Claims:Claims:

We Claim:

1. An automated diamond cleaning machine (1) comprising;

a. a cleaning compartment (100) filled with micro abrasive powder;
b. a nozzle (101) coupled with the cleaning compartment ;
c. a siphon tube (102) at one end coupled with said nozzle (101) and other end in contact with the micro abrasive powder;
d. a filter compartment (200) to filter the powder particles from the pressurized air;
e. a diamond holding system (300a, 300c) to hold the diamond in-front of nozzle (101);
f. a perforated chamber (400) in which said diamond holding system (300a, 300c) mounted closed;

wherein, when pressurized air is passed through said nozzle (101), the suction created in the said siphon tube (102) which sucks abrasive powder through siphon tube (102) and mixed with the pressurized air which then hits on the diamond.

2. The automated diamond cleaning machine (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said abrasive powder is selected from calcium carbonate, impure corundum, Diamond dust, Novaculite, Pumice, Iron (III) oxide, Sand, Corundum, Garnet, Sandstone, Rottenstone (Tripoli), Powdered feldspar, Staurolite, Borazon, Ceramic, Ceramic aluminium oxide, Ceramic iron oxide, alumina or aluminium oxide, Dry ice, Glass powder, Steel abrasive, Silica, Zirconia alumina, Boron carbide, Slags or mixture thereof.

3. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particle size of the abrasive materials is in the range from 20 microns to 150 microns; preferably it is in the range of 40 microns to 100 microns; and more preferably it is in the range of 60 to 80 microns.

4. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein diamond holding system can be for said laser sawn diamond holding system (300a) including a diamond holder (300c) to hold the diamond at the edge or said laser bruted diamond holding system (300b) including a capsule (300d) at the edge to hold the diamond.

5. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filter compartment (200) having an air filter (201) through which pressurized air passed and wasted powder collected at bottom side of compartment in a bottom lid (202) and the air exhausted from an exhaust air duct (203).

6. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom lid (202) can be openable to empty the wasted powder.

7. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforated chamber (400) closed with an air leakage proof cap (401) to prevent the leakage of dust particles in outer environment.

8. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressurized air is supplied to said nozzle (101) through pressure regulator to regulate the pressure of the air flow.

9. The process to clean the diamond as claimed in claim 1, comprising following steps;

a. Holding diamond in diamond holding system (300a, 300c);
b. filling lower part of the cleaning compartment (100) with micro abrasive powder;
c. passing the pressurized air through said nozzle (101) which creates suction in said siphon tube (102) and so micro abrasive powder suck in the siphon tube;
d. mixing said powder with the pressurized air and come out from said nozzle (101) with high velocity and clean the diamond;
e. filtering additional air with said filter compartment (200);
f. exhausting air after passing through said air filter (201);
g. collecting wastage powder at bottom side of said filter compartment (200) in bottom lid (202).

10. The automated diamond cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning cycle for one diamond is 5-15 seconds.

Dated this 05th Nov 2020
, Description:
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)

&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)

1. Title of the invention – AN AUTOMATED DIAMOND CLEANING MACHINE

2. Applicant(s)
(a) NAME: LUCAN TECHNO
(b) NATIONALITY: INDIA
(c) ADDRESS: Plot No. 57 to 60, Shri Ram Nagar Society, Laxmikant Ashram Road, Katargam, surat, 395004, Gujarat

3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automated diamond cleaning machine. More particularly the present invention relates to an automated diamond cleaning machine which works by removing black residues from the surface of the laser processed diamonds with automatic machinery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the period of times, it is found that diamonds are not new for society. One ton digging of mines gives only one carat diamond. These raw diamonds are being assorted as Jewellery and industrial grade. Diamonds are then further assorted for kerfing, sawing and direct marketable stone.

Sawing is a process to cut a diamond into two or more parts along with the intended line. The raw diamond is fixed on plate and sawing is accomplished by a saw - a paper - thin disc of phosphor bronze, rotated on a horizontal spindle at about 4000 rpm along the marking. In this process the cutting force spreads to other parts of the diamond which may damage the diamond and also by this process there cannot be a precise straight cutting. Laser sawing is a non-contact very fast process of cutting the diamond among the all processes. Due to the laser sawing, black residues are forming on the surface of the laser processed diamonds. This black residues have to be remove from the diamond to give it’s a shine which is characteristics of diamond.

In diamond industry, cleaning of black diamond surface in laser processing is big problem. Conventionally, two methods are used to remove black residues on laser processed diamonds.

