to the
casing 14. A first support member 50, which has a substantially
columnar configuration provided with a tapered portion, is arranged
movably back and forth via a spring 51 at the forward end of the
driving shaft 44. An air passage 52 for avoiding invasion of the
powder flow dust is formed integrally to penetrate through the
first support member 50 and the driving shaft 44. A first end of
the air passage 52 is connected to an unillustrated air blower,
while a second end of the air passage 52 is open to the outside at
the forward end of the first support member 50.
As shown in FIG. 6, the support means 36 and the cylinder 38 can be
subjected to positional adjustment in the axial direction of the
gear 12 (direction indicated by the arrow A) by the aid of a
position-adjusting means 54. The position-adjusting means 54
includes a substantially cylindrical guide member 56 which is
fastened by screws to the casing 14, a sleeve member 58 which is
fitted movably back and forth to the inside of the guide member 56
for installing the support member 36 and the cylinder 38 thereto,
and a movement means 60 for moving the sleeve member 58 back and
forth in the axial direction (direction indicated by the arrow
A).
A screw shaft 64 is coupled to a handle 62 for constructing the
movement means 60. The screw shaft 64 is supported by an attachment
base 68 by the aid of a bearing 66. The attachment base 68 is fixed
to the outer wall of the casing 14. A nut member 70 is externally
installed to the screw shaft 64. A first end of the sleeve member
58 is fixed to the nut member 70. The cylinder 38 is installed to
the first end of the sleeve member 58 by the aid of an attachment
member 72. A slide rod 73 is coaxially coupled to a rod 71 which
extends in the direction of the arrow A from the cylinder 38.
As shown in FIG. 7, a columnar holding member 74 for constructing
the support means 36 is coupled to the forward end of the slide rod
73. The holding member 74 is supported movably back and forth in
the sleeve member 58. A driven shaft 76 for constructing the driven
rotary section 34 is rotatably supported at the forward end of the
holding member 74 by the aid of a bearing 78. A substantially
columnar second support member 80, which is provided with a tapered
portion, is disposed at the forward end of the driven shaft 76. An
air passage 82 for avoiding invasion of the powder flow dust is
formed ranging over the holding member 74, the driven shaft 76, and
the second support member 80. The air passage 82 is connected to
the unillustrated air blower. An air discharge passage 84 is
provided in the holding member 74 to avoid invasion of the powder
flow dust 20a or the like, for example, into the bearing 78.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the projecting mechanism 24 includes a
robot 100 which is arranged at the outside of the casing 14. An arm
section 102 for constructing the robot 100 is arranged in the
chamber 14a in the casing 14 in a state of being protected by a
bellows member 103. A nozzle 104 is installed to the forward end of
the arm section 102. A mixing chamber 106 for mixing the water 18
and the glass beads 20 is coupled to an upper portion of the nozzle
104. The water 18 and the glass beads 20 are supplied from an
unillustrated water supply source and a hopper coupled via tube
passages 108, 110 respectively (see FIG. 3).
The casing 14 is provided with a door structure 120 for
opening/closing the opening 14b of the chamber 14a for
attaching/detaching the metal part. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the
door structure 120 includes an inner slide door 122 which is
arranged on the side of the opening 14b, an outer slide door 124
which is arranged at the outside of the inner slide door 122, a
driving means 126 for automatically moving the inner slide door 122
back and forth in the opening/closing direction, and a pressing
means 132 for allowing the inner side surface 128 of the inner
slide door 122 to make tight contact with the outer wall 130 of the
casing 14 for forming the chamber 14a when the inner slide door 122
is closed by the aid of the driving means 126.
The inner slide door 122 includes a frame 136 which is installed
with a window glass 124. The frame 136 is attached to an attachment
plate 138. Support rollers 140a, 140b which are rotatable about the
horizontal axes, and upper rollers 142a, 142b which are rotatable
about the vertical axes are provided on the upper side of the
attachment plate 138. On the other hand, lower rollers 144a, 144b
which are rotatable about the vertical axes are installed on the
lower side of the attachment plate 138.
An upper guide 146 and a lower guide 148, which extend in the
horizontal direction in parallel to one another, are provided on
the inclined outer surface 14e of the casing 14. The upper rollers
142a, 142b and the lower rollers 144a, 144b contact with the upper
guide 146 and the lower guide 148 to make rotation thereon. The
support rollers 140a, 140b rotatably contact with the upper surface
of the upper guide 146.
The driving means 126 includes a cylinder 152 with its first end
which is supported by the upper guide 146 in a swingable manner.
The attachment plate 138 is fixed via a coupling member 156 to a
rod 154 extending from the cylinder 152. The pressing means 132
includes upper rollers 142a, 142b and lower rollers 144a, 144b as
cam followers which are installed to the attachment plate 138, and
upper plates (cam members) 158a, 158b and lower plates (cam
members) 160a, 160b which are fixed on the side of the casing 14
for making contact therewith to retract the inner slide door 122
toward the opening 14b. The casing 14 is provided with an elastic
member as the outer wall 130 for surrounding the opening 14b to
make tight contact with the inner surface 128 of the inner slide
door 122.
An outer upper guide 162 and an outer lower guide 164 are provided
on the upper guide 146 and the lower guide 148 respectively. The
outer slide door 124 is provided with a frame 168 which is
installed with a window glass 166. Upper rollers 170a, 170b for
making contact with the outer upper guide 162 to make rotation
about the horizontal axes, and lower rollers 172a, 172b for making
contact with the outer lower guide 164 to make rotation about the
vertical axes are provided on the inner surface side of the frame
168.
A hand section 174 for being directly gripped by an operator is
provided on the outer surface side of the outer slide door 124. A
dog plate 176 is fixed to an upper portion on the inner side
surface of the outer slide door 124. The dog plate 176 ON/OFF
operates switches 178a to 178c which are provided on the support
guide 150. Thus, the positions of the outer slide door 124, i.e.,
the closed position, the intermediate movement position, and the
open position are automatically detected.
