TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention regards a ceramic slabs or tiles dry processing machine, such as a lapping or smoothing machine.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

In order to operate efficiently, lapping or smoothing machines require means for cooling the tools and removing the material removed during the processing. In all known solutions, these tasks are carried out by a fluid, water in almost all cases. The material removed in the processing appears in form of sludge in these cases.

The international patent application published under number WO2017168366A1, describes a machine that uses air instead of water as means for cooling the tools and also as means for suctioning the material (dusts in this case) removed from the tiles subject of processing.

This international patent application discloses a machine provided with a plurality of heads, as well as with first cooling and suctioning means arranged around each polishing head, with second cooling and suctioning means arranged on the perimeter of the area for processing the ceramic products and third cooling means arranged at the centre and/or inside each polishing head.

Despite using such means, it is not possible to prevent the dust - produced following the processing of the tiles - from sticking against the surface of the latter, proportionally to the amount of humidity of the work environment.

This is detrimental to the processing quality given that while the tiles advance in the machine they are subjected to the action of increasingly finer abrasive tools and the presence of coarser dust on the surface can cause scratches and finish unevenness.

In addition, it should be considered that the fans for blowing the cooling air must overcome strong resistance in the supply ducts and thus tend to heat the air, so that the blown air has a temperature of about l5°C above the room temperature. If the room temperature amounts to 30°C-40°C, the temperature for supplying the same by means of fans cannot be sufficient to cool the tools. The solution is strongly inefficient in any case and it entails high absorption of power.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a new tiles or slabs dry processing machine, such as a lapping or smoothing machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dry lapping or smoothing machine that is capable of processing tiles or slabs without ruining them.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a processing machine that is capable of efficiently cooling tiles or slabs to be processed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine as indicated above which provides for a low energy consumption or a lower consumption with respect to cooling using fans.

According to an aspect of invention, a machine according to claim 1 is provided for.

The dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the description of an embodiment of a machine, illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings wherein:

- figure 1 is a top perspective view of a machine according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the machine of fig. 1;

- figure 3 illustrates a detail - in enlarged scale - of the machine of figure 1;

- figure 4 is a sectional view of an air amplifier component for the machine of figure 1 with respective ducts;

- figure 5 illustrates a detail - in enlarged scale - of the machine of figure 1.

In the attached drawings, identical parts or components are distinguished using the same reference numbers.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION With reference to the attached figures, a machine 1 for the dry processing of tiles or slabs comprising at least one head 2 for machining tiles or slabs and means 3 for transporting tiles beneath or at the machining head(s) 2 for processing tiles or slabs using the latter, has been illustrated.

The transportation means may comprise a conveyor belt 3 suitably driven and designated to drive the tiles along a transportation or advancement direction A-A.

Preferably, the machine 1 comprises a plurality of heads 2, for example two, three, four, five, six or more, aligned one after the other above the transportation means 3 along the transportation direction A-A, so that each one of them is designated to process the tiles or slabs transported by the transportation means 3 one after the other in sequence.

The machine 1 also comprises means 4, 5, 6a, 6b for cooling the machining head(s) 2 and/or tools 7 thereof. The cooling means 4, 5, 6a, 6b can also carry out the function of detaching the dusts from the surface of the tiles or slabs.

In particular with reference to the term“dry”, it is used to indicate that the machine does not comprise means for cooling the heads designated to supply a liquid, such as water on the latter.

More in particular, the cooling means comprise at least one air amplifier component 4 comprising a fitting 4a with at least one first suctioning mouth 4b in communication with the environment outside or inside the machine, but with an area with substantially atmospheric pressure or non-pressurised area, for example by means of a first pipe 8a, at least one second suctioning or conveying mouth 4c in fluid communication with a source of pressurised or compressed air (not illustrated in the figures), possibly by means of a second pipe 8b, and at least one mouth 4d for the outflow of the ambient air and pressurised air mixture.

Preferably, the air amplifier component 4 comprises at least one main duct 4e with a narrowing 4f, i.e. a narrowing of the section, at an intermediate area thereof and defining - at a first end thereof - the first suctioning mouth 4b in communication with the environment, for example by means of the first pipe 8a fitted and connected to the main duct 4e at the first end 4b, and - at a second end thereof - the mouth 4d for the outflow of the ambient air and pressurised air mixture.

