COLLECTING DEBRIS FROM A TOOL

• US 20090076656A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, VigneswaraRao, Ng, HwaLiang, Thomas, George P., Lutz, Joseph Charles, Yu, YongLing
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/0042 Devices for removing chips B23Q11/02, B23Q11/0875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49042 Remove chips from probe, tool by blowing them away
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49055 Remove chips from probe, tool by vibration

Abstract

An apparatus and associated method for collecting debris from a tool, wherein programming instructions are stored in memory and executed by a machine tool controller, and wherein the controller is responsive to an intermittent debris collect signal in altering an operative path of the tool in order to engage the tool with a debris collecting device.

Claims

1. A debris collection system comprising programming instructions stored in memory and executed by a controller, wherein the controller is responsive to an intermittent debris collect signal in altering an operative path of a tool in order to engage the tool with a debris collecting device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller imparts the operative path to the tool with respect to an article that is presented to the tool via a transport device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the debris collecting device is presented to the tool via the transport device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the debris collecting device is capable of collecting debris from the transport device.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the debris collecting device is supported by a body that also supports a communicative device associated with the debris collect signal.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the transport device comprises a conveyor.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the debris collecting device comprises an exposed adhesive surface.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the debris collecting device comprises multiple layers of adhesive-coated film.

9. A method comprising:

executing a first control mode on a tool imparting an operative path associated with operating the tool;

receiving a debris collect signal; and

executing a second control mode in response to the debris collect signal altering the operative path to engage the tool with a debris collecting device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the executing steps are characterized by programming instructions stored in memory that are executed by a processor based controller.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving step is performed intermittently in relation to the first control mode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the executing a first control mode step is characterized by transporting an article to a predetermined position in relation to the operative path.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the executing a second control mode step is characterized by transporting the debris collecting device to a predetermined position in relation to the tool.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising collecting debris from the transport device with the debris collecting device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the receiving a debris collect signal step is characterized in association with an arrival of the debris collecting device at the predetermined position.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving a debris collect signal step is characterized by a communication signal selected from a set consisting of an RFID signal and a bar code scanner signal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the executing a second control mode step is characterized by contactingly engaging the tool against an exposed adhesive surface.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing the adhesive surface from multiple layers of adhesive-coated film.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising removing a debris-contaminated layer to expose another layer.

20. A machine cell comprising:

a processor controlling movements of a tool; and

means for collecting debris from the tool by selectively altering the movements of the tool in response to presentation of a debris collect signal.