The inner slide door 122 and the outer slide door 124 are provided
with an engaging means 180 for engaging the outer slide door 124
with the inner slide door 122 to move the outer slide door 124 in
the opening direction when the driving means 126 is used to move
the inner slide door 122 in the opening direction (direction
indicated by the arrow A). A release means 182 is provided at the
open position of the inner slide door 122, for releasing the
engagement between the outer slide door 124 and the inner slide
door 122 effected by the engaging means 180.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the engaging means 180 includes a pawl
member 186 which is swingable about a support point 184 on the
attachment plate 138. The pawl member 186 is stretched outwardly by
the aid of a spring 188. A projection member 190, which is
engageable with the pawl member 186, is fixed to the outer slide
door 124. As shown in FIG. 9, the release means 182 is arranged
corresponding to an expansion 192 of the pawl member 186. The
release means 182 includes a pressing bolt 194 for separating the
pawl member 186 from the projection member 190 in a state in which
the inner slide door 122 is arranged at the open position.
A liquid-spouting means 200 for constructing the recovery mechanism
26 is arranged in the chamber 14a. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the
liquid-spouting means 200 is arranged on the side of the ceiling
14c of the casing 14. The liquid-spouting means 200 is provided
with four water-spouting nozzles 202a to 202d for spouting a
liquid, for example, the water 18 over wide angles in the chamber
14a. Each of the water-spouting nozzles 202a to 202d is designed
for the spouting angle and the direction to make it possible to
effect the showering for the whole interior of the chamber 14a.
The bottom 14d of the casing 14 is formed to be inclined toward a
certain corner (see FIG. 3). A water pipe 204 is arranged in the
close vicinity of the bottom 14d. As shown in FIG. 12, the water
pipe 204 is provided with a water-spouting nozzle 206 for spouting
the water 18 over a wide angle to wash the lower surface side of
the arm section 102 of the robot 100, and nozzles 208a to 208f for
washing to the gear.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 14, the recovery mechanism 26 includes a
suction port 210 which is provided at an upper portion on one side
of the casing 14. A negative pressure-generating section 212 is
coupled to the suction port 210.
The negative pressure-generating section 212 is provided at its
side portion with a compressed air supply port 214 to function such
that the interior of the negative pressure-generating section 212
is in a state of being at a negative pressure in accordance with
the blowing action of the compressed air introduced from the
compressed air supply port 214. A casing 218 for constructing a
showering chamber 216 is connected to the negative
pressure-generating section 212. A liquid-spouting means 220 is
installed in the casing 218. The showering is effected in the
chamber 216 by using the water 18 spouted from the liquid-spouting
means 220.
A tube 222 is connected to the casing 218. The tube 222 is
connected to a joint tube 224 which is connected corresponding to
the lowermost position of the bottom 14d of the casing 14. The
joint tube 224 is connected via tubes 226, 228 to a centrifugal
separator 300 for constructing the classifying mechanism 28. An air
tube 230, which is disposed vertically upwardly, is coupled between
the tubes 226, 228. An air-introducing tube 232, which is disposed
on the side opposite to the suction port 210 and which is
positioned on the lower side, is connected to the casing 14 (see
FIG. 3).
The classifying mechanism 28 is arranged under the casing 14. As
shown in FIG. 15, the centrifugal separator 300 for constructing
the classifying mechanism 28 is provided with a sludge discharge
port 302 for discharging the powder flow dust 20a as the separated
solid content, and a liquid discharge port 304 for discharging the
water 18 as the separated liquid. A sludge recovery box 306 is
arranged under the sludge discharge port 302. On the other hand, a
first tank 310 and a second tank 312 are selectively coupled to the
liquid discharge port 304 via a switching discharge means 308.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first tank 310 is designed to have
a relatively large capacity, and it is a tank for storing the water
18 from which the powder flow dust 20a is completely removed. The
second tank 312 is a tank for storing the water 18 containing the
powder flow dust 20a in a mixed manner, and it is designed to have
a capacity smaller than that of the first tank 310.
As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, the switching discharge means 308
includes a cylinder 316 which is provided over the first tank 310
by the aid of an attachment plate 314. A first receiving member 320
and a second receiving member 322 are coupled to a rod 318 which
extends in the horizontal direction from the cylinder 316. The
first and second receiving members 320, 322 are supported movably
back and forth by the aid of a pair of guides 324 provided on the
attachment plate 314.
A first end of a first drainage tube 326 is connected to the first
receiving member 320. A second end of the first drainage tube 326
is arranged in the second tank 312. A first end of the second
drainage tube 328 is connected to the second receiving member 322.
A second end of the second drainage tube 328 extends vertically
downwardly, and it is arranged in a receiving tank 330 disposed in
the first tank 310. The first and second receiving members 320, 322
are selectively arranged at the position corresponding to the
liquid drainage port 304 in accordance with the action of the
cylinder 316. A discharge tube 322, which is connected to the upper
end side of the sludge recovery body 306, is arranged for the
second tank 312.
As shown in FIG. 18, a level sensor 334 is provided in the first
tank 310. The water level in the first tank 310 is detected at four
positions, i.e., the upper limit position, the discharge start
position, the discharged stop position, and the lower limit
position. A first pump 336 and a second pump 338 are arranged for
the first tank 310. The first pump 336 constitutes a supply
mechanism 342 for supplying the water 18 in the first tank 310 via
a water passage 340 to the liquid-spouting means 200 in the casing
14. The second pump 338 functions to discharge the water 18 in the
first tank 310 to the outside.
Explanation will be made below for the operation of the
strength-enhancing apparatus 10 constructed as described above.
At first, the carburizing treatment is applied to the gear 12
having been subjected to the toothed wheel cutting by means of the
cutting machining. The gear 12 after the carburizing treatment is
arranged between the driving rotary section 30 and the driven
rotary section 34 which constitute the metal part-holding mechanism
16. The driven rotary section 34 is moved toward the gear 12 (in
the direction indicated by the arrow A1) in accordance with the
driving action of the cylinder 38 (see FIG. 4). Accordingly, the
gear 12 is pressed and interposed at its both ends by the driving
rotary section 30 and the driven rotary section 34.
Subsequently, the door structure 120 as a double door is closed,
and the opening 14b of the casing 14 is closed. In this state, the
servo motor 38, which constitutes the spindle unit 32, is driven to
rotate the gear 12 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5,
the driving shaft 44 is rotated, which is coupled via the coupling
42 to the rotary shaft 40a of the servo motor 40 to integrally
rotate and drive the first support member 50 which is provided at
the forward end of the driving shaft 44 and the gear 12 which is
supported at its first end by the first support member 50. The
second end of the gear 12 is supported by the second support member
80 which constitutes the driven rotary section 34. The second
support mechanism 80 is rotated integrally with the driven shaft 76
by the aid of the bearing 78 with respect to the holding member 74
(see FIG. 7).