The main duct 4e may have a through-opening with progressively decreasing section upstream of the narrowing and, possibly, with progressively increasing section downstream of the narrowing 4f and approaching the outlet mouth 4d. The section of the outlet mouth 4d may be equal to or greater than the section of the first suctioning mouth 4b.

The air amplifier component 4 also comprises at least one auxiliary duct 4g terminating into the narrowing 4f of the main duct 4e, the auxiliary duct 4g defining - at a first end thereof - the second suctioning or conveying mouth 4c in fluid communication with a source of compressed air, such as tank or compressor, for example by means of the second pipe 8b fitted or connected to the auxiliary duct 4g at the respective first end. At a second end thereof, the auxiliary duct 4g opens in the narrowing 4f, so as to convey compressed air into the main duct 4e. The auxiliary duct 4g may have a terminal portion 4gl wrapping part of the main duct 4e and opening in the narrowing 4f.

The second pipe 8b may have an outer diameter of about 10-15 mm, for example 12 mm and an inner diameter for example about 6-8 mm.

Furthermore, the second suctioning and conveying mouth 4c may be placed in communication with a source of compressed air at about 5-7 bars, for example 6 bars.

The first pipe 8a may have a diameter equivalent to about 50-80 mm, for example 60-70 mm. Such pipe 8a may have a length of about 100-150 mm, for example 120 mm.

Such component 4 allows obtaining a drive flow by part of the high pressure compressed air which tends to be arranged along the outer surface of the narrowing 4f and suction the ambient air into the amplifier component 4 due to air viscosity.

This allows obtaining a strong multiplication effect or increase of the flow rate of the ambient air dispensed towards the machining head 2 and/or towards the tools 7, the ambient air being driven or suctioned into the amplifier component 4 due to the compressed air conveyed at the second suctioning or conveying mouth 4c, in particular at low pressure and high speed. The ratio between compressed air and ambient air can be equivalent to 1/22.

The ambient air is for example collected just outside the respective head 2, possibly immediately outside the or in one-two metres from the support structure of the head(s), such as a swinging beam 11 to be outlined better hereinafter.

As regards the machining head(s) 2 in detail, it may have a rotatable main support component 2a, by means of special drive means, for example electrical, around a first axis x-x, possibly, in use, vertical, and a plurality of tools 7 mounted or supported around the main support component 2a.

Possibly, according to the embodiment illustrated in the figures, each head 2 comprises four, six, eight or more tools 7 mounted around the main support component 2a, for example each supported by a respective bracket 7a pivoted to the main support component 2a or around an outer tubular component 2b of the latter, around a second axis y-y transversal or orthogonal with respect to the first axis x-x. The machine then comprises suitable actuation means, such as a cam actuation controlled by a motor for rotating the head or drive means, for example electrical, for displacing or tilting the tools 7 around the second axis y-y.

More in particular, the tools 7 are mounted angularly offset one with respect to the other around the first axis x-x as well as, possibly, equally spaced.

Each of the constraint or pivoting axis y-y of the tools 7 preferably define circumference radii with horizontal trim with centre in the first axis x-x.

The tools 7 can also have a support socket 7b supported at the bottom of the bracket 7a or made of a single piece with the latter and one or more plates or abrasive parts (not illustrated/and in the figures) mounted or fitted into the support socket 7b.

In such case, the air amplifier component 4 does not rotate along with the tools 7 and it is thus arranged so as not to hinder the rotation of the latter. As regards this, the air amplifier component 4 is not supported by the main support component 2a, but by another support component of the machine 1 and it is arranged so as to dispense an ambient air and pressurised air mixture on the tools 7, for example substantially tangentially to the direction of rotation of the tools 7 around the first axis x-x.

More in particular, the air amplifier component 4 is arranged so as to dispense an ambient air and pressurised air mixture against the plate(s) or abrasive part(s) of the tools 7 or against or towards the contact area between tools 7 and tiles.

The air amplifier component 4 may be arranged in an area downstream or upstream of the respective head 2 or better in an area closest to the rear or the front with respect to the first rotation axis x-x of the respective head 2.

