FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present application relates to an edge for a tool, for example, tools designed for machining of materials by removing chips to shape a blank, and more particularly to a cutting edge for such cutting tools, configured to provide improved resistance to chipping, longer edge life, and/or lower machining forces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Background of the invention is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.

[0003] Generally, all chip removing is done using what may be known from basic mechanics as a "wedge". A wedge is commonly formed of a first surface and a second surface disposed at an angle, commonly known as the "wedge angle", therebetween, and meeting at an edge. As the edge is brought to bear against a raw material [commonly referred to as a "black" and/or "work-piece"] it "peels" chips away therefrom. The chips flow along one of the first or second surfaces forming the wedge, which by positioning the wedge in a particular orientation relative to the raw material becomes a chip face or a rake face, while the opposing one of the first or second surfaces allowing the shaped material to pass freely therealong, rendering is as a relief face. [0004] In order to reduce cutting loads, it may be desirable to elongate a cutting edge as much as can be achieved. However, for precision works, cutting edges need to be kept as compact as possible. These comprise conflicting design requirements, often leading to a compromise, of shaping an edge as a wavy, serrated, and/or saw- tooth edge. Such cutting edge for a cutting tool has been disclosed, as an illustrative- only example, a leaflet published in April 1, 2015, on http://autotechupdates.com/helitang-t490-milling-inserts-wit h-serrated-cutting- edges/, concerning a "HELITANG T490 milling inserts with serrated cutting edges", disclosing, inter alia: "The serrated wavy cutting edges of the insert provide the following advantages: Split (crush) chips into small segments/Reduce cutting force and thus power consumption/Increase cutter stability/Improve chip evacuation/Substantially improve performance of extended flute cutters. Due to the above-mentioned features, cutters carrying the new insert provide extra efficiency in rough milling, especially in the following cases: Operational stiffness is low (high overhang, poor work-holding, thin- walled work-piece, etc.)/Machine power is limited/Chip evacuation is difficult in narrow slots or deep cavities" [mention of which can be found in the provided web link].

[0005] Moreover, the related US 8,556,546 to Carol Smilovici, Osama Atar, discloses, inter alia, "According to the present invention recesses formed in the major side surface interrupt the major cutting edge at recessed cutting edge portions.

Each recessed cutting edge portion is located between two non-recessed cutting edge portions. In an end view of the cutting insert, when viewing the end surface with the major cutting edge, each recessed cutting edge portion comprises a curved central section located between two curved side sections. This structure of the recessed cutting edge portions has proven to be advantageous in milling operations, especially rough milling of metallic work pieces at high metal removal rates. On the one hand the interrupted cutting edge causes chip splitting and on the other hand the curved sections provide a robust interrupted cutting edge which can withstand greater cutting forces without breaking in comparison with interrupted cutting edges in which the recessed cutting edge portions do not have this curved structure." 06] Also, EP 2492035 assigned to Seco Tools stresses on optimization of a wedge angle of a cutter. Quoting Paragraph [0003] therein, "At different parts of the working portion of a cutting edge, it will often be desirable to have different characteristics. For example, at a deepest part of a cut, it may be desirable to have a sharper edge (smaller wedge angle) than at a portion of the cut in the feed direction, where edge strength may be more important and a larger wedge angle can be used. Because the end of one working portion of a cutting edge is generally immediately succeeded by the beginning of the next edge, it can be difficult to provide appropriate wedge angles at different parts of a cutting edge." United States Patent 8419320 to Korloy reads, inter alia, "At least one surface of the major cutting edge 250 is provided with a concave nick cutting edge 252, which is an important feature of the present invention. ... the concave nick cutting edge 252 may be formed in a trench shape in the upward and downward direction of the lateral surface 250 to connect the major cutting edge 220 of the upper surface 210 and the major cutting edge (not shown) of the lower surface together. Preferably, at least two concave nick cutting edges 252 are provided on any opposing two lateral surfaces 250 among the lateral surfaces 250, respectively. ... While not shown in the drawing, the concave nick cutting edge may be provided in an even number like four and six on any opposing two lateral surfaces, respectively. More preferably, the concave nick cutting edge 252 is symmetrically provided in the left and right direction on any opposing two lateral surfaces, respectively. In this case, a pair of the concave nick cutting edges 252, ... may be provided at the portion of the lateral surface 250 on which the inclined cutting edge 226 is located. It should be appreciated that since the concave nick cutting edges 252 are symmetrically provided in the left and right direction, it brings about effects to prolong the life span of the tool, wherein the cutting resistance is uniformly applied to the respective cutting edge portions of the cutting insert 200 to reduce the cutting resistance." [0007] Numerous advantages and features of the present invention may become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiment thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] In the following disclosure, aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope.