1) Acid Boil
2) Blasting with Abrasives (Similar to Sandblasting)

Boiling is one method of cleaning diamonds. Diamonds must be checked at every stage of manufacturing and sorting to determine what defects remain.

1) Acid Boil

At some stages of the manufacturing process, dirt sticks to the diamond’s surface, which can be traces of adhesive, dust from polishing, black residues or other things. At the end of the manufacturing process, before they are sorted as polished, diamonds undergo an acid boiling process – basically, “cooking” that removes all the substances stuck to the diamond. There are two kinds of boiling – regular and deep boiling, also known as deep cooking.

Regular boiling

Regular boiling is intended to remove external dirt only, and is conducted at various stages of the polishing process as the polisher determines necessary to continue the process. Boiling is done in special rooms.

Special test tubes are put in ovens, into which diamonds are placed. If the stones are large, they are put in individually manner; if the stones are small, they are placed in packets and then put in. The acid is pouring into the test tubes along with the potassium chloride mixture. Diamonds are not get affected by acid and are therefore not harmed in this process. The diamonds are then “boiled” for about 15 minutes.

The diamonds are then removed from the oven, cooled, washed with a water, and then with spirit and dried well with towels. After then every diamond is returned to its brifka. At the end of the process, the diamonds are sparkling and bright, clean from any remaining external dirt.

Deep boiling or deep cooking

The purpose of deep boiling is to try and reach internal dirt, which the boiling materials can reach via a small crack known as an “open inclusion” the small bit of black graphite trapped inside the diamond. These tiny dots are trapped in the diamond when it is formed. Since acid doesn’t corrode the diamond, but only the dirt that has entered the stone, the process allows dirt to be removed so the polished diamond looks better.

Deep boiling is a long process that lasts upto 10-12 hours. It is done using a mixture of extremely strong acids, at high heating temperature. Diamonds are placed in very strong containers and are then sealed in pressure containers. After the boiling process, the containers are cooled, the remaining acid steam is released, and the diamonds undergo another regular cleaning process. The deep boiling process is more complicated and more dangerous than regular boiling.

2) Blasting process

In blasting process, a stream of high velocity micro abrasive particles is directed to strike the black layered diamond surface. Collision of micro abrasive particles with diamond surface removes black residues on it and hence clean the diamond.

Various prior art discloses about the cleaning machines and process. The prior art document US7459702B2 discloses two-step process for achieving an ultra-polish finish on materials such as gemstones and the like by first performing a chemical-mechanical polishing of the material using an intermetallic material as the grinding medium followed by a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) treatment. The residual graphitization on the polished surface may be removed by conventional acid boiling procedures wherein the diamond is immersed in a bath of hot oxidizing acid such as sulfuric acid or a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitric acid, for a certain period of time, typically on the order of several hours. Residual graphitization may also be removed by an oxygen plasma (PECE) technique. Here the time period and plasma conditions can be controlled to cause the removal of the graphitized layer without further etch of the polished diamond.

Another prior art document EP2189555A2 discloses a synthetic monocrystalline diamond compositions having one or more monocrystalline diamond layers formed by chemical vapor deposition, the layers including one or more layer having an increased concentration of one or more impurities (such as boron and/or isotopes of carbon), as compared to other layers or comparable layers without such impurities. Such compositions provide an improved combination of properties, including color, strength, velocity of sound, electrical conductivity, and control of defects. A related method for preparing such a composition is also described, as well as a system for use in performing such a method, and articles incorporating such a composition. Further, it discloses that the single crystal diamond substrate with the attached diamond film is removed and cleaned in a mixture of chromic acid and sulfuric acid at temperature of 250°C to remove residual non diamond carbon from the diamond surface, leaving a single crystal diamond film attached to a single crystal seed.

Another prior art document WO2008123801A1 disclosed the method consists in carrying out stage-to-stage treatment of a diamond with oxidizing mixtures and in exposing the diamond to microwave radiation in autoclaves at high temperatures and pressure. At a first stage, a salt solution or a six-valent chromium oxide solution, the chromium concentration of which is of 0.5-2% by weight, diluted in 4-9H sulphuric acid is used in the presence of graphite oxidation catalysts and carbon-containing impurities in the form of metal salts and/or oxides selected from a group of silver, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum and copper, the concentration of which ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 % by weight. At the second stage, the diamond is treated with an oxidation mixture containing concentrated nitric, chlorohydric and fluoro-hydrogen acids with a component ratio ranging from 6:2:0.5-1 to 2:6:1-2, respectively. The invention makes it possible to totally removing mineral and carbon containing impurities, including graphite, from a diamond.

