Wire cut electrical discharge machine

• US 5,874,702 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sodick Company Limited (Plustech, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sodick Company Limited (Plustech, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US08/809,413
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 219/69.12, 219/69.14
• US Class Current: 219/69.12
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 1/10 Supply or regeneration of working media
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/108 Used wire disposal devices

Abstract

A wire cut electrical discharge machining device including a work tank (31) which holds a workpiece (8), a wire cutting device (11) which cuts the wire electrode used to generate a electrical discharge in the gap between the wire electrode (32) and the workpiece into small pieces, a container (12), mounted outside the work tank, to hold the small wire pieces, and a malleable guide tube (13), one end (13A) of which is connected to the wire cutting device, and the other end (13B) of which is directed toward the container. Small wire parts are conveyed to the container by the flow of a fluid (15) introduced to the guide tube. The container includes a filter (12A) to separate the small wire pieces and the fluid.

Claims

1. A wire cut electrical discharge machine for machining a workpiece by electrical discharges in a machining gap formed between the workpiece and a wire electrode as said wire electrode travels through an upper and a lower wire guide, each positioned on an opposite side of the workpiece, the wire cut electrical discharge machine comprising:

a wire puller positioned adjacent to and downstream of the lower wire guide for pulling the wire electrode through the upper and lower wire guides;

a wire cutter for cutting the wire electrode pulled by the wire puller into small pieces;

a recovery device for recovering the small pieces;

a guide tube, extending essentially between the wire cutter and the the recovery device; and

a fluid supply for supplying fluid to the guide tube and, by flow of that fluid through the guide tube, for conveying the small pieces to the recovery device.

2. The wire cut electrical discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising a work tank for containing the workpiece and wherein the wire cutter is disposed in said work tank.

3. The wire cut electrical discharge machine according to claim 2, further comprising a moveable member, moveable along a guide rail, said movable member supporting the lower wire guide, the wire puller and the wire cutter.

4. A wire cut electrical discharge machine for machining a workpiece by electrical discharges in a machining gap formed between the workpiece and a wire electrode as said wire electrode travels through an upper and a lower wire guide, each positioned on an opposite side of the workpiece, the wire cut electrical discharge machine comprising:

a dielectric fluid supply for supplying dielectric fluid to the machining gap;

a work tank for containing the work piece, the work tank having an opening formed in the bottom thereof to evacuate the dielectric fluid therefrom;

a wire puller positioned adjacent to and downstream of the lower wire guide for pulling the wire electrode through the upper and lower wire guides;

a wire cutter mounted in the work tank, for cutting the wire electrode as it is pulled by the wire puller into small pieces;

a recovery device for recovering the small pieces; and

,

a guide tube extending essentially between the work tank opening and the recovery device.

5. A wire cut electrical discharge machine for machining a workpiece by electrical discharges in a machining gap formed between a wire electrode and the workpiece using a traveling, continuous wire electrode, the wire cut electrical discharge machine comprising:

a workpiece containing tank for containing the workpiece;

a wire cutter, mounted within the workpiece containing tank for cutting the wire electrode, after it is used to generate electrical discharges, into small pieces;

a recovery device, mounted outside the workpiece containing tank for recovering the small pieces; and

,

a tubular device for conveying the small pieces to the recovery device.

6. The wire cut electrical discharge machining according to claim 5, wherein the tubular device includes a malleable guide tube, one end of which is connected to the wire cutter, and another end of which is directed toward the recovery device, and a fluid supply for introducing a fluid to the guide tube such that the small pieces are conveyed to the recovery device by the fluid flow.

7. The wire cut electrical discharge according to claim 5, wherein the recovery device includes a filter to separate the small pieces and the fluid.

8. The wire cut electrical discharge machine according to claim 5, wherein the work piece containing tank has an opening and including a means for gathering the small pieces to said opening, a guide tube extending essentially between said opening and the recovery device, and a fluid supply for introducing fluid to the guide tube such that the small pieces are conveyed to the recovery device by the flow of fluid.

9. The wire cut electrical discharge machine according to claim 5, further including a pair of wire guides for guiding the wire as it travels through said machining gap, of said pair of wire guides being arrayed on opposite sides of the workpiece, and a wire puller for pulling the wire electrode which has passed through the wire guides toward the wire cutter, the pair of wire guides, the wire puller, and the wire cutter being arrayed in a straight line.

10. The wire cut electrical discharge machine according to claim 5, wherein the wire puller comprises a pair of pinch rollers, at least one of said pinch rollers being driven wherein the wire electrode, when engaged by said pinch rollers, is pulled by the rotation thereof.