[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel cutter with an edge which provides reduced stress-concentration during manufacturing and hence provide improved resistance to chipping and wear.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention generally concerns an edge segment disposed on a cutter. The edge comprises at least a first crest and a second crest jutting away from a cutter body. A trough is disposed between the first crest and the second crest and merges therewith. The edge may be defined by a rake face and a relief face merging at the edge and extending generally away therefrom and generally transversely to each other. The rake face and the relief face define an internal wedge angle Ω therebetween. A crest wedge angle Qc is greater than a trough wedge angle Ωΐ.

[0011] Possibly, the relief face is at least partially corrugated, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon.

[0012] Alternatively and/or additionally, the rake face is at least partially corrugated, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon. [0013] Potentially, there is defined a relief angel Φ between the relief face and a tangent to a work-piece at a point of mutual contact.

[0014] Moreover, the relief angle Φ and the wedge angle Ω define a rake angle Ψ between the rake face and a normal to the work-piece at the point of mutual contact. [0015] Optionally, the relief angle varies between a minimal crest relief angle < c at the crest of the edge and a maximal trough relief angle Φΐ.

[0016] Alternatively and/or additionally, the rake angle Ψ varies between a minimal crest rake angle *Fc and a trough maximal rake angle Ψΐ.

[0017] Another potential aspect of the present disclosure is concerned with a method for shaping an edge for a cutter. The edge comprises at least a first crest and a second crest jutting away from a cutter body, and having a trough disposed therebetween and merging therewith. As is commonly known in the practice, the edge may be defined by a rake face and a relief face merging at the edge and extending generally away therefrom and generally transversely to each other. The rake face and the relief face define an internal wedge angle Ω therebetween, and a crest wedge angle Qc greater than a trough wedge angle Ωΐ.

[0018] Optionally, the method further comprises shaping the relief face as a corrugated surface, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon.

[0019] Potentially, the method further comprises shaping the rake face as a corrugated surface, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon. [0020] It is therefore one of the objects of the present application to obviate known limitations of cutters and to provide an edge which significantly improves metal- removal rates. It is a further object of the present application to provide such cutters with enhanced wear resistance. Still further, it is an object of the present application to provide such a cutter with improved resistance to chipping.

[0021] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the figures and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0022] Exemplary and/or illustrative embodiments of the present invention will be presented herein below in the following figures, by way of example only. The present disclosure may be best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like portions have the same reference numerals. It should be emphasized that according to common practice, various features of the drawings are not drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated. On the contrary, dimensions of various features, and/or the features themselves, may be expanded and/or reduced and/or roughly shown and/or omitted entirely, to show details of particular components, in a purpose that the present disclosure may become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying schematic figures. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Fig. 1 illustrates a general schematic perspective representation of a cutter comprising a first face and a second face defining least one edge at a meeting thereof in accordance with a first optional embodiment of the present disclosure; [0024] Fig. 2 illustrates a general schematic face detail view representation of the first face and/or the second face of the exemplary first embodiment of the edge shown in Fig. 1;

[0025] Fig. 3 illustrates a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the edge, taken along line III in Fig. 2;

[0026] Fig. 4 illustrates a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the edge, taken along line IV in Fig. 2;

