Surface polishing method and apparatus wherein axis of autorotation of workpiece is revolved about an axis within circumscribed circle of the workpiece

A surface polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece in a plane such that the surface of the workpiece is held in sliding contact with a polishing face of a rotating polishing plate, said surface polishing apparatus comprising:

• a work rotating device operable to rotate said workpiece about an autorotation axis thereof which is parallel to an axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within said surface of the workpiece;
• and
• a work revolving device operable to rotate said autorotation axis of said workpiece about a revolving axis which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within a circumscribed circle of said surface of the workpiece,
• and wherein said work rotating device rotates said workpiece with a rotating period TA while the work revolving device revolves said autorotation axis with a revolving period TB, such that said rotating period TA and said revolving period TB satisfies 0.1≦TB/TA<1, or 1<TB/TA≦10.

A method of polishing a surface of a workpiece in a plane such that the surface of the workpiece is held in sliding contact with a polishing face of a rotating polishing plate, said method comprising the steps of:

• rotating said workpiece about an autorotation axis thereof which is parallel to an axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within said surface of the workpiece;
• and
• revolving said autorotation axis of said workpiece about a revolving axis which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within a circumscribed circle of said surface of the workpiece,
• and wherein the rotation of said polishing plate about said axis of rotation, the autorotation of said workpiece about said autorotation axis and the revolution of said autorotation axis of said workpiece about said revolving axis take place in the same direction.

A method of polishing a surface of a workpiece in a plane such that the surface of the workpiece is held in sliding contact with a polishing face of a rotating polishing plate, said method comprising the steps of:

• rotating said workpiece about an autorotation axis thereof which is parallel to an axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within said surface of the workpiece;
• and
• revolving said autorotation axis of said workpiece about a revolving axis which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within a circumscribed circle of said surface of the workpiece,
• and wherein said workpiece is rotated about said autorotation axis with a rotating period TA by a work rotating device including a first drive source, while said autorotation axis of said workpiece is revolved about said revolving axis with a revolving period TB by a work revolving device including a second drive source, said first and second drive sources being operable independently of each other such that a ratio TB/TA is controllable.

A surface polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece in a plane such that the surface of the workpiece is held in sliding contact with a polishing face of a rotating polishing plate, said surface polishing apparatus comprising:

• a wheel rotating device for rotating said polishing plate;
• a work rotating device operable to rotate said workpiece about an autorotation axis thereof which is parallel to an axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within said surface of the workpiece;
• a work revolving device operable to rotate said autorotation axis of said workpiece about a revolving axis which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within a circumscribed circle of said surface of the workpiece,
• and wherein said wheel rotating device, said work rotating device and said work revolving device are operated such that the rotation of said polishing plate about said axis of rotation, the autorotation of said workpiece about said autorotation axis and the revolution of said autorotation axis of said workpiece about said revolving axis take place in the same direction.

A surface polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece in a plane such that the surface of the workpiece is held in sliding contact with a polishing face of a rotating polishing plate, said surface polishing apparatus comprising:

• a work rotating device operable to rotate said workpiece about an autorotation axis thereof which is parallel to an axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within said surface of the workpiece;
• and
• a work revolving device operable to rotate said autorotation axis of said workpiece about a revolving axis which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said polishing plate and which lies within a circumscribed circle of said surface of the workpiece,
• and wherein said work rotating device includes a first drive source for rotating said workpiece about said autorotation axis with a rotating period TA, while a second drive source for revolving said autorotation axis with a revolving period TB, said first and second drive sources being operable independently of each other such that a ratio TB/TA is controllable.