Another prior art document EP1210171B1 disclosed the production of these fancy gem quality diamonds from inferior-grade discolored or so-called "brown" diamonds. A per the process of the invention the diamond is heated to approximately 1200° C and held at this temperature for one minute. Thereafter, the temperature is increased to the set value, e.g., approximately 2500° C, in 2.5 minutes and held at the set value for 18 minutes. The temperature should remain steady at 2500C during the last 6 minutes. Then the power is slowly reduced to nil in 1.5 minutes. The cell pressure is held constant for about 4 minutes and the pressure then slowly released. The reaction cell is removed from the HP/HT apparatus and the graphite pill containing the diamond is removed. The diamond is recovered by digesting the pill in a boiling mixture of 90% sulfuric acid and 10% nitric acid.

The aforementioned prior arts encounter various problems which lead into the difficulties in many ways. However, there have been many attempts to provide a blasting process with the safety provision, but those known to the applicants have been unsafe to the humans, complicated to operate, as well as too expensive for the industries. Also the known machines for cleaning the diamonds having certain disadvantages like the in these machines the cleaning process is completely hand operated and manual, in which diamond is held in one hand and tip of blasting gun is directed to the diamond using the second hand, have to tilt the diamond against micro abrasive stream of blasting gun cleans the diamond surface progressively, the process is time consuming and makes the hands and outer space dirty due to the ejection of abrasive powder outside of chamber of the blasting machine.

As discussed above, all the methods used for cleaning diamond effectively are having one or more problem like, manual operation, time consuming, hazardous to health as well as environment.

Hence, it is desperately needed to introduce an automated diamond cleaning machine which is fully automated without much human intervention and also is safe for human as well as environment.

Such automated diamond cleaning machine is developed by inventors of the present invention overcoming all problems discussed above and is as described herein.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The principle object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which can clean the diamond in short time or within few seconds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which can clean the diamond without use of any hazardous acid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which prevent the leakage of the dust particles into the air and also provide hands-free operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which is fast in the operation, easy to access, ease of maintenance and needed less space.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which can use for all shape of laser processed diamonds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine which exhaust filtered air after the operation therefor no damages done to the environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present invention is all about an automated diamond cleaning machine.

The main aspect of the present invention is to provide an automated diamond cleaning machine comprising a cleaning compartment filled with micro abrasive powder; a nozzle coupled with the cleaning compartment; a siphon tube at one end coupled with said nozzle and other end in contact with the micro abrasive powder; a filter compartment to filter the powder particles from the pressurized air; a diamond holding system to hold the diamond in-front of nozzle; a perforated chamber in which said diamond holding system mounted closed; wherein, when pressurized air is passed through said nozzle, the suction created in the said siphon tube which sucks abrasive powder through siphon tube and mixed with the pressurized air which then hits on the diamond.

One more aspect of the present invention is to provide the automated diamond cleaning machine in which perforated chamber closed with the air leakage proof cap system to prevent the leakage of dust particles in outer environment.

One more aspect of the present invention is to provide filter compartment having an air filter through which pressurized air passed and wasted powder collected at bottom side of compartment in a bottom lid and the air exhausted from an exhaust air duct.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide the automated diamond cleaning machine which can capable to remove the black residues from the laser processed diamond surface without using the acid boil in 5-15 seconds.

One another aspect of the present invention is to provide the process to clean the diamond having following steps;

a. holding diamond in diamond holding system;
b. filling lower part of the cleaning compartment with micro abrasive powder;
c. passing the pressurized air through said nozzle which creates suction in said siphon tube and so micro abrasive powder suck in the siphon tube;
d. mixing said powder with the pressurized air and come out from said nozzle with high velocity and clean the diamond;
e. filtering additional air with said filter compartment;
f. exhausting air after passing through said air filter;
g. collecting wastage powder at bottom side of said filter compartment.

One another aspect of the present invention is that in the automated diamond cleaning machine having cleaning cycle for one diamond can be 5-15 seconds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings.

However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and structures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or a structure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to the description of that method step or structure shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein.

Fig. 1 is a schematic presentation of the automated diamond cleaning machine for laser sawn diamond.

