Wire electric discharge machine

• US 6,552,291 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Satou, Seiji, Magara, Takuji, Kobayashi, Hiroatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US10/049,424
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 219/69.12, 219/69.14
• US Class Current: 219/69.12
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/101 Supply of working media
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/36 Supply or regeneration of working media

Abstract

A wire electrical discharge machining apparatus provided with: a nozzle for spraying and supplying machining liquid, the nozzle being supported so that a state of the nozzle is switched over from a contact state with a work piece to a non-contact state with the work piece, and vice versa; a spring acting on the nozzle in a direction to make the nozzle move away from the work piece; a pump for changing and controlling a hydraulic pressure of the machining liquid; and electrical conduction switch-over apparatus by which power supply to the work piece is switched over from the nozzle of a conductor to apparatus other than the nozzle, and vice versa, such that the hydraulic pressure of the machining liquid during electric discharge machining is changed and controlled by the pump so that the state of the nozzle is switched over from the contact state to the non-contact state.

Claims

1. A wire electric discharge machining apparatus in which machining liquid is interposed between a wire electrode and a work piece and said work piece is machined by discharge energy, said wire electric discharge machining apparatus comprising:

electrically conductive means supported so that a state of said electrically conductive means is switched over between a contact state where said electrically conductive means comes into contact with said work piece and a non-contact state where said electrically conductive means does not come into contact with said work piece;

drag generating means for generating drag acting on said electrically conductive means in a direction to make said electrically conductive means move away from said work piece;

machining liquid pressure controlling means for changing and controlling a hydraulic pressure of said machining liquid; and

electrical conduction switch-over means for switching over power supply to said work piece from said electrically conductive means and/or from the means other than said electrically conductive means,

wherein said hydraulic pressure of said machining liquid during electric discharge machining is changed and controlled by said machining liquid pressure controlling means so that the state of said electrically conductive means is switched over between the contact state where said electrically conductive means comes into contact with said work piece and the non-contact state where said electrically conductive means does not come into contact with said work piece in accordance with a desired machining speed and desired machining accuracy to thereby carry out machining.

2. A wire electric discharge machining apparatus according to claim 1, in which said electrically conductive means is a nozzle for spraying and supplying said machining liquid.

3. A wire electric discharge machining apparatus in which machining liquid is interposed between a wire electrode and a work piece and said work piece is machined by discharge energy, said wire electric discharge machining apparatus comprising:

electrically conductive means supported so that a state of said electrically conductive means is switched over between a contact state where said electrically conductive means comes into contact with said work piece and a non-contact state where said electrically conductive means does not come into contact with said work piece;

drag generating means for generating drag acting on said electrically conductive means in a direction to make said electrically conductive means move away from said work piece; and

electrical conduction switch-over means for switching over power supply to said work piece from said electrically conductive means and/or from the means other than said electrically conductive means,

wherein a force generated by said drag generating means is changed and controlled so that the state of said electrically conductive means is switched over between the contact state where said electrically conductive means comes into contact with said work piece and the non-contact state where said electrically conductive means does not come into contact with said work piece in accordance with a desired machining speed and desired machining accuracy to thereby carry out machining.

4. A wire electric discharge machining apparatus according to claim 3, in which said electrically conductive means is a nozzle for spraying and supplying said machining liquid.