Cutting fluid tank for machine tool

Abstract

The present invention provides a cutting fluid tank of a machine tool which does not become large, reduces the cleaning work of an operator and seeks to improve maintainability. In a tank main body (2), a spiral cutting fluid flow path (4) from a tank central portion to a tank peripheral portion is formed by a flow path forming plate (5). A flow inlet (16) for cutting fluid from a machining chamber to flow in is provided at a peripheral portion of a cover (3), and a flow outlet (17) for taking out cutting fluid in the tank main body (2) to the outside is provided at a central portion of the cover (3). A pump (8) for taking up cutting fluid and supplying it to the machining chamber is provided at the flow outlet (17).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to cutting fluid tanks used in machine tools such as machining centers and lathes. Background Technology

[0002] In machine tools that perform cutting operations, such as machining centers or lathes, cutting fluid (coolant) is typically used for the purposes of tool lubrication, cooling, and waste removal. The cutting fluid, sprayed into the machining chamber where the workpiece is cut, is discharged from the machining chamber along with the chips and other debris removed from the workpiece. The discharged cutting fluid flows into and is temporarily stored in the main tank, from where it is supplied back to the machining chamber by a coolant pump.

[0003] In recent years, due to space-saving measures in machine tools, a portion of the coolant tank is often installed inside the machine. Therefore, when cleaning the coolant tank, it is necessary to pull it out of the machine tool for cleaning. Furthermore, because the coolant tank is full of chips, it is difficult to clean it thoroughly without fully opening the tank lid.

[0004] As a machine tool coolant tank designed to reduce cleaning work for operators and improve maintainability, the coolant tank of the machine tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes: a first circulation pump located in a part of the tank body where the flow rate of the coolant containing waste residue is relatively fast, and having an upward suction inlet; a waste residue conveying nozzle that sprays the coolant drawn by the first circulation pump toward a recovery pump; a second circulation pump located in a part of the tank body where the flow rate of the coolant is relatively slow, and having a suction inlet facing the bottom of the tank body; and a first stirring nozzle that sprays the coolant drawn by the second circulation pump toward a predetermined part of the tank body.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-62728

[0008] According to the cutting fluid tank in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, in addition to the coolant pump installed at the outlet to supply the cutting fluid in the tank body to the machining chamber, two circulation pumps and other devices are also used to transport the cutting fluid to the outlet, which results in the problem of the cutting fluid tank being too large. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cutting fluid tank for a machine tool, which transports the chips inside the cutting fluid tank to the outlet by the flow of cutting fluid without using a circulation pump or the like. As a result, it does not become large, reduces the cleaning work of operators, and improves maintainability.

[0010] The present invention is constructed in accordance with the above objectives by the following scheme.

[0011] 1) A cutting fluid tank for a machine tool, comprising: a tank body having a generally square bottom wall in top view and side walls rising from the periphery of the bottom wall; and a cover that closes the upper opening of the tank body.

[0012] Inside the housing, a spiral-shaped cutting fluid flow path is formed from the center of the housing to the outer periphery via a flow path forming plate.

[0013] The cover has an inlet on one side (either in the center or on the outer periphery) for the flow of cutting fluid from the machining chamber, and an outlet on the other side for removing the cutting fluid from the main body of the casing to the outside.

[0014] A pump is installed at the outlet to draw in cutting fluid and supply it to the machining chamber.

[0015] 2) The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to 1) has an inlet in the center of the cover and an outlet in the outer periphery of the cover.

[0016] 3) The flow path forming plate of the machine tool according to 1) or 2) is formed in such a way that the width of the flow path of the cutting fluid is the same as that of the cutting fluid flow path.

[0017] 4) The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to any one of 1) to 3) is provided with an inclined plate on the bottom wall of the tank body opposite to the inlet, which decreases as it moves toward the direction of cutting fluid travel.

[0018] 5) The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to any one of 1) to 4) is provided with a plurality of nozzles in the cutting fluid flow path for spraying cutting fluid in the direction of travel of the cutting fluid.

[0019] 6) In the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to 5), at least one of the plurality of nozzles is provided at the corner of the tank body where the flow of cutting fluid is changed.

[0020] 7) In the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to 5), at least one of the plurality of nozzles is provided on the inner side of the cutting fluid flow path.