Fig. 2 is a schematic presentation of the automated diamond cleaning machine for laser bruted diamond.

Fig. 3 is a schematic presentation of the laser sawn diamond holding system.

Fig. 4 is a schematic presentation of the laser bruted diamond holding system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks of the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will now be described in greater detail. Also, the following description includes various specific details and is to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that: without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure and its various embodiments there may be any number of changes and modifications described herein.

It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention, the preferred, systems and methods are now described.

The present invention is all about an automated diamond cleaning machine.

As per one embodiment of the present invention, an automated diamond cleaning machine (1) comprising a cleaning compartment (100) filled with micro abrasive powder; a nozzle (101) coupled with the cleaning compartment ; a siphon tube (102) at one end coupled with said nozzle (101) and other end in contact with the micro abrasive powder; a filter compartment (200) to filter the powder particles from the pressurized air; a diamond holding system (300a, 300c) to hold the diamond in-front of nozzle (101); a perforated chamber (400) in which said diamond holding system (300) mounted closed wherein, when pressurized air is passed through said nozzle (101), the suction created in the said siphon tube (102) which sucks abrasive powder through siphon tube (102) and mixed with the pressurized air which then hits on the diamond.

As used herein, “Abrasive powder” means abrasive material to be sued to shape or finish a work piece through rubbing. In other words, abrasive materials are ceramics which used to cut, grind and polish other materials. Typically, materials used as abrasives are either hard minerals or are synthetic stones. Some of which may be chemically and physically identical to naturally occurring minerals but which cannot be called minerals as they did not arise naturally. An abrasive powder can be made of either single material or more than one material. The abrasive mineral may be classified as either natural or synthetic. The abrasive may be selected from calcium carbonate, impure corundum, Diamond dust, Novaculite, Pumice, Iron(III) oxide, Sand, Corundum, Garnet, Sandstone, Rottenstone (Tripoli), Powdered feldspar, Staurolite, Borazon, Ceramic, Ceramic aluminium oxide, Ceramic iron oxide, alumina or aluminium oxide, Dry ice, Glass powder, Steel abrasive, Silica, Zirconia alumina, Boron carbide, Slags. According to the requirement, abrasive powder can be a single material or the combination of one or more material.

As per a preferred embodiment, the abrasive powder used in present invention is the mixture of natural silica with aluminium oxide.

As per a preferred embodiment, the abrasive powder used in present invention is the mixture of natural silica with aluminium oxide with specific ratio.

Micro abrasive powder means the mineral or abrasive material break into the micro particles. The preferable particle size of the abrasive materials for present invention is in the range from 20 microns to 150 microns, preferably it is in the range of 40 microns to 100 microns and more preferably it is in the range of 60 to 80 microns.

Black residue means the carbon dots or carbon impurities formed on the diamond surface at the time of the crystallization of the diamond. The diamond made of carbon only and they are natural flaws that occurred during the formation of the diamond and are part of its structure. This black residues can be remove from the various technologies like acid boiling, blasting techniques, laser drilling etc. Preferably, the present invention use to remove the black residues that are created by the laser processing on the diamonds.

Siphon tube means a tube with follows the venture effect. In the siphon tube whenever the pressure created the powder of the container get sucked from the bottom of the tube. This powder sucks and flows in the upward direction. In the present invention, the siphon tube coupled with the nozzle. Therefore, when the pressurized air applied to the nozzle the siphon tube sucked the powder from the bottom and then mixed with the pressurized air.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the automated diamond cleaning machine (1) having micro abrasive powder which filled at the lower part of the cleaning compartment (100) which further mixed with the pressurized air and applied on the diamond to remove the black residues.

As per another embodiment of the present invention due to the hitting process of the pressurized air and micro abrasive powder on the laser processed diamond, due to the hardness of the particle and pressure the black residue particles removed from the surface and mixed with the air. This air further filtered in the filter compartment (200) to avoid the mixing of the particles in the air or outer environment.

As per another embodiment of the present invention to hold the laser processed diamond, the diamond holding system (300a, 300c) is provided. The diamond holding system can be for laser sawn diamond holding system (300a) including diamond holder (300b) to hold the diamond at the edge or laser bruted diamond holding system (300c) including a capsule (300d) at the edge to hold the diamond as per end user requirement. As per the shape of diamond and the requirement, the appropriate diamond holding system can be used.

