Edge modification apparatus

An apparatus for providing an edging material to the edge profile of an arbitrarily shaped planar object, said apparatus comprising

• a fixed structure to which said planar object can be mounted,
• an edge follower movably mounted from said fixed structure and adapted to move along at least part of said edge profile of said planar object,
• an edge sensor capable of determining a slope of said profile at said edge follower relative to a fixed frame of reference,
• an active force controller acting between said fixed structure and said edge follower responsive to feedback from said edge sensor to act directly on said edge follower to control a direction of bias of said edge follower towards said planar object,
• said edge follower carrying a driven roller which engages with the edge of said planar object to, upon said driven roller being rotationally driven, generate movement of said edge follower along at least part of said profile,
• whereby in use, the provision of an edging material to the edge profile of the arbitrarily shaped planar object occurs by the edging material being fed between a pressure roller of said edge follower and the edge profile, pressure roller providing a pressing force onto the edging material to press the edging material onto said edge profile.

A method of edge banding an edge of a planar panel comprising

• mounting a panel on a support structure,
• placing a pressure roller adjacent an edge of said panel, and
• whilst providing a feed of edge banding material to engage with said panel and which is fed onto said panel between the pressure roller and said panel, providing a rotation to an at least one rotating edge contact roller which is in contact with at least one of the edge of said panel, advancing said pressure roller and said edge contact roller along said edge while simultaneously depositing edge bonding material to the edge of said panel, and
• controlling the application of a vectored force to the edge contact roller, which is directly controlled in response to an angle of the panel at said edge contact roller to thereby press said edge contact roller against the edge of said panel.

An edge modification apparatus for modification of at least part of an edge of a substantially planar panel, said edge defining a perimeter of an arbitrary profile, said apparatus comprising:

• a mount to mount said panel on a fixed structure,
• an edge follower including at least one edge contact roller to follow at least part of the perimeter of said panel,
• an edge follower support structure to allow displacement of said edge follower relative to said fixed structure and when in use, relative to said panel,
• an edge sensor capable of determining a slope of said profile at said edge follower relative to a fixed frame of reference,
• a force controller to directly apply a variable vectored force to said edge follower to press said at least one contact roller onto the edge of said panel, said force controller capable of vectoring the force applied to said edge follower relative to said fixed frame of reference and in response to the edge sensor, in a manner to vector the resultant force to said edge follower in a direction
• a) to press said at least one contact roller onto said edge, and
• b) substantially not along said edge,
• at least one of a contact roller and the at least one edge contact roller being a rotationally driven roller in contact with said panel and that when rotationally driven generates relative movement between said edge follower and said planar object to thereby induce movement of said edge follower along at least part of the profile, and
• said edge follower including means for modifying the edge of said panel as said edge follower progresses along said edge of said panel.

An edge modification apparatus for the modification of at least part of an edge of a substantially planar panel, said edge defining a perimeter of an arbitrary profile, said apparatus comprising:

• a mount to mount said panel on a fixed structure,
• an edge follower including at least one edge contact roller to follow at least part of the perimeter of said panel,
• an edge follower support structure to allow displacement of said edge follower relative to said fixed structure and when in use, relative to said panel,
• an edge sensor capable of determining the slope of said profile at said edge follower relative to a fixed frame of reference,
• a force controller to directly apply a variable vectored force to said edge follower to press said at least one edge contact roller onto the edge of said panel, said force controller being capable of vectoring the force applied to said edge follower relative to said fixed frame of reference and in response to the edge sensor, in a manner to vector the resultant force to said edge follower in a direction
• a) to press said at least one edge contact roller onto said edge, and
• b) substantially not along said edge, save for a very small component in
• or against the direction of travel of said edge follower along said profile,
• at least one of a contact roller and the at least one edge contact roller being a rotationally driven roller in contact with said panel and when rotationally driven generates relative movement between said edge follower and said planar object to thereby induce movement of said edge follower along at least part of the profile, and
• said edge follower including means for modifying the edge of said panel as said edge follower progresses along said edge of said panel.