Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the cutting tool technical sector and it particularly concerns with a modular template that can be coupled to a cutting tool for cutting profiles designed to be assembled with each other to produce modules for furniture, such as shelves, drawers and the like, door or window and the like.

State of the art

As known, the manufacturing of furniture elements such as furniture, drawers, shelves or, furtherly, door and window frames is generally carried out by coupling different profiles suitably shaped to the edges to define clasps or joints.

The machining of the single profiles requires that the same undergo to the cutting at the transverse and/or longitudinal edges to realize grooves and sots suitably shaped to allow precise coupling between the various parts.

This kind of working, particularly on the artisan level, has many difficulties and drawbacks.

As matter of fact, the provision of joints that allow a precise coupling and which guarantees both stability and a pleasant aesthetic effect require a high skill of the artisan. In addition, at each machining change, a new adjustment of the cutting tool is required, making the machining longer and more complex.

The difficulty in making precise joints also requires that further non removable fixing means, such as pins, screws, nails and the like, are applied in the junction areas to ensure the coupling stability.

The presence of fixed fixing means does not make it possible to have a product that can be easily and immediately assembled by the end user, who will have to buy an already assembled product, therefore more expensive.

Also, disassembly and replacement of the assembled product is not possible as there is a risk of damage to the items.

For these reasons, traditional handicrafts workings still have low productivity and are therefore uncompetitive with respect of the industrial processes.

Scope of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, by providing a modular template for cutting profiles having high efficiency and relative economy features.

A particular object is to provide a modular template for cutting profiles that allows to significantly speed up the artisanal cutting to make it more convenient than an industrial machining.

Still another object is to provide a modular template for cutting profiles that allows to obtain extremely precise cuts for joints allowing stable assembly of the profiles without requiring the use of fixed fixing means such as screws, nails, pins and the like, making it possible to disassemble and replace the profiles for an unlimited number of times.

Another object is to provide a modular template for cutting profiles which can be applied to the cutting tools commonly used in the cutting shops.

Yet another object is to provide a modular template for cutting profiles which avoids having to adjust the cutting tool after each machining.

Another object is to provide a modular template for cutting profiles ensuring high safety during machining.

These objects, as well as others which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a modular template which, according to claim 1, comprises a base having a first surface defining a support plane for a profile to be cut and a side shoulder associated to said base and having a second surface defining an abutment surface for the profile subjected to the cut.

The base and shoulder delimit a contour cutting area and define an opening for at least partially inserting the blade of the cutting tool into said cutting area.

Moreover, said first surface and said second surface are reconfigurable to vary the inclination of said support plane and/or the thickness of said abutment surface and modify the profile inclination and/or its distance from the tool blade.

Thanks to this combination of features, to vary the kind of machining as function of the cut to be applied to the profile, you will not need to adjust the tool, whose position may remain fixed.

On the contrary, it will be sufficient to reconfigure the support plane and the abutment surface according to the need to change the profile position relative to the tool blade as function of the cutting to be realized.

The whole operation will be faster, increasing the productivity of the artisanal machining, making it more convenient than an industrial machining.

The base and the shoulder will define fixed reference and support planes for the profiles, so as to guarantee high precision of the cuts that will allow for precise joint capable of securing the anchor stability throughout the coupling edge without using auxiliary fixing elements.

In this way, the coupling between the profiles will be particularly simple and intuitive, allowing assembly also by the end user as well as making it possible to disassemble and re-assembling the product an unlimited number of times without risk of damaging the profiles.

The template configuration will allow it to be applied to any cutting tool, either vertically or horizontally.

The tool will project from the template only for a reduced length, that is the length required for the cut, making machining safer and thus faster.

Preferably, the base will comprise a first set of modules which may be coupled removably and selectively to said first surface to modify the height and/or inclination of said support plane and/or the maximum thickness of the profile that can be positioned on said support plane and/or the minimum distance of the profile from the blade.

Suitably, the modules of said first series will have respective upper surfaces adapted to support the profile during cutting, said upper surfaces being differentiated with each other by inclination and/or shape and/or height relative to said first surface.

Moreover, said base will comprise jointing means for one or more of the modules of said first series to said first surface.