As per another embodiment of the present invention is that automatic diamond cleaning machine having filter compartment (200) which filters the pressurized air which having wasted powder to prevent the environment from the pollution. The pressurized air came out from the cleaning compartment (100) filtered through the air filter (201). The filtered waste powder collected at the bottom of the compartment (200) in the bottom lid (202) and air then exhaust from the exhaust air duct (203). Therefore no any dust particles go in outer environment and prevent any health hazards to person operating machine as well as to the environment.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the filtered powder and the particles collected in the bottom lid (202). The bottom lid (202) is removable so that once the bottom lid (202) gets full with the powder it can be removed, emptied and place it back in the machine.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the perforated chamber (400) which having diamond holding system (300a, 300c) closed with the air leakage proof cap (401) to prevent the leakage of dust particles into outer environment.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the pressurized air is supplied to said nozzle (101) through pressure regulator (not shown) to regulate the pressure of the air flow. Also, the pressurized regulator further attached with the valve (not shown) which can turn on and off the air flow.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the automated diamond cleaning machine can be used for diamond of any shape and size without doing any major change in arrangement or adding external components and also without delaying the process time.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the automated diamond cleaning machine can clean all shape of diamond whether it is in even shape or it is uneven shape.

As per another embodiment of the present invention process to clean the diamond comprising following steps;

a. holding diamond in diamond holding system (300a, 300c);
b. filling lower part of the cleaning compartment (100) with micro abrasive powder;
c. passing the pressurized air through said nozzle (101) which creates suction in said siphon tube (102) and so micro abrasive powder suck in the siphon tube;
d. mixing said powder with the pressurized air and come out from said nozzle (101) with high velocity and clean the diamond;
e. filtering additional air with said filter compartment (200);
f. exhausting air after passing through said air filter (201);
g. collecting wastage powder at bottom side of said filter compartment (200) in bottom lid (202).

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is to provide the automated diamond cleaning machine which can capable to remove the black residues from the laser processed diamond surface without using the acid boil in 5-15 seconds.

As per another embodiment of the present invention the cleaning cycle for one diamond can be 5-15 seconds.

The automated diamond cleaning machine (1) of the present invention shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. As per shown in the Fig. 1, the automated diamond cleaning machine shown for laser sawn diamond. As shown in Fig. 1, the automated diamond cleaning machine (1) comprising two main compartment as cleaning compartment (100) and the filter compartment (200). The nozzle (101) being coupled with the cleaning compartment (100). The nozzle (101) further coupled with the siphon tube (102) also. The siphon tube (102) rested in the inner side of the cleaning compartment (100) which further filled with the micro abrasive powder. When the machine in the on condition the pressurized air passed to the nozzle (101) and due to that the suction was created in the siphon tube (102). Due to the suction, the micro abrasive powder sucked in the siphon tube (102) and mixed with the pressurized air. These mixture then applied on the diamond held on the diamond holding system (300a, 300c). After heating to the surface of the laser processed diamond, the impurities separated from the diamond also mixed with the pressurized air mixer and entered in the filter compartment (200) to separate the waste powder from the air and exhaust the air through the exhaust air duct (203). The air came out from the cleaning compartment (100) first filtered by the air filter (201) and the waste powder collected at the end of the compartment (200) in the bottom lid (202). The bottom lid (202) can be openable and can be remove from the machine and emptied the waste powder and put it back again. Same process and mechanism works for the laser bruted diamond. As shown in the Fig. 2 due to the uneven shape the holding system (300c) having the capsule (300d) which can hold the laser bruted diamond. The capsule (300d) having micro hole from which pressurized air mixture collide on the diamond to remove the black residue from the diamond.

As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, it shows schematic view of the diamond holding system (300a, 300c) for both laser sawn diamond and laser bruted diamond. As per the Fig. 3, if the shape of the laser processed diamond is even then it can be easily fitted on the diamond holder. If the shape of the laser processed diamond is uneven and it cannot be fitted in the diamond holder than the laser bruted diamond can be placed in the capsule (300d) as shown in the Fig. 4.

As per another embodiment of the present invention, the diamond cleaning machine worked automatically without the use of hand so that the machine is safe for the humans worked in the diamond industry.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

Automated diamond cleaning machine (1)
Cleaning compartment (100)
Nozzle (101)
Siphon tube (102)
Filter compartment (200)
Diamond holding system (300a, 300c)
Perforated chamber (400)
Diamond holder (300c)
Capsule (300d)
Air filter (201)
Bottom lid (202)
Exhaust air duct (203).
Air leakage proof cap (401)