[0021] 8) The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to any one of 5) to 7) is used as the cutting fluid sprayed from the nozzle after being drawn by the pump and passed through the filter device.

[0022] Invention Effects

[0023] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 1), by forming a spiral cutting fluid flow path and installing a pump (coolant pump) at the outlet, the cutting fluid flows spirally from the inlet to the outlet. Because of this spiral shape, abrupt changes in flow direction due to chip accumulation are reduced. Therefore, even without using a pump other than the coolant pump (such as a circulation pump), the cutting fluid containing chips is delivered without sedimentation, thus avoiding large-scale operation, reducing cleaning work for operators, and improving maintainability.

[0024] According to the machine tool cutting fluid tank described in 2), maintenance becomes easier because the outlet where chips tend to accumulate is located on the outer periphery of the tank body.

[0025] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 3), by setting the cutting fluid flow path in a spiral shape and making the flow path width the same, the cutting fluid will flow evenly and the sedimentation of the cutting fluid will be reduced, which can further reduce chip accumulation.

[0026] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 4), since the flow of cutting fluid at the inlet becomes unidirectional and is accelerated in its direction of travel, the precipitation of cutting fluid near the inlet is reduced, which can further reduce chip accumulation near the inlet.

[0027] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 5), the flow of cutting fluid is amplified by the nozzle, making it difficult for sediment to form and reducing chip accumulation throughout the cutting fluid flow path.

[0028] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 6), by installing nozzles at the corners where sediment is prone to form, chip buildup at the corners can be further reduced. Furthermore, it is not necessary to install nozzles at all corners; it is sufficient to install nozzles at one or more appropriate corners.

[0029] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 7), since the flow rate is slower and chips tend to accumulate on the inner side of the spiral, the accumulation of chips can be further reduced by providing a nozzle on the inner side.

[0030] According to the cutting fluid tank of the machine tool described in 8), the cutting fluid that has been filtered and had its chips removed is supplied not only to the machining chamber, but also to the nozzles used to prevent chip buildup in the tank body, thus enabling the construction of a highly efficient system. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating a first embodiment of a cutting fluid tank for a machine tool based on the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 It means to Figure 1 A top view of the state after the cover is removed.

[0033] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A vertical sectional view of line AA.

[0034] Figure 4 It means set at Figure 1 A loop diagram showing the interrelationships of the constituent elements on the cover.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a coolant tank for a machine tool based on the present invention, and is different from the first embodiment. Figure 1 The corresponding 3D image.

[0036] Figure 6 It is the same as the first embodiment. Figure 2 The corresponding top view.

[0037] Figure 7 It is the same as the first embodiment. Figure 3 The corresponding vertical sectional view.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0039] 1: Machine tool cutting fluid tank

[0040] 2: Box body

[0041] 3: Cover

[0042] 4: Cutting fluid flow path

[0043] 5: Flow path forming plate

[0044] 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f: Nozzles

[0045] 8: Coolant pump (pump)

[0046] 9: Filtration device

[0047] 10: Valve device

[0048] 10a, 10b, 10c: Cooling valves

[0049] 16: Inlet

[0050] 17: Outlet

[0051] 36: Inclined plate

[0052] 51: Inlet

[0053] 52: Outlet

[0054] 53: Cutting fluid flow path

[0055] 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e, 54f: Nozzles Detailed Implementation

[0056] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, Figure 2 and Figure 5 The left and right sides are called left and right, the bottom is called front, and the top is called back.

[0057] Figures 1 to 4 This describes a first embodiment of a cutting fluid tank for a machine tool based on the present invention.

[0058] The cutting fluid tank 1 of the machine tool in the first embodiment is a device for storing cutting fluid containing chips discharged from the machining chamber (not shown) of the machine tool, and for delivering the cutting fluid to the machining chamber after the chips are removed, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it comprises: a housing body 2 having a generally square bottom wall 11 when viewed from above and four side walls (left wall 12, rear wall 13, right wall 14 and front wall 15) that rise vertically from the periphery of the bottom wall 11; a cover 3 that closes the upper opening of the housing body 2; a flow path forming plate 5 for forming a spiral cutting fluid flow path 4 inside the housing body 2, a plurality of (six shown) nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f and a plurality of (three shown) pipes 7a, 7b, 7c; and a coolant pump 8, a filter device 9 and a valve device 10 disposed on the cover 3.