During this process, as shown in FIG. 3, the water 18 and the glass
beads 20 are fed under the pressure via the respective tube
passages 108, 110 to the mixing chamber 106 in accordance with the
action of an unillustrated high pressure pump which constitutes the
projecting mechanism 24. Accordingly, the spouting stream 22 of the
water 18 and the glass beads 20 is projected while maintaining the
directivity from the nozzle 104 to the gear 12.
Further, the nozzle 104 is moved in the predetermined direction,
i.e., in the axial direction of the gear 12 by the aid of the arm
section 102 which constitutes the robot 100. The compressive
residual stress is applied by the glass beads 20 to the entire
tooth surface of the gear 12. Simultaneously, the glass beads 20
are crushed. The powder flow dust 20a, which is generated as the
glass beads 20 are crushed, floats in the casing 14. The
liquid-spouting means 200 and the negative pressure-generating
section 212, which constitute the recovery mechanism 26, are
operated.
The liquid-spouting means 200 is operated as follows. That is, as
shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the water 18 is spouted into the chamber
14a in the casing 14 by the aid of the respective water-spouting
nozzles 202a to 202d. The powder flow dust 20a which floats in the
chamber 14a and the powder flow dust 20a which adheres to the arm
section 102 of the rotor 100 are forcibly discharged toward the
bottom 14d of the casing 14. The water 18 is spouted from the
water-spouting nozzle 206 installed to the water pipe 204. The
water 18 is used to wash the lower side of the arm section 102. The
water 18 spouted from the respective nozzles 208a to 208f is used
to perform the washing operation for the gear 12.
The drainage containing the powder flow dust 20a, which is
generated during the washing operation effected by the
liquid-spouting means 200, flows along the inclination of the
bottom 14d. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 14, the drainage is fed via the
joint tube 224 coupled to the casing 14 through the tubes 226, 228
to the centrifugal separator 300 which constitutes the classifying
mechanism 28.
On the other hand, when the compressed air is introduced from the
compressed air supply port 214 by operating the negative
pressure-generating section 212, then the negative pressure is
generated at the suction port 210, and the powder flow dust 20a,
which floats in the chamber 14a of the casing 14, is sucked from
the suction port 210 to the chamber 216 to be decelerated. The
showering is effected in the chamber 216 by the aid of the
liquid-spouting means 220 arranged in the casing 218. The drainage
containing the powder flow dust 20a is introduced from the tube 222
via the joint tube 224 and the tubes 226, 228 into the centrifugal
separator 300. On the other hand, the compressed air is discharged
to the outside from the air tube 230. The external air is
introduced from the air-introducing tube 232 into the chamber
14a.
In the centrifugal separator 300, the switching discharge means 308
is operated in accordance with a time chart shown in FIG. 19. That
is, the centrifugal separator 300 does not arrive at a
predetermined number of revolution immediately after the start of
the operation. Therefore, a period exists, in which the powder flow
dust 20a and the water 18 cannot be completely separated from the
drainage. Accordingly, the first receiving member 320, which
constitutes the switching discharge means 308, is previously
arranged corresponding to the liquid discharge port 304 of the
centrifugal separator 300 (see solid lines shown in FIG. 17).
Therefore, the powder flow dust 20a as the solid content is
discharged to the sludge recovery box 306 from the sludge discharge
port 302 of the centrifugal separator 300. On the other hand, the
water 18 containing the powder flow dust 20a is discharged from the
liquid discharge port 304 to the first drainage tube 326 which is
connected to the first receiving member 320. The water 18 is
introduced from the first drainage tube 326 to the second tank
312.
Subsequently, the centrifugal separator supply pump (not shown) is
operated. After passage of a predetermined period of time from the
start of the operation of the centrifugal separator 300, the
cylinder 316, which constitutes the switching discharge means 308,
is operated. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first
and second receiving members 320, 322 are integrally moved in the
direction of the arrow A by the aid of the rod 318. The second
receiving member 322 is arranged corresponding to the liquid
discharge port 304 of the centrifugal separator 300 (see two-dot
chain lines shown in FIG. 17). Therefore, the water 18, which is
discharged from the centrifugal separator 300, is once discharged
to the receiving tank 300 via the second drainage tube 328
connected to the second receiving member 322. After that, the water
18 is stored in the first tank 310 which accommodates the receiving
tank 330.
In the first tank 310, the level sensor 334 is used to detect the
water level of the water 18 stored in the first tank 310. The first
pump 336 and the second pump 338 are selectively operated, if
necessary. As shown in FIG. 18, when the first pump 336 for
constructing the supply mechanism 342 is operated, the water 18 in
the first tank 310 is fed via the water passage 340 to the
liquid-spouting means 200 which constitutes the recovery mechanism
26. Accordingly, the water 18 is spouted into the chamber 14a, and
it is used for the washing operation for the gear 12 and the arm
section 102 and for the recovery operation for the powder flow dust
20a floating in the chamber 14a. When the second pump 338 is
operated, the water 18 in the first tank 310 is discharged to the
outside.
Subsequently, when the operation of the centrifugal separator 300
is stopped, the switching discharge means 308 is operated on the
basis of the stop signal of the unillustrated centrifugal separator
supply pump. The first receiving member 320 is arranged
corresponding to the liquid discharge port 304. After that, the
stop operation for the centrifugal separator 300 is performed.
During the stop operation for the centrifugal separator 300, it is
impossible to reliably remove the powder flow dust 20a from the
drainage due to the decrease in number of revolution. The water 18
containing the powder flow dust 20a is discharged toward the second
tank 312. Accordingly, only the water 18, from which the powder
flow dust 20a is completely removed, is always stored in the first
tank 310.
After the door structure 120 is opened upon the completion of the
strength-enhancing treatment for the gear in the chamber 14a, the
cylinder 38, which constitutes the metal part-holding mechanism 16,
is operated. As shown in FIG. 6, the slide rod 73 is coupled to the
rod 71 of the cylinder 38. When the slide rod 73 is moved in the
direction indicated by the arrow A2, then the driven rotary section
34 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A2 integrally
with the holding member 74, and it is disengaged from the end of
the gear 12 (see FIG. 7).
Accordingly, the gear 12 is removed from the space between the
driving rotary section 30 and the driven rotary section 34. A new
gear 12 is arranged between the driving rotary section 30 and the
driven rotary section 34. Further, the cylinder 38 is operated, and
the both ends of the new gear 12 are pressed and interposed by the
driving rotary section 30 and the driven rotary section 34.
