The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 08, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1990
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A novel and improved polishing apparatus is disclosed which employs ice particles as an abrasive material, the hardness of which can be changed so as to match that of an article being polished for performing polishing operation in a most efficient manner without impairing or marring the polished surface of the article. To this end, the polishing apparatus includes a freezing vessel defining therein an ice particle producing chamber, a coolant supply nozzle mounted on the freezing vessel and connected with a coolant source through a coolant supply line for spraying a coolant into the ice particle producing chamber to form a freezing atmosphere, a liquid supply nozzle mounted on the freezing vessel and connected with a liquid supply for spraying a liquid into the ice particle producing chamber so that the liquid thus sprayed is cooled and freezed by the freezing atmosphere to produce superfine ice particles, a particle hardness adjuster for adjusting the hardness of the ice particles to be produced so as to match the hardness of an article being polished, and an injection nozzle for injecting the ice particles towards a surface of the article for polishing thereof. Preferably, the particle hardness adjuster comprises a flow control valve which is disposed on the coolant supply line between the coolant supply nozzle and the coolant source for adjusting and changing the amount of coolant sprayed therefrom into the ice particle producing chamber so as to control the temperature therein.