[0059] The cover 3 is provided with a cutting fluid inlet 16 and an outlet 17.

[0060] Cutting fluid containing chips generated during machining is supplied to inlet 16 and discharged from the machining chamber.

[0061] The coolant pump 8 is located at the outlet 17. The coolant pump 8 draws up the cutting fluid in the main body 2 and discharges it toward the machining chamber.

[0062] The filter device 9 is connected to the coolant pump 8 via the inflow side pipe 18 and to the machining chamber via the outflow side pipe 19, thereby filtering the cutting fluid drawn by the coolant pump 8 before supplying it to the machining chamber, thus enabling the supply of cutting fluid with chips removed to the machining chamber.

[0063] After passing through the filter device 9, the cutting fluid is further sent to the valve device 10 via the branch pipe 20. The valve device 10 is connected to the pipes 7a, 7b, 7c that communicate with each nozzle 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, thereby enabling control of the supply or stop of the cutting fluid for each pipe 7a, 7b, 7c.

[0064] The first embodiment has the following features: the inlet 16 of the cutting fluid is located at the corner of the cover 3 (the part sandwiched between the left wall 12 and the front wall 15), the outlet 17 of the coolant pump 8 is located at the center of the cover 3, and a spiral cutting fluid flow path 4 from the outer periphery to the center is formed in the main body 2 by the flow path forming plate 5.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, the flow path forming plate 5 has the following components as its outermost periphery: a first corner portion 21 located at the corner between the left wall 12 and the rear wall 13; a second corner portion 22 located at the corner between the rear wall 13 and the right wall 14; a third corner portion 23 located at the corner between the right wall 14 and the front wall 15; and a fourth corner portion 24 located at the corner between the front wall 15 and the front end of the first straight section 25 parallel to the left wall 12.

[0066] The connection portions of each corner portion 21, 22, 23, 24 with each side wall 12, 13, 14, 15 and the first straight portion 25 are formed into a curved surface when viewed from above.

[0067] Based on the structure of the outermost periphery of the flow path forming plate 5, the outermost periphery of the spiral cutting fluid flow path 4 is formed by the portion of the left wall 12 excluding the rear end, the first corner portion 21, the middle portion of the rear wall 13, the second corner portion 22, the middle portion of the right wall 14, the third corner portion 23, the middle portion of the front wall 15, and the fourth corner portion 24.

[0068] In addition to having a first straight section 25 parallel to the middle portion of the left wall 12, the flow path forming plate 5 also has the following structures as the inner side of the outermost periphery: a fifth corner section 26 parallel to the middle portion of the first corner section 21; a second straight section 27 parallel to the middle portion of the rear wall 13; a sixth corner section 28 parallel to the middle portion of the second corner section 22; a third straight section 29 parallel to the middle portion of the right wall 14; a seventh corner section 30 parallel to the middle portion of the third corner section 23; a fourth straight section 31 parallel to the middle portion of the front wall 15; an eighth corner section 32 parallel to the middle portion of the fourth corner section 24; a fifth straight section 33 parallel to the middle portion of the first straight section 25; a ninth corner section 34 parallel to the middle portion of the fifth corner section 26; and a sixth straight section 35 parallel to the middle portion of the second straight section 27.

[0069] The connection between the corner sections 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and the straight sections 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35 forms a curved surface when viewed from above.

[0070] The eighth corner section 32, the fifth straight section 33, the ninth corner section 34, and the sixth straight section 35 form the innermost circumferential structure in a manner that surrounds the suction port of the coolant pump 8.

[0071] In the above case, the portions 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 of the flow path forming plate 5 are formed in a manner that is the same as the width of the cutting fluid flow path 4.

[0072] like Figure 3 As shown, the flow path forming plate 5 also has an inclined plate 36 disposed on the bottom wall 11 of the box body 2 opposite to the inlet 16 as a structure for receiving the cutting fluid falling from the inlet 16. The inclined plate 36 is configured to decrease in height as it advances in the direction of the cutting fluid's travel, i.e., rearward, as... Figure 3 As shown by the arrow, the cutting fluid flowing in from the inlet 16 is guided to flow in one direction by the inclined plate 36 and is accelerated in its direction of travel.