In the first embodiment, when the strength-enhancing treatment is
applied to the gear 12 by the aid of the projecting mechanism 24 in
the chamber 14a, the liquid-spouting means 200, which constitutes
the recovery mechanism 26, is operated. Accordingly, the showering
is effected for the whole interior of the chamber 14a in the casing
14 by the aid of the respective water-spouting nozzles 202a to
202d. The water 18 is effectively spouted toward the powder flow
dust 20a floating in the chamber 14a and the powder flow dust 20a
adhering to the arm section 102 of the robot 100. 20 Accordingly,
the powder flow dust 20a floating in the chamber 14a and the powder
flow dust 20a adhering to the arm section 102 are mixed with the
drainage, and they are discharged forcibly and reliably toward the
bottom 14d of the casing 14. Therefore, when the double door 120 is
opened, it is possible to reliably avoid the leakage of the powder
flow dust 20a from the opening 14b to the outside.
Further, in the first embodiment, when the strength-enhancing
treatment is applied to the gear 12 by the aid of the projecting
mechanism 24 in the chamber 14a, the powder flow dust 20a, which is
generated when the glass beads 20 are crushed, is recovered
together with the drainage by the aid of the recovery mechanism 26.
After that, the classifying mechanism 28 is used to classify the
drainage into the water 18 and the powder flow dust 20a.
Accordingly, when the classified powder flow dust 20a is introduced
into the sludge recovery box 306, the powder to flow dust 20a can
be easily used, for example, for the operation for producing the
glass beads 20. On the other hand, the water 18, which is separated
from the drainage, is stored in the first tank 310, and then it is
supplied to the recovery mechanism 26 in accordance with the action
of the supply mechanism 342 provided with the first pump 336. Thus,
the water 18 is recycled, for example, as washing water. Thus, an
effect is obtained in that the resource can be effectively utilized
with ease by using the simple system.
In the first embodiment, the classifying mechanism 28 includes the
first tank 310 for storing the water 18 from which the powder flow
dust 20a is removed, and the second tank 312 for storing the water
18 containing the powder flow dust 20a in the mixed manner. The
switching discharge means 308 is provided in order that the impure
liquid (water 18 mixed with the powder flow dust 20a), which tends
to be generated upon the start and the stop of the centrifugal
separator 300, is discharged to the second tank 312.
Therefore, only the water 18, from which the powder flow dust 20a
is completely removed, is always stored in the first tank 310. The
water 18 in the first tank 310 can be maintained to be clean.
Accordingly, it is advantageous that when the water 18 in the first
tank 310 is supplied, for example, to the recovery mechanism 26, it
is possible to effectively perform various operations, for example,
the operation for recovering the mist, based on the use of the it
water 18 free from impurities.
In the first embodiment, the respective water-spouting nozzles 202a
to 202d, which constitute the liquid-spouting means 200, are
installed to the ceiling 14c of the casing 14. However, as shown in
FIG. 20, it is also preferable that the respective water-spouting
nozzles 202a to 202d are arranged on the walls 14e, 14f of the
casing 14 in place of the foregoing arrangement or in addition to
the foregoing arrangement.
Further, in the first embodiment, the door structure 120 is
provided with the inner slide door 122 and the outer slide door
124. The pressing means 132 is used to allow the inner side surface
128 of the inner slide door 122 to make tight contact with the
outer wall 130 of the casing 14 for forming the chamber 14a.
Accordingly, the mist, which contains the powder flow dust 20a
generated when the spouting stream 22 is projected onto the gear 12
by the aid of the projecting mechanism 24 in the chamber 14a of the
casing 14, does not leak to the outside from the opening 14b.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid any occurrence of
problems concerning, for example, the maintenance of the
strength-enhancing apparatus 10 and the surrounding
environment.
In the chamber 14a, the noise is considerably large when the glass
beads 20 are projected onto the surface of the gear 12. However, in
the first embodiment, the opening 14b is closed by the double door,
i.e., the inner slide door 122 and the outer slide door 124.
Therefore, an effect is obtained in that it is possible to
effectively ensure the noise control performance.
The following operation is performed when the gear 12 applied with
the strength-containing treatment in the chamber 14a is taken out,
and a new gear 12 is arranged in the chamber 14a. At first, when
the cylinder 152 of the driving means 126 is operated, and the rod
154 is displaced in the direction of the arrow A, then the
attachment plate 138, which is coupled to the rod 154 by the aid of
the coupling member 156, is moved in the direction of the arrow A
integrally with the inner slide door 122 in accordance with the
rolling action of the support rollers 140a, 140b, the upper rollers
142a, 142b, and the lower rollers 144a, 144b.
In this arrangement, the outer slide door 124 is held on the
attachment plate 138 by the aid of the projection member 190 and
the pawl member 186 of the engaging means 180. The inner slide door
122 and the outer slide door 124 are moved integrally in the
direction of the arrow A by the aid of the driving means 126.
Accordingly, the opening 14b of the casing 14 is opened to the
outside, while the inner slide door 122 and the outer slide door
124 are arranged at the open position (see FIG. 21).
It is noted that the pressing bolt 194 of the release means 182 is
provided at the open position. The expansion 192 of the pawl member
186 for constructing the engaging means 180 is pressed by the
pressing bolt 194. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22, the pawl member
186 makes swinging movement in the direction to make separation
from the projection member 190 against the elastic force of the
spring 188. Thus, the engagement state of the pawl member 186 and
the projection member 190 is released. The gear 12 in the chamber
14a is removed from the metal part-holding mechanism 16 through the
opening 14b. After that, a new gear 12 is set to the metal
part-holding mechanism 16.
Subsequently, when the inner slide door 122 and the outer slide
door 124 are closed, then an operator grips the hand section 174 of
the outer slide door 124, and the outer slide door 124 is moved
toward the opening 14b (in the direction indicated by the arrow B).
Accordingly, the dog plate 176, which is fixed to the outer slide
door 124, effects the ON/OFF operation for the switches 178a to
178c. The driving means 126 is operated on the basis of the
resulting signal, and the inner slide door 122 is automatically
moved from the open position toward the closed position.
When the inner slide door 122 approaches the side of the opening
14b, then the upper rollers 142a, 142b and the lower rollers 144a,
144b, which constitute the pressing means 132, contact with the
upper plates 158a, 158b and the lower plates 160a, 160b, and the
inner slide door 122 is retracted toward the casing 14.