In this way, one or more modules may be coupled to the base according to the cut to be carried out in a simple and fast way, making it possible to realize a large number of cuts different in depth and/or inclination by providing a small number of different modules. Suitably, said shoulder may comprise a second set of substantially planar modules which can be removably coupled to said shoulder to increase its transversal thickness and vary the minimum distance of the profile from the blade, said second modules comprising reciprocal connection means complementarily shaped with each other for anchoring more than one module of said second set to said shoulder and varying the transverse thickness of said shoulder.

This will allow to work both on the edges and on the sides of the profiles by adjusting the cutting depth.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained according to the dependent claims.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a template according to the present invention shown by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the attached drawing tables wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cutting tool provided with the template according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectioned side view of the template according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned side view of the modules to be coupled to the template;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an assembled furniture formed by profiles machined through the template;

FIG. 5 is a sectioned side view of some profiles undergone to a machining thorough the template of the invention.

Best modes of carrying out the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a template according to the invention adapted to be applied to a common cutting tool for machining profiles designed to be assembly together for realizing furniture elements, door or window frames and the like.

In particular, Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a cutting machine M provided with a cutting tool U having a disc- shaped blade horizontally arrangeed and having a support plane S on which the template according to the invention, generally indicated by 1, is located. The template 1 may also be applied to machines M provided with vertically arranged tools U, which may be different from the discoidal blade and selected from those commonly used in the industry without any particular limitations.

The template 1 may be used to work both panels and strips of any shape and size. In addition, the elements to be machined may be of any material, such as wood, metal, plastic materials, without any particular limitations.

From Fig. 2 it is possible to observe more clearly the template 1, which comprises a base 2 having a first surface 3 defining a first support plane horizontal in use for a profile P to be cut and a side shoulder 4 orthogonal to the base 2 and bound thereto at respective end edges so as to define a support, in use, vertical.

In particular, the shoulder 4 has a second surface 5 defining a second support plane for the undercut profile P.

The base 2 and the shoulder 4 delimit a cutting area A for the profile P and define an opening 6 for at least partial inserting the blade of the cutting tool U inside the cutting area A.

In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 6 is defined by a longitudinal groove made in the shoulder 4 and extends for a length slightly greater than the diameter of the discoidal blade U.

The illustrated arrangement is preferred when the tool U is horizontal but the template 1 can be arranged with the base 2 vertically placed in case the tool U is upright.

According to a peculiar feature of the invention at least one between the first surface 3 and the second support surface 5 is reconfigurable to vary the inclination of the first support plane and/or the thickness of the second support plane.

In this way, by varying the configuration of the first surface 3, the first support plane will be modified so as to change the inclination thereof and consequently also the inclination with which the profile P will be arranged.

In addition, or alternatively, its height will be locally modified so as to change the height of the profile P relative to the support plane S of the machine M to adjust the maximum cutting depth of the blade of the tool U.

The maximum cutting depth of the blade U may also be varied by modifying the configuration of the second support surface 5 as will be apparent later hereinafter.

Fig. 3 shows a first set of modules, generally indicated by 7, which can be removably coupled to the first support surface 3 to modify the height and/or inclination of the first support plane 3 and/or the maximum thickness of the profile to be positioned thereon or, again, the maximum cutting depth given by the maximum possible interference between the profile P and the tool U.

The modules 7 will have the task of allowing precise and stable positioning of the profile P with respect to the cutting blade U and guiding it throughout the machining so that the profile P never loses its position.

Suitably, the modules 7 will extend throughout the longitudinal dimension of the base 2, intended as the dimension along the direction of movement of the profile P during cutting, to provide a wide support surface throughout the machining process.

In this way, the accuracy of the positioning will not depend on the operator's ability but it can be kept in a simple way throughout the entire machining process which will be simpler and quicker, making the artisanal working cheaper than the industrial one.

The coupling between the modules 7 and the base 2 is carried out by means of jointing means which in the illustrated configuration are defined by a pair of shaped seats 8 adapted to house corresponding counter- shaped portions 9 of respective modules 7 of the first series.

This allows to insert up to two modules at the same time as needed. In particular, it is possible to insert either identical modules or different modules.

It is also to be understood that the seats 8 may also be only one or more of two, depending on the type of work required.

The seat 8 closest to the shoulder 4 also comprises a slot 15 for collecting the residuals of material resulting from the cutting operation, so as to facilitate expulsion.

Preferably, the anchoring seats 8 will be identical to each other and likewise the modules 7 will have identical counter-shaped portions 9 to be inserted indifferently in any of the seats 8.