[0073] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram showing the interrelationships of the equipment located in the coolant tank 1. As shown in the diagram, the valve assembly 10 has multiple (three in the example) cooling valves 10a, 10b, and 10c, each valve 10a, 10b, and 10c being arranged one-to-one with each pipe 7a, 7b, and 7c. The coolant pump 8, driven by the motor 8a, draws coolant from the tank body 2 and supplies it to the machining chamber via the filter device 9 for cleaning the machining chamber. The coolant supplied to the machining chamber has chips and other debris removed by passing through the filter device 9. The coolant after passing through the filter device 9 is also supplied via the cooling valves 10a, 10b, and 10c of the valve assembly 10 to pipes 7a, 7b, and 7c that communicate with multiple nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f. Each of the pipes 7a, 7b, and 7c is connected to a nozzle 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f in a pair. Each of the cooling valves 10a, 10b, and 10c opens and closes independently. Thus, the six (three pairs) nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f can open all three pairs or open a specific pair, and can be selectively opened and closed as needed.

[0074] like Figure 2 As shown by the arrow in the image, via... Figure 2 The cutting fluid flowing into the main body 2 from the inlet 16 is guided by the side walls 12, 13, 14, 15 and the structures 21, 22, 23, 24 on the outermost periphery of the flow path forming plate 5 and the structures 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 on the inner side of the flow path forming plate 5. It flows in a spiral shape from the outside to the inside in the cutting fluid flow path 4 and is guided by the structures 32, 33, 34, 35 on the innermost periphery of the flow path forming plate 5 to the outlet 17.

[0075] Six nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f are used to drive the flow of cutting fluid. In this embodiment, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, a nozzle is provided at each of the following locations: the inner side of the flow path between the first corner portion 21 and the fifth corner portion 26; the upstream side of the rear portion of the second corner portion 22; the inner side of the flow path between the second corner portion 22 and the sixth corner portion 28; the upstream side of the right portion of the third corner portion 23; the inner side of the flow path between the fourth corner portion 24 and the eighth corner portion 32; and the upstream side of the left portion of the fifth corner portion 26.

[0076] According to the above embodiment, the machine tool's coolant tank 1 can be miniaturized because it only uses the coolant pump 8 necessary for supplying coolant to the machining chamber, without using additional circulation pumps. While there is concern about chip accumulation when no additional pump is used, the spiral flow path 4 ensures the coolant flows in a spiral shape, reducing abrupt changes in flow direction caused by chip accumulation. Therefore, the coolant containing chips is transported without sedimentation. This avoids the need for a large tank, reduces cleaning work for operators, and improves maintainability.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cutting fluid tank 1 of the machine tool according to the above embodiment, the cutting fluid that has had its chips removed by passing through the filter device 9 is not only supplied to the machining chamber, but also to the nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f for preventing chip accumulation in the tank body 2. Therefore, a highly efficient system can be constructed.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the flow path forming plate 5 of the above embodiment, by making the flow path width of the spiral-shaped cutting fluid flow path 4 uniform, the cutting fluid flows evenly, and the precipitation of cutting fluid is reduced, which can further reduce chip accumulation. In addition, according to its inclined plate 36, since the flow of cutting fluid at the inlet 16 becomes unidirectional and the cutting fluid is accelerated in its direction of travel, the precipitation of cutting fluid near the inlet 16 is reduced, which can further reduce chip accumulation near the inlet 16.

[0079] In addition, by configuring multiple nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f in the cutting fluid flow path 4 to promote the flow of cutting fluid, the cutting fluid will flow evenly and the sedimentation of cutting fluid will be reduced, which can further reduce chip accumulation.

[0080] When multiple nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f are arranged in the cutting fluid flow path 4, chip accumulation at the corner (upstream side of the corner) where sedimentation is prone to occur can be further reduced. In addition, since the flow rate is slower and chips are prone to accumulate on the inner side of the spiral, chip accumulation can be further reduced by arranging nozzles 6a, 6c, and 6e on this inner side.

[0081] Figures 5 to 7 This describes a second embodiment of the cutting fluid tank 1 of the machine tool according to the present invention.