Accordingly, the inner side surface 128 of the inner slide door 122
makes tight contact with the outer wall 130 of the casing 14.
As described above, in the first embodiment, the opening/closing
operation is simplified all at once for the inner slide door 122
and the outer slide door 124 which constitute the double door.
Thus, an effect is obtained in that the operability of the door
structure 120 is greatly improved because of the following reason.
That is, it is sufficient for the operator to manually operate only
the outer slide door 124.
In the first embodiment, the first end of the gear 12 is supported
by the driving rotary section 30 which constitutes the spindle unit
32. The second end of the gear 12 is supported by the driven rotary
section 34 which constitutes the support means 36. The servo motor
40 of the spindle unit 32 is driven in the state in which the gear
12 is pressed and interposed by the driven rotary section 34 and
the driving rotary section 30 by the aid of the cylinder 38.
Accordingly, the gear 12 is rotated and driven while being tightly
pressed and held at its both ends by the driving rotary section 30
and the driven rotary section 34, Therefore, especially when a
lengthy gear 12 such as a counter shaft is used, it is possible to
reliably prevent the gear 12 from deflection during the rotation.
Accordingly, it is possible to rotate the gear 12 highly
accurately. An effect is obtained in that the appropriate
compressive residual stress can be reliably given to the entire
tooth surface of the gear 12 by the aid of the projecting mechanism
24.
Further, the both ends of the gear 12 are interposed by using the
first and second support members 50, 80 of the driving rotary
section 30 and the driven rotary section 34. Therefore, it is
advantageous that the production cost is greatly reduced, for
example, as compared with those based on the use of a collet
chuck.
When the strength-enhancing treatment is applied to a short gear
12a as shown in FIG. 23 in place of the lengthy gear 12 such as a
counter shaft, the position-adjusting means 54 of the metal
part-holding mechanism 16 is operated. That is, as shown in FIG. 6,
when an operator grips the handle 62 to rotate it, then the screw
shaft 64 coupled to the handle 62 is rotated, and the sleeve member
58 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A1 integrally
with the nut member 70 externally fitted to the screw shaft 64.
The support means 36 and the cylinder 38 are installed to the
sleeve member 58. As the sleeve member 58 is moved in the direction
of the arrow A1, the positions of the support means 36 and the
cylinder 38 are adjusted in the direction of the arrow A1. After
the support means 36 is positioned corresponding to the shaft
length of the short gear 12a, the strength-enhancing treatment is
applied to the gear 12a in the same manner as described above.
In this way, in the first embodiment, the position of the support
means 36 is previously set by the aid of the position-adjusting
means 54 corresponding to the various gears 12, 12a having
different lengths. Accordingly, the stroke amount of the driven
rotary section 34 brought about by the cylinder 308 does not differ
depending on the lengthy gear 12 and the short gear 12a. An effect
is obtained in that the minimum stroke amount is used to
efficiently perform the attachment/detachment operation for the
gear 12, 12a in a short period of time. Further, the
position-adjusting means 54 is based on the simple arrangement
provided with the handle 62 which is rotated by the manual
operation. It is possible to easily simplify the entire structure
of the metal part-holding mechanism 16.
FIG. 24 shows a schematic perspective view illustrating a
strength-enhancing apparatus 410 according to a second embodiment
of the present invention. FIG. 25 shows a front view illustrating
the strength-enhancing apparatus 410. FIG. 26 shows a magnified
partial sectional front view illustrating an upper portion of the
strength-enhancing apparatus 410.
The strength-enhancing apparatus 410 comprises a metal part-holding
mechanism 416 for holding a metal part 412 (shown in the drawing as
having a gear shape) to be processed, for example, a gear, a
connecting rod, or a crank shaft so that the metal part 412 is
positioned and held in a processing chamber 414a in a casing 414, a
projecting mechanism 424 for projecting a spouting stream 422 of
liquid such as water 418 and glass beads 420 toward the metal part
412, a recovery mechanism 426 for recovering powder flow dust 420a
generated from the glass beads 420 crushed on the surface of the
metal part 412, together with drainage, a classifying mechanism 428
for classifying the recovered drainage into the water 418 and the
powder flow dust 420a, and a powder flow dust-accommodating unit
431 for storing the classified powder flow dust 420a.
The metal part-holding mechanism 416 includes a spindle unit 432
which is provided with a driving section 430 for making contact
with a first end of the metal part 412, and a support means 436
which is provided with a rotary section 434 for supporting a second
end of the metal part 412. The spindle unit 432 is provided with a
servo motor (not shown) for rotating and driving the driving unit
430. On the other hand, the support means 436 includes a cylinder
440 for moving the rotary section 434 back and forth in the axial
direction. The support means 436 is adjustable for its position in
the axial direction by the aid of a position-adjusting means 442.
As shown in FIG. 24, the position-adjusting means 442 includes a
manual handle 444. The position of the support means 436 is changed
by rotating and operating the manual handle 444.
The projecting mechanism 424 includes a robot 500 which is arranged
at the outside of the casing 414. An arm section 502 for
constructing the robot 500 is arranged in the processing chamber
414a in the casing 414 in a state of being protected by a bellows
member 503. A nozzle 504 is installed to the forward end of the arm
section 502. A mixing chamber 506 for mixing the water 418 and the
glass beads 420 is coupled to an upper portion of the nozzle 504.
The water 418 and the glass beads 420 are supplied from the
unillustrated water supply source and a hopper coupled via tube
passages 508, 510 respectively (see FIG. 26).
The casing 414 is provided with an opening 414b for opening the
processing chamber 414a to the outside. The opening 414b is opened
and closed by the aid of a door structure 520 as a double door (see
FIG. 24). A liquid-spouting means 530 for constructing the recovery
mechanism 426 is arranged in the processing chamber 414a. As shown
in FIG. 27, the liquid-spouting means 530 is arranged on the side
of the ceiling 414c of the casing 414. The liquid-spouting means
530 is provided with four water-spouting nozzles 532a to 532d for
spouting a liquid, for example, the water 418 over wide angles in
the processing chamber 414a. Each of the water-spouting nozzles
532a to 532d is designed for the spouting angle and the direction
so that the water 418 may be spouted over the whole interior of the
processing chamber 414a.
