DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of coolants. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a coolant supply system.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
In machining operations, a cutting tool is used for removing small chips of materials from the workpiece. During machining operations, friction occurs between the workpiece and the cutting tool which results in the generation of heat. The heat reduces the strength of the workpiece. Further, chips formed during the machining obstruct the path of the tool and reduces the surface finish of the workpiece.
Coolant fluid is delivered to the cutting area for dissipating the heat generated during the machining operation. Further, the coolant helps in carrying away the chips/dust formed, thereby aiding in achieving a better surface finish.
The coolant is delivered to the cutting area in several different forms such as stream form and mist form. Based on the form of coolant delivered, cooling systems are classified as a flood cooling system and a minimum quantity coolant system. In the flood cooling system, a constant stream of coolant is delivered to the cutting area. Machining operations like deburring, descaling and edge radiusing with brushes require a flood coolant. However, due to the movements of the brush involved during these cutting operations, the coolant gets deflected away from the desired cutting area, thereby the effectiveness of flood cooling reduces. Further, a large amount of the coolant is used in heavy machining operations which increases the costs of the coolant. Further, in the flood cooling system, there is no control over the quantity of the coolant delivered to the cutting area
In a known minimum quantity coolant system, a fine mist of coolant is delivered to the cutting area. The minimum quantity coolant system requires a significantly lesser amount of coolant directed at the cutting area. The system includes multiple nozzles to deliver the mist to the cutting area. The known minimum quantity coolant system uses a pump to generate the mist of coolant. There are multiple moving parts in the pump which require regular maintenance. The maintenance of these moving parts takes a long time and increases the machining cost.
The quantity of mist required during a machining operation varies from time to time and the quantity of mist required for various machining operations also varies. Hence there is a requirement for a system that controls the quantity of mist delivered to the cutting area.
For each machining operation, the pressure of the air-mist mixture required is different, so there is a requirement for a system that controls the pressure of the air-mist mixture delivered to the cutting area.
In many cases, multiple nozzles are used to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area. Hence, there is a requirement for a controller that can vary the amount of air mist mixture supplied by each nozzle.
There is therefore felt a need for a system that alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system that includes a mist generating means that has no moving parts.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system that requires less maintenance.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system in which the quantity of mist generated can be controlled.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system that requires a relatively lesser quantity of coolant than the known minimum quantity coolant system.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system that controls the coolant mist distributed across nozzles during the machining of a workpiece.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a coolant supply system that is efficient.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a coolant supply system, more particularly a minimum quantity coolant system. The coolant supply system comprises, a mist generating means, a suction tube fluidly connected to a fluid reservoir at one end and to the mist generating means at the other end. An air-supply means is configured to supply compressed air to the mist generating means. At least one nozzle is coupled to the mist generating means to deliver the air-mist mixture to cutting area/s.
In an embodiment, the mist generating means is a venturi vacuum generator.
In an embodiment, the mist generator has an inlet portion, a central portion and an outlet portion. The inlet portion converges towards the central portion and the central portion has a constant cross-section. The outlet portion is configured to diverge from the central portion.
In an embodiment, a controller is coupled with the air supply means to control the flow rate and pressure of the air supplied to the inlet portion.
In an embodiment, the controller is configured to vary the quantity of the mist by controlling the flow rate of air.
In an embodiment, the controller is configured to vary the pressure of the air-mist mixture by controlling the pressure of air.
In an embodiment, the controller includes a flow rate controller and a pressure controller.
In an embodiment, the air-supply means is an air compressor.
In an embodiment, fluid pipe(s) are disposed between the outlet portion and the nozzle(s) to carry the air-mist mixture.
In an embodiment, the fluid reservoir contains a coolant used in the machining operation.
In an embodiment, the diameter of the suction tube is smaller than the diameter of the inlet portion and the outlet portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A coolant supply system of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of the coolant supply system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the mist generating means, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the coolant supply system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 - coolant supply system
102 - fluid reservoir
104 - mist generating means
106 - inlet
107 - inlet portion
108 - central portion
109 - outlet portion
110 - outlet
112 - suction tube
114 - air-supply means
116 - controller
117 - fluid pipe
118 - nozzle(s)
119 - vacuum area
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element is referred to as being "mounted on", “engaged to”, “connected to”, or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third, etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
In a known minimum quantity coolant system, a fine mist of coolant is delivered to the cutting area. The minimum quantity coolant system requires a significantly lesser amount of coolant directed at the cutting area. Multiple nozzles are connected to the system to deliver the mist to the cutting area. The minimum quantity system uses a pump to generate the mist of the coolant. But there are multiple moving parts in the pump which require regular maintenance. The maintenance of the moving parts takes a long time and increases the machining cost.
The quantity of mist in the air-mist mixture required during a machining operation varies from time to time. Also, for each machining operation, the pressure of the air-mist mixture required is different, hence, there is a requirement for a system that supplies the desired quantity of mist.
In many cases, multiple nozzles are used to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area. There is a requirement for a controller that can vary the amount of air-mist mixture supplied to the nozzles.
In order to address the aforementioned problems, the present disclosure envisages a coolant supply system (100) (hereinafter referred to as “coolant supply system 100”). The coolant supply system 100 is now being described with reference to Figure 1 to Figure 2.