[0082] The second embodiment has the following features: the inlet 51 of the cutting fluid is located in the center of the cover 3, the outlet 52 of the coolant pump 8 is located in the corner of the cover 3 (the part sandwiched between the left wall 12 and the front wall 15), and a spiral cutting fluid flow path 53 from the center to the outer periphery is formed in the main body 2 by the flow path forming plate 5.

[0083] The flow path forming plate 5 itself is designed with the same shape as in the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment are the positions of the inlet 51 and outlet 52, the direction of the cutting fluid flow in the spiral cutting fluid flow path 53, and the arrangement of the multiple nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e, and 54f. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same structures as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted. Only the differences will be described.

[0084] The inlet 51 and outlet 52 are opposite to those in the first embodiment, thus, as Figure 6 As indicated by the arrows, the cutting fluid flowing into the main body 2 from the inlet 51 is first guided by the structures 35, 34, 33, and 32 at the innermost periphery of the flow path forming plate 5. Then, it is guided by the structures 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, and 25 on the inner side of the flow path forming plate 5 and the side walls 15, 14, 13, and 12, as well as the structures 24, 23, 22, and 21 at the outermost periphery of the flow path forming plate 5, so that it flows outward in a spiral shape from the center to the outer periphery in the cutting fluid flow path 53, thereby reaching the outlet 52 where the coolant pump 8 is located.

[0085] In this embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the six nozzles 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e, and 54f are each provided at the following locations: the inner side of the flow path between the fifth corner 26 and the ninth corner 34; the upstream side of the rear portion of the fourth corner 24; the inner side of the flow path between the third corner 23 and the seventh corner 30; the upstream side of the right portion of the second corner 22; the inner side of the flow path between the second corner 22 and the sixth corner 28; and the upstream side of the right portion of the first corner 21.

[0086] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, the inclined plate 36 is disposed on the portion of the bottom wall 11 of the main body 2 opposite to the inlet 51, and is configured to decrease in height as it moves toward the direction of the cutting fluid, i.e., rearward. Figure 7 As indicated by the arrow, the cutting fluid flowing in from inlet 51 is guided in a unidirectional flow by the inclined plate 36 and accelerated in its direction of travel. (This is in contrast to the first embodiment.) Figure 4The corresponding loop diagram of the second embodiment and Figure 4 same.

[0087] The cutting fluid tank 1 of the machine tool according to the second embodiment can perform the function of... Figures 1 to 4 The same effect is achieved as in the first embodiment shown. Furthermore, since the outlet 52, where chips tend to accumulate, is located near the outer periphery of the housing body 2, maintenance becomes easier, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment.

[0088] Furthermore, in either the first or second embodiment, the shape of the flow path forming plate 5 for forming the spiral cutting fluid flow paths 4 and 53, and the arrangement positions of the nozzles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e, and 54f are not limited to those shown in the figures.

Claims

1. A cutting fluid tank for a machine tool, characterized in that, It comprises: a box body having a roughly square bottom wall when viewed from above and four side walls rising from the periphery of the bottom wall; and a lid that closes the top opening of the box body. Inside the housing, a spiral-shaped cutting fluid flow path is formed from the center of the housing to the outer periphery via a flow path forming plate. The cover has an inlet on one side (either in the center or on the outer periphery) for the flow of cutting fluid from the machining chamber, and an outlet on the other side for removing the cutting fluid from the main body of the casing to the outside. A pump is installed at the outlet to draw in cutting fluid and supply it to the machining chamber.

2. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lid has an inlet in the center and an outlet on the outer periphery.

3. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The flow path forming plate is formed in a manner that is the same width as the cutting fluid flow path.

4. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, An inclined plate is provided on the bottom wall of the main body of the tank, opposite to the inlet, which lowers as it moves toward the direction of the cutting fluid.

5. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Multiple nozzles are provided in the cutting fluid flow path to spray cutting fluid in the direction of its travel.

6. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least one of the multiple nozzles is located at a corner of the tank body where the flow of the cutting fluid is altered.

7. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least one of the multiple nozzles is located inside the cutting fluid flow path.

8. The cutting fluid tank of the machine tool according to claim 5, characterized in that, It is used as a cutting fluid that is sprayed from a nozzle after being drawn by a pump and passed through a filter.

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