The bottom 414d of the casing 414 is formed to be inclined toward a
certain corner (see FIG. 26). A water 5 pipe 534 is arranged in the
close vicinity of the bottom 414d. As shown in FIG. 27, the water
pipe 534 is provided with a water-spouting nozzle 536 for spouting
the water 418 over a wide angle to wash the lower surface side of
the arm section 502 of the robot 500, the nozzles 538a to 538f for
washing the metal part.
As shown in FIG. 26, an external air inflow port 540, through which
the external air can be introduced into the processing chamber
414a, is provided at an upper portion of the side 414e of the
casing 414. On the other hand, a suction port 542, which is open to
the processing chamber 414a, is formed at a lower portion of the
side 414e. A tube member 544 is coupled to the lower portion of the
side 414e of the casing 414. A discharge passage 546 in the tube
member 544 communicates with the suction port 542. A first chamber
548, which communicates via the discharge passage 546 with the
suction port 542, is arranged on the tube member 544. A blower
(suction means) 552 is coupled to the first chamber 548 via a
second chamber 550.
As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the lower end of a first casing 554
for constructing the first chamber 548 is coupled to the tube
member 544. A liquid-spouting means 556 is installed in the first
casing 554. The water 418 is spouted from the liquid-spouting means
556. Thus, the showering is effected in the first chamber 548. A
first end of a first tube 558 is connected to an upper portion of
the first casing 554. A second end of the first tube 558 is fixed
at a lower end side portion of a second casing 560 for constructing
the second chamber 550.
A piping tube 562, which is provided at the lower end of the second
casing 560, is coupled to the side of the first casing 554 in the
close vicinity of the liquid-spouting means 556. On the other hand,
a second tube 564, which is connected to an upper end side portion
of the second casing 560, is coupled to the blower 552. A piping
tube 568 is coupled to the tube member 544 and an upper portion of
a discharge tube 566 provided for the blower 552.
A third casing 572, which is disposed between the processing
chamber 414a and the first chamber 548 for constructing a third
chamber 570, is coupled to the tube member 544. The third casing
572 has its lower end opening diameter which is formed to be
smaller than the lower end opening diameter of the first casing 554
(see FIG. 26). The third casing 572 is installed with a
liquid-spouting means 574 which is disposed therein at a relatively
upper position. The showering is effected in the third chamber 570
by using the water 418 spouted from the liquid-spouting means 574.
Both ends of a third tube 576 are connected to an upper portion of
the third casing 572 and a lower end side portion of the second
casing 560. A first end of a fourth tube (communication passage)
578 is coupled to the lower side of the third casing 572. A second
end of the fourth tube 578 is coupled to the powder flow
dust-accommodating unit 431.
A centrifugal separator 580 for constructing the classifying
mechanism 428 is connected via a tube 579 to a lower end portion on
the downstream side of the tube member 544. The classifying
mechanism 428 is arranged under the casing 414. As shown in FIG.
25, the centrifugal separator 580 for constructing the classifying
mechanism 428 is provided with a sludge discharge port 582 for
discharging the powder flow dust 420a as the separated solid
content, and a liquid discharge port 584 for discharging the water
418 as the separated liquid. A sludge recovery box 586 for
constructing the powder flow dust-accommodating unit 431 is
arranged under the sludge discharge port 582. On the other hand, a
first tank (clean tank) 590 and a second tank (dirty tank) 592 are
selectively coupled via a switching discharging means 588 to the
liquid discharge port 584.
The fourth tube 578 is connected to an upper portion of the sludge
recovery box 586. The sludge recovery box 586 communicates with the
third chamber 570. The first tank 590 is a tank for storing the
water 418 from which the powder flow dust 420a is completely
removed, and it is designed to have a relatively large capacity.
The second tank 592 is a tank for storing the water 418 containing
the powder flow dust 420a in a mixed manner, and it is designed to
have a capacity smaller than that of the first tank 590.
As shown in FIG. 29, a level sensor 594 is provided in the first
tank 590. The water level in the first tank 590 is detected at four
positions, i.e., the upper limit position, the discharge start
position, the discharge stop position, and the lower limit
position. A first pump 596 and a second pump 598 are arranged for
the first tank 590. The first pump 596 supplies the water 418 in
the first tank 590 via a water passage 600 to the liquid-spouting
means 530 in the casing 414. The second pump 598 functions to
discharge the water 418 in the first tank 590 to the outside. A
third pump 602 is arranged for the second tank 592. The third pump
602 communicates with the drainage inlet side of the centrifugal
separator 580 via a pumping tube 604.
Explanation will be made below for the operation of the
strength-enhancing apparatus 410 constructed as described
above.
At first, the first end of the metal part 412 is held by the
driving section 430 of the spindle unit 432 which constitutes the
metal part-holding mechanism 416. In this state, the rotary section
434 of the support means 436 is displaced toward the metal part 412
in accordance with the action of the cylinder 440 to support the
second end of the metal part 412. The door structure 520 is closed,
and the opening 414b of the casing 414 is closed. In this state,
the servo motor (not shown), which constitutes the spindle unit
432, is driven to rotate the metal part 412 (see FIG. 26).
During this process, the water 418 and the glass beads 420 are fed
under the pressure via the respective tube passages 508, 510 to the
mixing chamber 506 in accordance with the action of an
unillustrated high pressure pump which constitutes the projecting
mechanism 424. Accordingly, the spouting stream 422 of the water
418 and the glass beads 420 is projected while maintaining the
directivity from the nozzle 504 toward the metal part 412.
Further, the nozzle 504 is moved in the predetermined direction,
i.e., in the axial direction of the metal part 412 by the aid of
the arm section 502 which constitutes the robot 500. The
compressive residual stress is given by the glass beads 420 to the
entire outer circumferential surface of the metal part 412.
Simultaneously, the glass beads 420 are crushed. The powder flow
dust 420a, which is generated when the glass beads 420 are crushed,
floats in the casing 414. The liquid-spouting means 530 and the
blower 552, which constitute the recovery mechanism 426, are
operated.
The liquid-spouting means 530 is operated as follows. That is, as
shown in FIG. 27, the water 418 is spouted into the processing
chamber 414a in the casing 414 by the aid of the respective
water-spouting nozzles 532a to 532d. The powder flow dust 420a
which floats in the processing chamber 414a and the powder flow
dust 420a which adheres to the arm section 502 of the robot 500 are
forcibly discharged toward the bottom 414d of the casing 414. The
water 418 is spouted from the water-spouting nozzle 536 installed
to the water pipe 534. The water 418 is used to wash the lower side
of the arm section 502. The water 418 spouted from the respective
nozzles 538a to 538f is used to perform the washing operation for
the metal part 412.
