US 5,255,474 AGranted

Polishing spindle

AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

InventorsTomohiro Gawa, Katsuyoshi Shingu, Kiyoshi Mayahara

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Abstract

A polishing spindle is provided for use in a polishing device which includes a hollow spline shaft, and a polishing tool having a polishing member which defines a first bag-like elastic member and is attached in an airtight manner to a forward end of the hollow spline shaft. A device supplies a compressive fluid to the other end of the hollow spline shaft through a rotary joint, another device rotatably supports a nut which engages the hollow spline shaft, and a further device rotates the hollow spline shaft. A still further device is provided for displacing the hollow spline shaft in an axial direction. A second elastic member is provided along the axial direction of the hollow spline shaft so as to depress the polishing member against a workpiece under a constant pressure.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A polishing apparatus comprising:

a base;
a nut rotatably mounted to said base;
an elongated shaft having a forward end and a rearward end, extending through said nut, and being fixed for rotation with said nut;
a rotary drive unit operably connected to said nut to rotate said nut relative to said base;
a polishing tool fixedly secured to said forward end of said shaft, said polishing tool comprising a casing having a chamber defined therein adapted to receive pressurized fluid, and a flexible elastic polishing sheet fixedly secured to said casing to close a forward end of said chamber;
biasing means for biasing said shaft forwardly relative to said base in order to press said elastic polishing sheet against a workpiece under a constant pressure;
and
pressurized fluid supply means for supplying pressurized fluid to said chamber to cause expansion of said flexible elastic polishing sheet while allowing inward flexion of portions of said polishing sheet to accommodate an aspheric shape of the workpiece.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.