By contrast, the modules 7 will be differentiated in the respective top support surfaces 10 which may differ by inclination and/or shape and/or height relative to the first support surface 3.

In this way, it is possible to insert the modules 7 into any of the shaped seats 8 increasing the number of combinations that can be realized and consequently the shapes that the first support surface 3 can take.

Fig. 3 shows a first module 7' having a top surface 10' formed by two flat longitudinal portions disposed at different heights and separated by a longitudinal slot 11 to form a step.

In particular, the right longitudinal portion will be flush with the first surface 3 of the base 2, while the left longitudinal portion will be lowered.

The first module 7' may be used to perform milling on the edges or sides of the profile P with controlled and constant depth or for cutting edge portions of the profile P.

For example, to shape a plurality of panels and slats designed for assembling the furniture element E shown in Fig. 4, the first module 7' may be used to carry out the cut shown in Fig. 5a for realizing the profile Pi of Fig. 4.

In this case, the profile Pi will be a panel adapted to be initially positioned in horizontal position to undergo a milling for the insertion of the fin and then in vertical position for the cut of the joint. The two cutting operations will be performed on both longitudinal edges of the panel Pi, after its overturning.

The same module 7' may be used to perform the milling operations shown in Fig. 5b for the execution of the back and side jointing slots for making the profiles P ₂ of the element E of Fig. 4.

In such cases, only the first module 7' closest to shoulder 4 should be inserted into the seat 8.

In Fig. 5c, a third machining may be carried out by inserting the second module 7" of Fig. 3 into the seat 8 closest to the shoulder 4.

In this case, the left longitudinal portion will have a height equal to that of the seat 8 to be flush with the first support surface 3, while the right longitudinal portion will be higher to protrude with respect of the first surface 3 but without interfering with the blade of the tool U.

In the case of the manufacturing of the element of Fig. 4, the second module 7" may be used for milling the sides of the side and front elements P ₃ for the insertion of the bottom. The second module 7" may also be used for the second processing at the right of Fig. 5c for milling the side profiles for jointing the front profiles P ₃ of the furniture element E. The first set of modules 7 also comprises a pair of third modules 7"' identical to each other and having a flat top surface 10"' at a constant height slightly higher than that of the seats 8 to protrude a few millimeters from the first support surface 3.

The two modules 7"' are designed to be used at the same time to keep the machined profiles P in perfect horizontal position.

The modules 7"' may be used for a first part of the machining shown in Fig. 5d wherein the cut of a groove is carried out by a double passage after overturning the panel P. The machining will then be completed using the pair of fourth modules 7 ^,v having each respective longitudinal portions of the top surface 10 ^,v with the same angle of inclination a with respect to the first support surface 3 and at different height with respect thereto. In the illustrated configuration, the inclination angle a will be substantially equal to 20° but a different value may also be chosen depending on the machining needs.

The module 7 ^,v having the inclined surface with greater height will be located in the seat 8 further away from the shoulder 4 so as to define a first support plane 3 inclined with the above-mentioned inclination angle a.

A fifth module T specular shaped relative to the second module 7" with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane may instead be used for the machining of Fig. 5e), which may for example be a milling work of the strip Ps of Fig. 4.

Beyond the first set of modules 7, a second set of modules 12 may be provided and removably associated to the shoulder 4 to increase the transversal thickness thereof and vary the cutting depth of the blade U.

The modules 12 of the second series comprise reciprocal connection means 13 of complementary shape with each other for their multiple anchorage on the shoulder 4. Also, the shoulder 4, or one of the modules 12 of the second series, comprises a longitudinal slot 14 for removable insertion of a strip defining a transverse abutment for the profile to be cut and having the purpose of reducing the maximum cutting depth of the tool U.

In an exemplary manner, the insertion of the strip will allow the processing of the right part of Fig. 5d), wherein a reduced depth groove is realized, for example, equal to half, with respect to the groove of left machining of Fig. 5d).

Finally, Fig. 5f) shows a further machining of a profile P realized by a specific combination of modules and which can be used to realize the upright of a door.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the template according to the invention achieves the intended objects and in particular it allows for fast and precise cutting and milling of profiles to allow a stable and precise coupling of the various elements designed to define a furniture which can be coupled by a simple joint and without having to use additional non-removable fixing elements.

The template is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims. All details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to the needs without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Although the template has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, reference numbers used in the description and claims are used to improve the intelligence of the invention and do not constitute any limitation to the claimed scope.