The drainage containing the powder flow dust 420a, which is
generated during the washing process effected by the
liquid-spouting means 530, flows along the inclination of the
bottom 414d. As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the drainage is fed via
the tube 579 from the discharge passage 546 of the tube member 544
coupled to the casing 414 to the centrifugal separator 580 which
constitutes the classifying mechanism 428.
On the other hand, when the blower 552 is operated, the suction is
exerted on the atmosphere in the second chamber 550 which
communicates with the blower 552 via the second tube 564. Further,
the suction is exerted on the atmospheres in the first and third
chambers 548, 570 which communicate with the second chamber 550 via
the first and third tubes 558, 576. Accordingly, the negative
pressure is generated at the suction port 542 via the discharge
passage 546. The mist, which contains the powder flow dust 420a
floating in the processing chamber 414a in the casing 414, is
sucked from the suction port 542 via the discharge passage 546 to
the first and third chambers 548, 570, and it is decelerated.
In this embodiment, the lower end opening diameter of the first
casing 554 is designed to be larger than the lower end opening
diameter of the third casing 572. The powder flow dust 420a
floating in the processing chamber 414a is dominantly sucked to the
first chamber 548. In the first chamber 548, the showering is
effected by the aid of the liquid-spouting means 556 arranged in
the first casing 554. The drainage containing the powder flow dust
420a is fed to the centrifugal separator 580 via the discharge
passage 546 and the tube 579. Similarly, in the third chamber 570,
the showering is effected by using the water 418 spouted from the
liquid-spouting means 574. The drainage containing the powder flow
dust 420a is introduced into the centrifugal separator 580.
The air in the first and third chambers 548, 570 is sucked via the
first and third tubes 558, 576 to the second chamber 550, and it is
decelerated. The air is further sucked from the second tube 564 to
the blower 552, and it is discharged to the outside from the
discharge tube 566. During this process, the water content
generated in the second chamber 550 and the remaining powder flow
dust 420a are introduced via the piping tube 562 into the first
chamber 548, and they are discharged to the discharge passage 546
in accordance with the showering effected by the liquid-spouting
means 556. The water content generated in the discharge tube 566 is
introduced via the piping tube 568 into the discharge passage
546.
When the suction is effected from the suction port 542 in the
processing chamber 414a, the external air can be introduced into
the processing chamber 414a through the exterior air inflow port
540. Accordingly, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 414a can
be effectively prevented from being in an excessive negative
pressure state.
The centrifugal separator 580 does not arrive at a predetermined
number of revolution immediately after the start of the operation.
Therefore, a period exists, in which the powder flow dust 420a and
the water 418 cannot be completely separated from the drainage.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 29, the powder flow dust 420a as the
solid content is discharged from the sludge discharge port 582 of
the centrifugal separator 580 to the sludge recovery box 586. On
the other hand, the water 418 containing the powder flow dust 420a
is introduced via the switching discharge means 588 from the liquid
discharge port 584 into the second tank 592.
Subsequently, the centrifugal separator supply pump (not shown) is
operated. The switching discharge means 588 is operated after
passage of a predetermined period of time from the start of the
operation of the centrifugal separator 580. Therefore, the water
418, which is discharged from the centrifugal separator 580, is
stored in the first tank 590. In the first tank 590, the level
sensor 594 is used to detect the water level of the water 418
stored in the first tank 590. The first pump 596 and the second
pump 598 are selectively operated, if necessary.
When the first pump 596 is operated, the water 418 in the first
tank 590 is fed via the water passage 600 to the liquid-spouting
means 530 which constitutes the recovery mechanism 426.
Accordingly, the water 418 is spouted into the processing chamber
414a to perform the washing operation for the metal part 412 and
the arm section 502 and for the recovery operation for the powder
flow dust 420a floating in the processing chamber 414a. When the
second pump 598 is operated, the water 418 in the first tank 590 is
discharged to the outside.
On the other hand, the powder flow dust 420a, which is discharged
from the centrifugal separator 580, is discharged to the sludge
recovery box 586 which is arranged corresponding to the sludge
discharge port 582. In this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 28, the
fourth tube 578 is connected to the upper portion of the sludge
recovery box 586. The powder flow dust 420a, which floats in the
sludge recovery box 586, is sucked via the fourth tube 578 to the
third chamber 570. In the third chamber 570, the liquid-spouting
means 574 is provided so that it is disposed at the position higher
than that of the connected portion of the fourth tube 578. The
powder flow dust 420a is discharged to the discharge passage 546 by
the aid of the water 418 spouted from the liquid-spouting means
574.
In the second embodiment, the first and third chambers 548, 570
communicate with the lower side of the processing chamber 414a via
the discharge passage 546. The second chamber 550 communicates with
the first and third chambers 548, 570 via the first and third tubes
558, 576. The blower 552 communicates with the second chamber 550
via the second tube 564.
Accordingly, when the blower 552 is operated, then the mist
containing the powder flow dust 420a floating in the processing
chamber 414a is smoothly introduced into the first and third
chambers 548, 570 through the suction port 542 and the discharge
passage 546, and it is decelerated. The showering is effected by
using the water 418 spouted from the liquid-spouting means 556,
574. Thus, the drainage containing the powder flow dust 420a is
introduced from the discharge passage 546 and the tube 579 into the
centrifugal separator 580. Further, the powder flow dust 420a
introduced into the second chamber 550 is decelerated in the second
chamber 550. Thus, the powder flow dust 420a is returned together
with the water content via the piping tube 562 to the first chamber
548, and it is discharged to the discharge passage 546 by means of
the showering.
Accordingly, the following effect is obtained. That is, the powder
flow dust 420a, which floats in the processing chamber 414a, can be
sucked and recovered reliably and efficiently. The powder flow dust
420a does not adhere to the metal part-holding mechanism 416. The
strength-enhancing treatment for the metal part 412 is continuously
performed efficiently. In this arrangement, the suction port 542 is
provided on the lower side of the processing chamber 414a.
Therefore, the powder flow dust 420a, which tends to float, can be
smoothly and reliably sucked and recovered on the lower side by the
aid of the own weight and the showering in the processing chamber
414a.