[0027] Fig. 5 illustrates a general schematic face detail view representation of a first face and/or a second face of an exemplary second optional embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0028] Fig. 6 illustrates a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the edge, taken along line VI in Fig. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] As required, schematic, exemplary embodiments of the present application is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments is merely exemplary of the present disclosure, which may be embodied in various and/or alternative forms. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. [0030] Aspects, advantages and/or other features of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent in view of the following detailed description, which discloses various non-limiting embodiments of the invention. In describing exemplary embodiments, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the embodiments are not intended to be limited to this specific terminology. It is to be understood that each specific portion includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0031] Exemplary embodiments may be adapted for many different purposes and are not intended to be limited to the specific exemplary purposes set forth herein. Other non-limiting examples of such embodiments are compositions that may be used, for example, for structural components. Those skilled in the art would be able to adapt the embodiments of the present disclosure, depending for example, on the intended use of the embodiment. Moreover, examples and limitations related therewith brought herein below are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the following specification and a study of the related figures.

[0032] The present disclosure discusses an edge for a tool, and more specifically, a cutter. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that such edges may be formed on many sorts of tools, including, but not limited to stationary [where work- pieces move and/or rotates, for example on lathe knives] and/or movable [translator and/or rotary tools, such as, but not limited to, mills, drills, saws, etc.]. Moreover, such edges may be fashioned on monomythic [such as, but not limited to, solid mills] as well as modular tools [removable insert tools]. Furthermore, such edges may be formed in any known or discovered manner, such as, but not limited to, molding, sintering, grinding or erosive methods, and from any appropriate, known or discovered material, such as, but not limited to, HSS, Tungsten Carbides, ceramic and/or cermet. [0033] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of the present disclosure illustrate an exemplary first embodiment of a cutter 100. Possibly, the first embodiment cutter 100 may be embodied as chip removal cutter. Further, the first embodiment cutter 100 may be embodied in several general types of chip removal cutters, e. g., milling, turning, etc., chip removal cutter. The first embodiment cutter 100 has a cutter body 105 comprises a generally polygonal first face 120, a generally polygonal, opposing second face 140, and a peripheral envelope 160 extending therebetween and merging therewith, defining a first peripheral edge 180 and a second peripheral edge 200, respectively. At least a portion of the either the first peripheral edge 180 or the second peripheral edge 200 comprises a working, or cutting edge 220. In this exemplary-only first embodiment, the at least a portion of the first peripheral edge 180 comprises a working, or a cutting, edge 220. Correspondingly, at least a portion of the first face 120 or the second face 140 adjacent the cutting edge 220 comprise a rake face 240, depending on an orientation at which the cutter 100 may be positioned relative to a work-piece [not shown].

[0034] In this exemplary-only first embodiment cutter 100, the portion of the first face 120 comprises a rake face 240. Extending transversely to the rake face 240 in a direction away therefrom and away from the cutting edge 220 is a relief face 260 portion of the peripheral envelope 160. The first rake face 240 and the relief face 260 define therebetween a minimum internal wedge angle Ω therebetween. The wedge angle Ω may be an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle, as determined by cutting requirements and associated material properties, both of the cutter 100 and of the work-piece [not shown].

[0035] The present disclosure concerns irregular edge cutters, i. e., cutters comprising at least one edge segment which comprises consecutive and alternating crests and troughs. This may be formed by employing either a corrugated rake face 240, a corrugated relief face 260, or both [corrugated means having alternating ridges and furrows extending generally away from the edge 220]. As may be best noticed in Fig. 2 in the exemplary-only first embodiment of the cutter 100, the relief face 260 portion comprises at least a first crest 320 and a second crest 340 jutting [or projecting] in a direction away from the cutter body 105 with a trough 360 extending therebetween and merging therewith. Drawing attention now to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, and as is schematically demonstrated thereby, a minimum internal trough wedge angle Ωΐ is smaller than a minimum internal crest wedge angle Ωα

[0036] Again looking at Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, there is defined a work-piece tangent Tw to a local work-piece surface [not shown] at a point of contact between the work- piece [not shown] and any point on an edger 1220. A work-piece normal Nw extends perpendicularly away from the work-piece tangent Tw. A given wedge angle Ω together with an orientation of the cutter 100 relative to a work-piece [not shown] as determined by an orientation of the work-piece tangent Tw and the work- piece normal Nw, defines a relief angle Ψ and a rake angle Φ, as is well known in the art. In the first embodiment cutter 100, such variation of the wedge angle Ω is achieved by varying the relief angle Ψ by forming a crest relief angle *Fc smaller than an adjacent trough relief angle Ψΐ.