The rear and the front of the machine 1 are defined with respect to the advancement direction AV of the transportation means 3 along the respective transportation direction A-A. With reference to such aspect, the advancement direction AV clearly extends from the front to the rear of the machine 1.

Each head 2 may be provided with one or more air amplifier components 4.

The cooling means may also comprise at least one first duct (not visible in the figures) for dispensing air into the main support component 2a terminating centrally and on the bottom of the head 2 or of a respective head 2, so as to dispense air towards the tools 7 starting from a central and lower portion of the head 2.

As regards this, the main support component 2a may have a bottom wall for example with a cylindrical or tubular lateral wall 2c with a plurality of through holes 2d placed in fluid communication with the first duct so as to dispense cooling air or fluid from the latter in the substantially radial direction towards the tools.

The air is supplied in the first duct for example by means of a fan.

The cooling means may also include at least one second duct 6a, 6b opening downstream of the head 2 or downstream of each head, more in particular two second ducts 6a, 6b opening in an area downstream of one or each head 2. Such second ducts 6a, 6b may have a substantially vertical trim.

The machine 1 may then be provided with means 9, lOa, lOb for suctioning dusts of the tiles or slabs processed using the machining head(s) 2, the suctioning means having a suctioning mouth downstream and/or upstream of the respective head 2.

More in particular, according to the non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, provided is a suctioning duct 9 downstream of each head and two lateral suctioning mouths lOa, lOb mounted integrally joined to lateral delimitation partitionings 1 la, for example supported on the sides of a swinging beam 11. The suctioning duct 9 may have a C-shaped suctioning opening 9a or with several mutually inclined sections. Furthermore, the suctioning opening 9a may extend over the entire or most part of the width of a respective head 2 or at least the width of the transportation means 3 or the tiles to be transported.

As previously mentioned, the machining heads 2 may be mounted on a swinging beam 11, by means of special drive means, in the direction B-B transversal or orthogonal to the transportation or advancement direction A-A of the transportation means 3.

In such case, the suctioning means lOa, lOb, if provided for, may also be mounted on the or displaceable with the swinging beam 11, so as to be always close to the tools 7 during the motion thereof.

The machine 1 is then also provided with at least one brush component 12 downstream of the or of each head 2, which is designated to brush the tiles on the transportation means 3 over the entire width of the tiles or slabs, so as to prevent the powders of the tiles themselves processed by means of the machining head(s) 2 from remaining on the tiles.

The brush component 12 may be mounted on the swinging beam 11, if such component is provided for.

The brush 12 has the purpose of raising the dust to allow the removal thereof by suctioning means 9, lOa, 1 Ob.

The brush component 12 may extend over the entire or most part of the width of a respective head 2 or at least the width of the transportation means 3 or the tiles to be transported.

As previously partly indicated, the machine 1 preferably comprises several heads 2 arranged one after the other, which may have abrasive elements with coarser grain at the entrance of the slabs into the machine and with progressively finer grain approaching the exit.

The machine 1 may then be provided with means for dispensing a flow of compressed air beneath the slabs transportation means or conveyor belt 3 designated to facilitate the sliding of the belt 3 on the surface of the base of the machine thus generating a slight floating effect of the belt 3.

The machine according to the present invention then clearly also comprises means for actuating and controlling the components of the machine, which obviously do not require a detailed description.

Owing to a machine according to the present invention and in particular thanks to the presence of the air amplifier component, allows obtaining an optimal cooling of the tiles, much higher than the one obtainable using the cooling means previously utilised as well as the detachment of all the dust from the surface of the slabs thus avoiding the occurrence of scratches due to the reasons outlined above.

Furthermore, the efficiency obtained due to the air amplifier is much higher as compared to the conventional systems, this being due to the fact that such component, as partly previously indicated, allows dispensing a high flow rate of ambient air towards the machining heads 2 and in particular towards the tools 7 thereof, thanks to a relatively low flow rate of compressed air transmitted by means of a small pipe 8b which drives the ambient air.

Furthermore, the overall dimension of the pipings on board the machine reduces considerably while the head losses in the flow of air blown are basically null, considering that the compressed air generators are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the heads 2.

Modifications and variants of the invention can be implemented within the scope of protection defined by the claims.