Thermal cutting machine and dust collecting method thereof

• US 6,664,495 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Industries Corporation (Komatsu)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Industries Corporation (Komatsu)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Kabata, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAN, QUANG T
• Application Number:
  US10/266,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.39, 219/121.58, 219/121.48, 219/121.6, 219/121.67, 266/65, 266/49, 834/51, 831/67, 454/7, 126/622, 126/629, 126/628, 126/286, 372/107
• US Class Current: 219/121.39
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0461 Welding tables
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/08 for flash removal

Abstract

A thermal cutting machine and a dust collecting method capable of reducing in size and exhausting fumes and a high pressure gas efficiently. For this purpose, the thermal cutting machine includes a plurality of exhaust chambers (20) which are placed side by side inside a table (3), an exhaust port (23) provided at one end side of each of the exhaust chambers, an exhaust device (25) communicating with each of the exhaust ports, an opening and closing drive device (24b) for opening and closing each of the exhaust ports, an air blow port (21) provided at a position substantially opposing each of the exhaust ports, an air blow device (22) which blows air into the each air blow port (21), and a control device (6) for controlling the opening and closing drive device and the air blow device in synchronism with each other, or controlling them individually, correspondingly to a horizontal position of a torch (4) which is under cutting operation.

Claims

1. A thermal cutting machine for thermally cutting a workpiece placed on a table from above by means of a torch movable in substantially a horizontal direction, comprising:

a plurality of exhaust chambers which are separated by at least one partition plate provided in substantially parallel with one side of said table, and are placed side by side inside said table;

an exhaust port provided at one end side in an exhaust direction of each of said exhaust chambers;

exhaust means, which is provided at each of said exhaust ports, communicates with said each exhaust port via an exhaust duct shared by each of said exhaust ports or an individual exhaust passage, and performs exhaust of said each exhaust chamber;

opening and closing drive means for opening and closing each of said exhaust ports;

an air blow port provided at a side of the other end of each of said exhaust chambers and at a position substantially opposing each of said exhaust ports;

air blow means which communicates with an inlet side of each of said air blow ports and blows air into said each air blow port; and

control means for controlling each of said opening and closing drive means and each of said air blow means provided at both end sides of each of said exhaust chambers in synchronism with each other, or controlling them individually, correspondingly to a horizontal position of said torch which is under cutting operation.

2. The thermal cutting machine according to claim 1,

wherein each of said air blow means is capable of blowing air into only one of said exhaust chambers that is provided with said each air blow means via one of said air blow ports communicating therewith.

3. The thermal cutting machine according to claim 1,

wherein each of said exhaust ports is provided at a side nearer to a machine origin of movement of said torch than each of said air blow ports substantially opposed thereto.

4. A thermal cutting machine for thermally cutting a workpiece placed on a table from above by means of a torch movable in substantially a horizontal direction, comprising:

a plurality of exhaust chambers which are separated by at least one partition plate provided in substantially parallel with one side of said table, and are placed side by side inside said table;

an exhaust port provided at one end side in an exhaust direction of each of said exhaust chambers;

exhaust means, which is provided at each of said exhaust ports, communicates with said each exhaust port via an exhaust duct shared by each of said exhaust ports or an individual exhaust passage, and performs exhaust of said each exhaust chamber;

opening and closing drive means for opening and closing each of said exhaust ports;

an air blow port provided at a side of the other end of each of said exhaust chambers and at a position substantially opposing each of said exhaust ports;

an air blow device which communicates with an inlet side of each of said air blow ports via an individual air blow duct provided thereto and blows air into said each air blow port;

air blow opening and closing means which is provided at each of said air blow duct, and performs and stops air blow; and

control means for controlling each of said opening and closing drive means and each of said air blow opening and closing drive means provided at both end sides of each of said exhaust chambers in synchronism with each other, or controlling them individually, correspondingly to a horizontal position of said torch which is under cutting operation.

5. The thermal cutting machine according to claim 4,

wherein each of said air blow opening and closing means is capable of blowing air into only one of said exhaust chambers that is provided with said each air blow opening and closing means, via one of said air blow ports communicating therewith, by being operated to open.

6. The thermal cutting machine according to claim 4,

wherein each of said exhaust ports is provided at a side nearer to a machine origin of movement of said torch than each of said air blow ports substantially opposed thereto.

7. A dust collecting method of a thermal cutting machine for collecting a flue gas occurring when thermally cutting a workpiece placed on a table from above by means of a torch movable in substantially a horizontal direction, comprising the steps of:

detecting a horizontal position of said torch while performing cutting operation; and

controlling each of air blow means and each of opening and closing drive means, which are provided to oppose each other with said torch between them, in synchronism with each other or individually, for each of a plurality of exhaust chambers which are separated in substantially parallel with one side of said table and are placed side by side inside said table to perform exhaust of a flue gas inside the exhaust chamber corresponding to said detected horizontal position of the torch, based on said detected horizontal position of the torch.

8. A dust collecting method of a thermal cutting machine for collecting a flue gas occurring when thermally cutting a workpiece placed on a table from above by means of a torch movable in substantially a horizontal direction, comprising the steps of:

detecting a horizontal position of said torch while performing cutting operation;

performing air blow and exhaust for an exhaust chamber corresponding to said horizontal position of the torch out of a plurality of exhaust chambers which are separated in substantially parallel with one side of said table and are placed side by side inside said table; and

after said torch passes the exhaust chamber corresponding to said horizontal position of the torch, continuing air blow and exhaust for the exhaust chamber corresponding to said horizontal position of the torch for a predetermined period of time to perform exhaust of a flue gas inside said table.