Chip collecting apparatus for tip dresser

Abstract

A chip collecting apparatus for a tip dresser of the present invention has a sideways-mounted dresser main body and a chip pickup case mounted at the end of the dresser main body. Chips generated during dressing electrode tips are picked up in the case and discharged from the chip discharge port opened under the case into a chip collection vessel. A pair of opposite electrode tips held at the ends of a welding gun advances horizontally from the front. Since chip inserting surfaces of the chip pickup case, in which chip insertion ports for receiving the electrode tips are opened, are formed in a wedge shape extending from the front end to the rear end with respect to the advancing direction of the welding gun, the electrode tips can be smoothly guided to the chip insertion ports without unnecessarily increasing the space between the electrode tips.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A chip collecting apparatus for a tip dresser, comprising: 
 a tip dresser for dressing a pair of opposite electrode tips by tightly pressing a dressing body held in a dresser main body with the pair of electrode tips and relatively sliding the dressing body and the pair of electrode tips;    a chip pickup case secured to the dresser main body for covering the dressing body;    tip insertion ports opened at positions of the chip pickup case, into which the pair of electrode tips is inserted;    a shielding member disposed at the each tip insertion port for allowing the insertion of the electrode tips by elastic deformation; and    a chip discharge port provided under the chip pickup case.    
     
     
         2 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the dresser main body is supported in a state in which the dressing body is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction, and surfaces of the chip pickup case, in which the tip insertion ports are opened, are formed in a wedge shape expanding from the front end to the rear end with respect to the advancing direction of the pair of electrode tips.    
     
     
         3 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the advancing direction of the pair of electrode tips is horizontal, and both the surfaces of the chip pickup case, in which the tip insertion ports are opened, are formed in a wedge shape expanding from the front to the rear with respect to the advancing direction of the electrode tips.    
     
     
         4 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the advancing direction of the pair of electrode tips is upward, and both the surfaces of the chip pickup case, in which the tip insertion ports are opened, are formed in a wedge shape expanding from above downwards.    
     
     
         5 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the surfaces of the chip pickup case which face the dressing body are brought into close vicinity of the dressing body, the tip insertion ports are opened in the facing surfaces, and an insertion port for the dresser main body is opened at the rear of the chip pickup case.    
     
     
         6 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the dresser main body is supported in a state in which the dressing body is oriented obliquely vertically, the upper part of the chip pickup case is bent along the inclination of the dresser main body, and the tip insertion ports are opened in the upper surface of the chip pickup case which faces the dressing body and the outer side of the chip pickup case.    
     
     
         7 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least the upper inside periphery of the chip pickup case is shaped like a cylinder, and a contact surface having the substantially same curvature as that of the upper inside periphery of the chip pickup case is provided at the end surface of the dresser main body inserted in the upper inside periphery of the chip pickup case from the side.    
     
     
         8 . A chip collecting apparatus for a tip dresser, comprising: 
 a tip dresser for dressing a pair of opposite electrode tips by tightly pressing a dressing body held in a dresser main body with the pair of electrode tips and relatively sliding the dressing body and the pair of electrode tips;    a chip pickup case secured to the dresser main body for covering the dressing body;    an arm admission port opened in the chip pickup case in the advancing direction of gun arms having the electrode tips at the ends thereof; and    a lid provided at the arm admission port and opened and closed by advancing/retracting motions of the gun arms.    
     
     
         9 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the lid includes an engagement section engaging with the gun arms at the rotation center thereof; the chip pickup case includes a guide section for supporting the engagement section formed at the lid, formed along the advancing direction of the gun arms; and one of the lid and the chip pickup case includes a cam for rotationally moving the lid and the other includes a cam pin engaging with the cam.    
     
     
         10 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the dresser main body is supported in a state in which the dressing body is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction, and a chip discharge port is opened in the bottom of the chip pickup case.    
     
     
         11 . The chip collecting apparatus for the tip dresser, according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the dresser main body is supported in a state in which the dressing body is directed in a substantially horizontal direction, and a chip discharge port is opened in the bottom of the chip pickup case.