Further, in the second embodiment, the third chamber 570
communicates with the sludge recovery box 586 via the fourth tube
578. The powder flow dust 420a, which floats in the sludge recovery
box 586, is forcibly sucked and discharged to the third chamber 570
in accordance with the sucking action of the blower 552. Therefore,
an effect is obtained in that the simple system can be used to
reliably avoid the counter flow of the powder flow dust 420a
floating in the sludge recovery box 586 from the sludge discharge
port 582 to the centrifugal separator 580.
FIG. 30 shows a schematic front view illustrating a recovery
mechanism 612 for constructing a strength-enhancing apparatus 610
according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 31
shows a perspective view illustrating important parts of the
recovery mechanism 612. The same constitutive components as those
of the strength-enhancing apparatus 410 according to the second
embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed
explanation of which will be omitted.
In the third embodiment, only the first casing 554 for constructing
the first chamber 548 is connected to the discharge passage 546.
The third chamber 570, which is used in the second embodiment
described above, is not used. Therefore, when the blower 552 is
operated in the strength-enhancing apparatus 610, the atmosphere in
the processing chamber 414a is sucked from the suction port 542 via
the first and second chambers 548, 550. The powder flow dust 420a,
which floats in the processing chamber 414a, is sucked via the
suction port 542 and the discharge passage 546 into the first
chamber 548, and it is decelerated.
In the first chamber 548, the drainage containing the powder flow
dust 420a is discharged to the discharge passage 546 by the aid of
the showering effected by the liquid-spouting means 556. On the
other hand, the remaining powder flow dust 420a is sucked to the
second chamber 550, and it is decelerated. The powder flow dust
420a is returned from the piping tube 562 to the first chamber 548.
After that, the powder flow dust 420a is discharged to the
discharge passage 546 by the aid of the showering. Accordingly, an
effect equivalent to that obtained in the second embodiment can be
obtained, for example, in that the powder flow dust 420a floating
in the processing chamber 414a can be reliably recovered by using
the simple system.
FIG. 32 shows a schematic front view illustrating a recovery
mechanism 622 for constructing a strength-enhancing apparatus 620
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 33
shows a perspective view ilustrating important parts of the
recovery mechanism 622. The same constitutive components as those
of the strength-enhancing apparatus 410 according to the second
embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed
explanation of which will be omitted.
It the fourth embodiment, only the first casing 554 for
constructing the first chamber 548 is connected to the discharge
passage 546 in the same manner as in the third embodiment. The
first casing 554 communicates with the sludge recovery box 586 via
the fourth tube 578.
Accordingly, when the blower 552 is operated in the
strength-enhancing apparatus 620, the atmosphere in the processing
chamber 414a is sucked from the suction port 542 via the first and
second chambers 548, 550. The powder flow dust 420a, which floats
in the processing chamber 414a, is sucked via the suction port 542
and the discharge passage 546 into the first chamber 548, and it is
decelerated. Further, the sludge recovery box 586 communicates with
the first chamber 548 via the fourth tube 578. The powder flow dust
420a, which floats in the sludge recovery box 586, is forcibly
sucked into the first chamber 548 via the fourth tube 578.
In the second to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the
second chamber 550 is used. However, the blower 552 may be allowed
to make direct communication with the first chamber 548 and/or the
third chamber 570 without using the second chamber 550.
According to the strength-enhancing apparatus for the metal part
concerning the present invention, the showering is performed for
the whole interior of the processing chamber from the
liquid-spouting means arranged at the wall and/or the ceiling in
the processing chamber. Therefore, the liquid is spouted toward the
powder flow dust floating in the processing chamber. The powder
flow dust is mixed with the drainage, and it is reliably recovered.
Accordingly, it is possible to effectively avoid the adhesion and
the accumulation of the powder flow dust. Further, it is possible
to avoid the leakage of the powder flow dust to the outside which
would be otherwise caused when the door is opened/closed.
The present invention is provided with the classifying mechanism
for classifying the drainage into the liquid and the powder flow
dust after recovering the drainage containing the powder flow dust
generated when the glass beads are crushed. Therefore, the drainage
can be classified into the liquid and the powder flow dust easily
and reliably to be recycled. Thus, it is easy to effectively
utilize the resources.
In the present invention, the door structure, which is used to
open/close the opening of the processing chamber for
attaching/detaching the gear, is constructed by the double door
composed of the inner slide door and the outer slide door. The
inner side surface of the inner slide door is allowed to make tight
contact with the outer wall of the casing which forms the
processing chamber. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably avoid
the leakage of the mist floating in the processing chamber to the
outside, and it is possible to dissolve the problems concerning the
maintenance and the environment. Further, the noise control
performance is greatly improved owing to the double door structure.
It is possible to effectively avoid the influence of the noise
generated in the processing chamber.
Further, in the present invention, the both ends of the metal part
are supported by the driving rotary section and the driven rotary
section. The driven rotary section is pressed toward the metal part
by the aid of the cylinder. The metal part is pressed and
interposed by the driven rotary section and the driving rotary
section. In this state, the spindle unit is operated, and the metal
part is rotated. Accordingly, the metal part is tightly pressed and
interposed at its both ends. Therefore, no deflection occurs in the
metal part during the rotation. Thus, the high quality
strength-enhancing treatment is performed reliably and
efficiently.
In the present invention, the chamber is provided while making
communication with the suction port which is open on the lower side
of the processing chamber. The powder flow dust floating on the
lower side in the processing chamber is sucked into the chamber in
accordance with the action of the suction means. The powder flow
dust is recovered by the aid of the liquid spouted from the
fluid-spouting means. Accordingly, the powder flow dust floating in
the processing chamber can be recovered reliably and efficiently by
using the simple system. The bad influence of the powder flow dust
on the strength-enhancing treatment can be avoided as less as
possible. Therefore, the strength-enhancing treatment for the metal
part is continuously performed highly accurately.
Further, in the present invention, the drainage containing the
powder flow dust generated in the processing chamber is classified
by the classifying mechanism into the powder flow dust and the
liquid. After that, the classified powder flow dust is stored in
the powder flow dust-accommodating unit. The powder flow dust
floating in the powder flow dust-accommodating unit is forcibly
sucked into the chamber via the communication passage. Accordingly,
it is possible to reliably avoid any invasion of the powder flow
dust floating in the powder flow dust-accommodating unit into the
classifying mechanism. Further, it is possible to recover the
powder flow dust floating in the processing chamber reliably and
efficiently.
* * * * *