APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INTRICATE CUTS

• US 20110183580A1
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kenney, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,408,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/28
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 1/04 subjecting the grinding or polishing tools, the abrading or polishing medium or work to vibration, e.g. grinding with ultrasonic frequency polishing or abrading surfaces on work by means of tumbling apparatus B24B31/00, involving oscillating or vibrating containers B24B31/06; superfinishing surfaces on work, e.g. by means of abrading blocks reciprocating with high frequency, B24B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 19/009 for grinding profiled workpieces using a profiled grinding tool
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/20 of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303752 Process

Abstract

Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for intricate cuts. In particular, in one embodiment, a cutting apparatus is provided. The cutting apparatus includes a base member and an elongate member extending from the base member. The elongate member includes a tapered region having an abrasive surface. The tapered region defines at least one vertex defining an angle of a desired cutout shape. Additionally, the tapered region is toothless.

Claims

1. A cutting apparatus comprising:

a base member;

an elongate member extending from the base member, the elongate member comprising;

a tapered region having an abrasive surface, the tapered region defining at least one vertex defining an angle of a desired cutout shape, wherein the tapered region is toothless.

2. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongate member further comprises:

a non-tapered region located between the base member and the tapered region of the elongate member;

wherein a cross-section of the non-tapered region corresponds in size with a largest cross-section of the tapered region.

3. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the angle comprises an acute angle.

4. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the elongate member is made of steel; and

the abrasive surface comprises a diamond coating.

5. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 wherein a terminal end of the elongate member is tapered at a steeper angle than the tapered region.

6. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the terminal end of the elongate member has a radial shape comprising at least one vertex.

7. A method of machining intricate cuts in a work piece comprising:

cutting a work piece to form an aperture approximating a desired shape having at least one acute angle, wherein each acute angle of the desired shape is approximated by a cut having a corner radius;

inserting a tapered elongate member of a first cutting apparatus into the aperture; and

pushing the tapered elongate member through the aperture to remove material from the work piece, thereby forming the desired shape having at least one acute angle.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

mounting the first cutting apparatus to a reciprocating member; and

operating the reciprocating member while pushing the tapered elongate member through the aperture.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

inserting a tapered elongate member of at least one additional cutting apparatus into the aperture; and

pushing the tapered elongate member through the aperture to remove material from work piece.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sequentially inserting the additional tapered elongate member of the at least one additional cutting member in order of increasingly finer abrasive surfaces to achieve the desired shape;

wherein

the tapered elongate member of the at least one additional cutting apparatus has a finer abrasive surface than the first cutting apparatus.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sequentially inserting the one or more additional elongate members having increasingly less taper to achieve the desired shape;

wherein

the additional tapered elongate member of the at least one additional cutting apparatus tapers less than the first cutting apparatus.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

inserting increasingly shorter cutting apparatuses to achieve the desired shape;

wherein

the additional tapered elongate member of the at least one additional cutting apparatus has a shorter length than the first cutting apparatus.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

mounting the work piece on an ultrasonic device;

placing the work piece at least partially in an abrasive slurry; and

agitating at least one of the work piece and the abrasive slurry with the ultrasonic device.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

mounting the first cutting apparatus on an ultrasonic device;

placing the first cutting apparatus at least partially in an abrasive slurry; and

agitating at least one of the first cutting apparatus and the abrasive slurry with the ultrasonic device.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein rough machining comprises using a computer numerical controlled mill.

16. A system for making intricate cuts comprising:

a plurality of cutting apparatuses, each of the plurality of cutting apparatuses comprising;

a base; and

a tapered elongate member extending from the base, wherein at least one tapered elongate member comprises an abrasive surface, the tapered elongate member having a radial shape with at least one sharp feature;

wherein

the plurality of cutting apparatuses are sequentially inserted through an aperture in a fiber-in-matrix material to incrementally increase the size of the aperture to form the radial shape having at least one sharp feature.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one tapered elongate member comprises a diamond coating and wherein further the fiber-in-matrix material comprises a carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the plurality of cutting apparatuses has a steeper tapered elongate member.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one tapered elongate member of the plurality of cutting apparatuses has an abrasive coating with a different grit relative to another tapered elongate member of the plurality of cutting apparatuses, wherein further the elongate members are inserted into the aperture sequentially in order of increasingly fine grit size.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the tapered elongate members of the plurality of cutting apparatuses is longer than at least one other elongate member of the plurality of cutting apparatuses.