An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the Figure 1.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of the coolant supply system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The coolant supply system 100 comprises, a mist generating means 104, a suction tube 112 fluidly connected to a fluid reservoir 102 at one end and to the mist generating means 104 at the other end. An air-supply means 114 means is configured to supply compressed air to the mist generating means 104. At least one nozzle 118 is coupled to the mist generating means 104 to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area.
In an embodiment, the mist generating means 104 is a venturi vacuum generator.
In an embodiment, the fluid reservoir 102 contains a coolant used in the machining operation.
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the mist generating means, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The mist generating means 104 comprises an inlet portion 107, a central portion 108 and an outlet portion 109. The inlet portion 107 is configured to converge towards the central portion 108. The central portion 108 has a constant cross-section. A suction tube 112 is fluidly connected to the mist generating means 104 at one and to the fluid reservoir 102 at the other end. The outlet portion 109 is configured to diverge from the central portion 108. At least one nozzle 118 is coupled to the outlet portion 109 to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area. In an embodiment, flexible fluid pipes 117 are disposed between the outlet portion 109 and nozzle(s) 118 to carry the air-mist mixture.
In an embodiment, the diameter of the suction tube 112 is smaller than the diameter of the inlet portion 107 and the outlet portion 109.
The air-supply means 114 is connected to the inlet portion 107 of the mist generating means 104 to supply compressed air. In an embodiment, the air-supply means 114 is an air compressor.
A controller 116 is connected to the air-supply means 114 to provide a controlled air supply to the mist generating means 104. The controller 116 includes a flow rate controller and a pressure controller. The controller 116 is operated manually to change the flow rate and pressure of the air. The quantity of mist generated in the mist generating means 104 depends on the flow rate and pressure of the air supplied by the controller 116, for example, the quantity of the coolant mist delivered through a nozzle 118 in 60 seconds is 80 ml for an air pressure of 1 bar and air flowrate of 5 LPM.
When the compressed air passes through the inlet portion 107, the pressure of the air reduces and the velocity of the air increases gradually due to the converged shape of the inlet portion 107.
There is an orifice at the end of the inlet portion 107 which increases the velocity of air to a maximum value. Further, as the air leaves the orifice and enters into the central portion 108, the pressure of the air reduces to a minimum value.
Due to the low pressure, fluid from the fluid reservoir 102 gets drawn up inside the suction tube 112 and reaches to the central portion 108. The jet of air coming from the orifice collides with the fluid and converts the fluid into mist. The air-mist mixture reaches the outlet portion 109 where the pressure of the mist increases due to the diverging cross-section of the outlet portion 109.
A fluid pipe 117 is connected to the outlet portion 109 to carry the air-mist mixture to nozzles 118. There can be more than one nozzle 118 in the system 100 for delivering the air-mist mixture to the cutting area. The quantity of the mist distributed in nozzles 118 is controlled using the controller 116.
The quantity of mist generated in the mist generating means 104 depends on the flow rate of the air supplied to the mist generating means 104. If the flow rate of the air supplied is increased, the fluid drawn up in the central section 108 increases which result in increased generation of the mist.
In certain applications, the distance between the nozzle 118 and the cutting area is different than the reach of the air-mist mixture delivered through nozzles 118. In these cases, the pressure of the air is controlled using the controller 116 so that the jet of the air-mist mixture reaches to the desired distance.
Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the coolant supply system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
In an operative configuration, a coolant supply system 100 comprises, a mist generating means 104, a suction tube 112 fluidly connected to the mist generating means 104 at one end and to the fluid reservoir 102 at the other end. An air-supply 114 means is configured to supply compressed air to the mist generating means 104. At least one nozzle 118 is coupled to the mist generating means 104 to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment but are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a coolant supply system, that:
• has a mist generating means that does not have moving parts;
• is used for heavy machinery;
• requires less maintenance;
• requires relatively lesser coolant;
• equally distributes the coolant across multiple nozzles during the machining operation;
• can be used for operations that include brushing tools;
• is efficient; and
• is reliable.
The embodiments herein, the various features, and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A coolant supply system (100), comprising,
- a mist generating means (104), a suction tube (112) fluidly connected to said mist generating means (104) at one end and to a fluid reservoir (102) at the other end;
- an air-supply (114) means configured to supply compressed air to said mist generating means (104);
- at least one nozzle (118) coupled to said mist generating means (104) to deliver the air-mist mixture to the cutting area.
2. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mist generating means (104) is a venturi vacuum generator.
3. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mist generating means (104) has an inlet portion (107), a central portion (108) and an outlet portion (109), said inlet portion (107) converges towards said central portion (108), said central portion (108) has a constant cross-section, said outlet portion (109) is configured to diverge from said central portion (108).
4. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air supply means (114) is coupled with a controller (116) that controls the flow rate and pressure of the air supplied to said inlet portion (107) of said mist generating means (104).
5. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller (116) is configured to vary the quantity of the mist delivered at the cutting area by controlling the flow rate of the air and configured to vary the pressure of the air-mist mixture delivered at the cutting area by controlling the pressure of the air.
6. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said controller (116) includes a flow rate controller and a pressure controller.
7. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air-supply means (114) is an air compressor.
8. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein fluid pipes (117) are disposed between said outlet portion (109) and said nozzles (118) to carry the air-mist mixture.
9. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluid reservoir (102) contains a coolant used in machining operation.
10. The coolant supply system (100) as claimed in claim 1 and 3, wherein the diameter of said suction tube (112) is smaller than the diameter of said inlet portion (107) and said outlet portion (109).

Dated this 01st day of May, 2023

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
of R.K.DEWAN & CO.
Authorized Agent of Applicant

TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PATENTS
THE PATENT OFFICE, AT MUMBAI