End face polishing apparatus and method

Abstract

End face polishing apparatus and method that allow the eccentricity of curvature of an end face of a rod-shaped member to be reduced and the cost to be reduced by efficient use of a lapping sheet, so that the polishing efficiency is improved. In an end face polishing apparatus that polishes a rod-shaped member mounted at a polishing fixture by pressing the rod-shaped member against a lapping member mounted at a polishing plate rotatably and rock-ably supported at the main body of the apparatus, the polishing fixture is secured to a first virtual disk having a prescribed diameter and the lapping member is driven to move relative to the polishing fixture so that the first virtual disk moves along the circumference of a second virtual disk as it rotates, and the second virtual disk moves along the circumference of a third virtual disk as it rotates.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An end face polishing apparatus for polishing a rod-shaped member comprising: 
 a polishing plate rotatably and rock-ably supported at the main body of the apparatus,    a lapping member mounted on the polishing plate,    driving means for driving the polishing plate to move relative to the polishing fixture so that the polishing fixture is secured to a first virtual disk having a prescribed diameter, the first virtual disk moves along the circumference of a second virtual disk as the first virtual disk rotates, and the second virtual disk moves along the circumference of a third virtual disk as the second virtual disk rotates.    
     
     
         2 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means drives the polishing plate so that the second virtual disk has a diameter smaller than the radius of the third virtual disk.    
     
     
         3 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means drives the polishing plate so that the first virtual disk has a diameter smaller than the radius of the second virtual disk.    
     
     
         4 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means drives the polishing plate so that the first virtual disk moves on the circumference of the second virtual disk without slipping as the first virtual disk rotates.    
     
     
         5 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means drives the polishing plate so that the second virtual disk moves on the circumference of the third virtual disk without slipping as the second virtual disk rotates.    
     
     
         6 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 a trajectory drawn by the movement of the polishing fixture relative to the second virtual disk is in a roulette shape.    
     
     
         7 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the position to secure each the rod-shaped member to the polishing plate is on the circumference of the first virtual disk, and the roulette shape is a hypocycloid.    
     
     
         8 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the position to secure each the rod-shaped member to the polishing plate is on a radius of the first virtual disk or an extension of the radius outside the first virtual disk, and the roulette shape is a hypotrochoid.    
     
     
         9 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means comprises a first revolution shaft connected in a position deviated from the center of the polishing plate, a rotation shaft centered around the first revolution shaft, and a second revolution shaft, the rotation shaft being provided in a position deviated from the center of the second revolution shaft.    
     
     
         10 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the driving means comprises a rotation shaft connected to the center of the polishing plate, a first revolution shaft, and a second revolution shaft, the rotation shaft being provided in a position deviated from the center of the first revolution shaft, the first revolution shaft being provided in a position deviated from the center of the second revolution shaft.    
     
     
         11 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the driving means comprises an internal gear secured to the apparatus main body, a first transmission gear engaged with the internal gear, a rotation shaft having a second transmission gear at an end opposite to an end on the side of the first transmission gear, and an external gear engaged with the second transmission gear.    
     
     
         12 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 the first revolution shaft is connected with a driving motor through a revolution timing belt.    
     
     
         13 . The end face polishing apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein 
 the rotation shaft is connected with the driving motor through a rotation timing belt.    
     
     
         14 . An end face polishing method polishing a rod-shaped member mounted at a polishing fixture by pressing the rod-shaped member against a lapping member mounted at a polishing plate rotatably and swing-ably supported at an apparatus main body, comprising driving the polishing plate to move relative to the polishing fixture for polishing the rod-shaped member so that the polishing fixture is secured to a first virtual disk having a prescribed diameter, the first disk moves along the circumference of a second virtual disk as the first virtual disk rotates, and the second virtual disk moves along the circumference of a third virtual disk as the second virtual disk rotates.  
     
     
         15 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the polishing plate is driven so that the second virtual disk has a diameter smaller than the radius of the third virtual disk.    
     
     
         16 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the polishing plate is driven so that the first virtual disk has a diameter smaller than the radius of the second virtual disk.    
     
     
         17 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the polishing plate is driven so that the first virtual disk moves on the circumference of the second virtual disk without slipping as the first virtual disk rotates.    
     
     
         18 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein the polishing plate is driven so that the second virtual disk moves on the circumference of the third virtual disk without slipping as the second virtual disk rotates.  
     
     
         19 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 a trajectory drawn by the movement of the polishing plate relative to the second virtual disk is a roulette.    
     
     
         20 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 19 , wherein 
 the position to secure each the rod-shaped member to the polishing plate is on the circumference of the first virtual disk, and the roulette shape is in a hypocycloid.    
     
     
         21 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 19 , wherein 
 the position to secure each the rod-shaped member to the polishing plate is on an radius of the first virtual disk or an extension of the radius outside the first virtual disk, and the roulette shape is a hypotrochoid.    
     
     
         22 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the driving is performed using an X-Y table.    
     
     
         23 . The end face polishing method according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the speed of driving the polishing plate is variable.