[0037] Turning now to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, another schematic second embodiment of a cuter 1100 is shown. For the sake of simplicity, reference numerals of the second embodiment cutter 1100 designating similar elements as elements of the first embodiment cutter 100 have been upped by 1000. Possibly, the second embodiment cutter 1100 may be embodied as chip removal cutter. Further, the second embodiment cutter 1100 may be embodied in several general types of chip removal cutters, e. g., milling, turning, etc., chip removal cutter. The second embodiment cutter 1100 comprises a generally schematic structure akin to the first embodiment cutter 100. The second embodiment cutter 1100 has a cutter body 1105, and comprises at least a portion of a first peripheral edge 1180 having formed thereon a working, or a cutting, edge 1220. Correspondingly, and as may be best noticed on Fig.6, at least a portion of a first face 1120 or the second face 1140 adjacent the cutting edge 1220 comprise a rake face 1240, depending on an orientation at which the cutter 1100 may be positioned relative to a work-piece [not shown]. [0038] In this exemplary-only second embodiment, the portion of the first face 1120 comprises a rake face 1240. Extending transversely to the rake face 1240 in a direction away therefrom and away from the cutting edge 1220 is a relief face 1260 portion. The first rake face 1240 and the relief face 1260 define a minimum internal wedge angle Ω therebetween. The wedge angle Ω may be an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle, as determined by cutting requirements and associated material properties, both of the cutter 100 and of the work-piece [not shown].

[0039] The cutting edge 1220 is a non-linear edge. This may be formed by employing either a corrugated rake face 1240, a corrugated relief face 1260, or both. As may be best noticed on Fig. 5 in the exemplary- only second embodiment of the cutter 1100, the edge 1220 comprises at least a first crest 1320 and at least a second crest 1340 jutting away from the cutter body 1105 with a trough 1360 extending therebetween and merging therewith. As may be best noticed in Fig. 6, and as is schematically demonstrated thereby, a minimum internal trough wedge angle Ωΐ is smaller than a minimum internal crest wedge angle Ωα A given wedge angle Ω together with an orientation of the second cutter 1100 relative to a work-piece [not shown] defines a relief angle Ψ and a rake angle Φ, as is well known in the art. In the second embodiment cutter 1100, such variation of the wedge angle Ω is achieved by varying the rake angle Φ by forming a crest rake angle < c larger than an adjacent trough rake angle Φΐ, while maintaining a crest relief angle *Fc similar to a trough relief angle Ψΐ. [0040] In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for shaping an edge for a cutter [such as the cutter 100, 1100 shown and explained in conjunction with Figs. 1-6]. The edge comprises at least a first crest and a second crest jutting away from a cutter body, and having a trough disposed therebetween and merging therewith. The edge may be defined by a rake face and a relief face merging at the edge and extending generally away therefrom and generally transversely to each other. The rake face and the relief face define an internal wedge angle Ω therebetween, and a crest wedge angle Qc is greater than a trough wedge angle Ωΐ.

[0041] Further, the method comprises shaping the relief face as a corrugated surface, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon. Moreover, the method comprises shaping the rake face as a corrugated surface, i.e., comprising alternating ridges and furrows disposed thereon.

[0042] Such arrangement of a cutter's edge disposed more material near first to contact parts of the cutter with a work-piece [not shown] thereby strengthening potential weak and quick to wear out areas and potentially leading to better longevity thereof.

[0043] All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and hence, may not be construed to create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the devices and/or methods disclosed herein.

[0044] Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, "first", "second", or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another embodiment, variation and/or modification.

[0045] It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting of the scope of the disclosure. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

[0046] While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad present disclosure, and that this present disclosure is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications and/or adaptations may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is to be understood that individual features shown or described for one embodiment may be combined with individual features shown or described for another embodiment. It is to be understood that some features are shown or described to illustrate the use of the present disclosure in the context of functional segments and such features may be omitted within the scope of the present disclosure and without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.