Apparatus and method for finishing a three-dimensional surface

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for finishing surfaces comprises a support body (10) configured to removably engage a finishing member (20), and a displacement device (40) configured to move the support body (10) in space according to at least one degree of freedom. The apparatus (1) provides at least one shaping station (250) at which the raw member (20′) is positioned to give it a predetermined shape, in such a way to obtain a finishing member, in particular a finishing member (20) which is, therefore, positioned at the three-dimensional surface to be finished to finish the same.

1 . An apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) having a profile ( 105 ) with a predetermined geometry, said apparatus ( 1 ) comprising:
 a support body ( 10 ) configured to removably engage a finishing member ( 20 );   a displacement device ( 40 ) configured to move said support body ( 10 ) in space according to at least one degree of freedom to exert a finishing action on said three-dimensional surface by said finishing member ( 20 ) which is engaged to said support body ( 10 );   a control unit ( 300 ) configured to operate said displacement device ( 40 ) to move said support body ( 10 ) according to said at least one degree of freedom; said apparatus ( 100 ) being characterized in that at least a shaping station ( 250 ) is provided at which a shaping member ( 75 ) is provided configured to give a predetermined shape to a raw member ( 20 ′) having at least one spatial dimension greater than at least one spatial dimension of said profile of said three-dimensional surface to be finished to obtain said finishing member ( 20  and in that said control unit ( 300 ) is configured to cause a relative motion according to at least two degrees of freedom of said raw member ( 20 ′) and of said shaping member ( 75 ) at said shaping station ( 250 ) on the basis of said predetermined geometry of said profile ( 105 ), in such a way to reproduce said predetermined geometry of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished at a predetermined portion of said raw member ( 20 ′) thus obtaining this way said finishing member ( 20 ) comprising at least one portion with an external surface ( 26 ) having a profile ( 25 ) with a geometry equal, or substantially equal, to the geometry of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said displacement device ( 40 ) is configured to engage said raw member ( 20 ′) at said support body ( 10 ) and to move said raw member ( 20 ′) with respect to said shaping member ( 75 ) at said shaping station ( 250 ) in such a way to obtain said finishing member ( 20 ), said displacement device ( 40 ) being then arranged to move said support body ( 10 ) with respect to said three-dimensional surface to finish said three-dimensional surface by said finishing member ( 20 ). 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein a supplementary displacement device ( 85 ) is, furthermore, provided configured to move at said shaping station ( 250 ) said shaping member ( 75 ) with respect to said raw member ( 20 ′) arranged to be engaged at said support body ( 10 ) in such a way to obtain said finishing member ( 20 ). 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to  claims 2  and  3 , wherein said displacement device ( 40 ) and said supplementary displacement device ( 85 ) are arranged to move one with respect to the other to reproduce said predetermined geometry of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished at a determined portion of said raw member ( 20 ′) and, thus, to obtain said finishing member ( 20 ). 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any claim from  2  to  4 , wherein said control unit ( 300 ) is configured to operate said displacement device ( 40 ) and/or said supplementary displacement device ( 85 ) at said shaping station ( 250 ) to move said raw member ( 20 ) and said shaping member ( 75 ) one with respect to the other according said at least two degrees of freedom on the basis of a model designed by a design software and reproducing said profile ( 105 ) of said surface to be finished ( 100 ). 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any claim from  2  to  4 , wherein a detection device ( 80 ) is furthermore provided configured to detect the geometry of said profile of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished and to send said detected geometry to a control unit ( 300 ) arranged to operate said displacement device ( 40 ) and/or said supplementary displacement device ( 85 ). 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said raw member ( 20 ′) is made of a material having a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the material of said shaping member ( 75 ). 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said raw member ( 20 ′) is made of a material selected from the group comprising:
 felt; 
 sponge; 
 a material formed by non-woven synthetic fibres; 
 a polymer formed by non-woven fibres selected from the group of: cellulose, nylon, or polypropylene; 
 a material formed by non-woven synthetic fibres impregnated with abrasive granules; 
 a material formed by non-woven synthetic fibres impregnated with abrasive granules of aluminium oxide and silicon carbide; 
 a material formed by non-woven synthetic fibres impregnated with abrasive granules of titanium dioxide. 
 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said shaping member ( 75 ) is made of a material selected from the group comprising: a metallic material, a diamond disc. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said shaping member ( 75 ) is configured to subject said raw member ( 20 ′) to a thermal treatment. 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said shaping member ( 75 ) is configured to emit a laser beam. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said displacement device ( 40 ) is configured to move said support body ( 10 ) in space with respect to 6 degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said displacement device ( 40 ) is configured to rotate said finishing member ( 20 ) about a rotation axis ( 120 ) with respect to said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished during the finishing action. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein at said shaping station ( 250 ) said raw member ( 20 ′) is moved with respect to said shaping member ( 75 ) in such a way that said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished is reproduced at the external surface ( 26 ) of said finishing member ( 20 ) in such a way to be symmetric with respect to said rotation axis ( 120 ). 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said raw member ( 20 ′) has a shape selected from the group consisting of:
 a substantially prismatic shape; 
 a substantially cylindrical shape; 
 a substantially spherical shape; 
 a substantially conical shape. 
 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus ( 1 ) for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said shaping member ( 75 ) is configured to shape said raw member ( 20 ′) by removing excess material up to obtaining said shape of said profile ( 25 ) having a geometry equal, or substantially equal, to said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said surface ( 100 ) to be worked has a complex geometry comprising at least an undercut zone and/or a plurality of portions with a different radius of curvature. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said displacement device ( 40 ) is furthermore arranged to move said raw member ( 20 ′) at said shaping station ( 250 ). 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus ( 1 ) according to any claim from  1  to  17 , wherein a second displacement device ( 140 ) is provided configured to position said raw member ( 20 ′) at said shaping station ( 250 ) and/or to move said raw member ( 20 ′) with respect to said shaping member ( 75 ). 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus ( 1 ) according to  claim 19 , wherein a removal station is provided configured to remove said finishing member ( 20 ) from said second displacement device ( 140 ), and an application station is provided configured to engage said finishing member ( 20 ) to said support body ( 10 ) of said displacement device ( 40 ). 
     
     
         21 . Method for finishing a three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) having a profile with a predetermined geometry, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing an apparatus for finishing surfaces comprising a support body ( 10 ) configured to removably engage a finishing member ( 20 ;   moving said support body ( 10 ) in space with respect to said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished according to at least one degree of freedom to carry out a finishing action on said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) by said finishing member ( 20 );   said method being characterized in that a shaping step is provided to give a determined shape to a raw member ( 20 ′) having at least one spatial dimension greater than at least one spatial dimension of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished, in such a way to obtain said finishing member ( 20 ) and in that said shaping step is carried out by causing a relative motion according to at least two degrees of freedom between said raw member ( 20 ′) and a shaping member ( 75 ) in such a way to reproduce said determined geometry of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished at a determined portion of said raw member ( 20 ′) and to obtain said finishing member ( 20 ) comprising at least one portion with an external surface ( 26 ) having a profile ( 25 ) with a geometry equal, or substantially equal, to the geometry of said profile ( 105 ) of said three-dimensional surface ( 100 ) to be finished.