Polishing device and polishing method
AssigneeSintokogio, Ltd.
InventorsKazuyoshi Maeda, Norihito Shibuya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A polishing device includes a processing vessel into which workpieces are charged, a fluidizing unit that fluidizes the workpieces in the processing vessel, an abrasive-feeding unit that feeds an abrasive into the workpieces, and a suction unit that generates an air flow in a direction in which the abrasive passes through the processing vessel, and recovers the abrasive by suction. The abrasive fed from the abrasive-feeding unit is allowed to pass between the workpieces charged into the processing vessel by the air flow generated from the suction unit while coming into contact with the workpieces. Accordingly, the workpieces are polished.
Claims20
A polishing device that polishes surfaces of a plurality of workpieces, the polishing device comprising:
- a processing vessel that includes a bottom surface portion having a surface side and a back side and allowing an abrasive to pass therethrough, and allows the plurality of the workpieces to stay on the surface side of the bottom surface portion;
- a fluidizing unit that fluidizes the plurality of the workpieces in the processing vessel;
- an abrasive-feeding unit that feeds the abrasive to the surface side of the bottom surface portion;
- and
- a suction unit that generates an air flow in a direction from the surface side to the back side of the bottom surface portion, and recovers the abrasive by suction, on the back side of the bottom surface portion.
A polishing method using a polishing device including a processing vessel that includes a bottom surface portion having a surface side and a back side and allowing an abrasive to pass therethrough, and allows a plurality of workpieces to stay on the surface side of the bottom surface portion, a fluidizing unit that fluidizes the plurality of the workpieces, an abrasive-feeding unit that feeds the abrasive to the plurality of the workpieces present in the processing vessel, and a suction unit that recovers the abrasive by suction, the polishing method comprising:
- a workpiece-charging step of charging the plurality of the workpieces into the processing vessel;
- an air flow generating step of generating an air flow in a direction from the surface side to the back side of the bottom surface portion by the suction unit;
- a fluidizing step of fluidizing the plurality of the workpieces, which are charged into the processing vessel, by the fluidizing unit;
- an abrasive-feeding step of feeding the abrasive to the surface side of the bottom surface portion, from the abrasive-feeding unit;
- a polishing step of polishing the plurality of the workpieces by allowing the abrasive to pass between the workpieces charged into the processing vessel by the air flow;
- and
- an abrasive recovering step of recovering the abrasive by the suction unit, on the back side of the bottom surface portion.
A polishing method using a polishing device including a processing vessel that includes a bottom surface portion having a surface side and a back side and allowing an abrasive to pass therethrough and a discharge portion through which a plurality of workpieces are discharged to the outside, and allows the plurality of the workpieces to stay on the surface side of the bottom surface portion, a fluidizing unit that fluidizes the plurality of the workpieces, an abrasive-feeding unit that feeds the abrasive to the plurality of the workpieces present in the processing vessel, and a suction unit that recovers the abrasive by suction, the polishing method comprising:
- a workpiece-charging step of continuously or intermittently charging the plurality of the workpieces into the processing vessel;
- an air flow generating step of generating an air flow in a direction from the surface side to the back side of the bottom surface portion by the suction unit;
- a fluidizing-advancing step of fluidizing the plurality of the workpieces, which are present in the processing vessel, by the fluidizing unit and advancing the plurality of the workpieces, which are charged in the workpiece-charging step, toward the discharge portion;
- an abrasive-feeding step of feeding the abrasive to the surface side of the bottom surface portion from the abrasive-feeding unit;
- a polishing step of polishing the plurality of the workpieces by allowing the abrasive to pass between the workpieces that are present in the processing vessel by the air flow;
- an abrasive recovering step of recovering the abrasive by the suction unit, on the back side of the bottom surface portion;
- and
- a workpiece recovering step of recovering the plurality of the workpieces that are discharged from the discharge portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.