A tool holder mechanism for handling tools

Abstract

The application relates to a tool sleeve mechanism for mounting and demounting a tool, and relates to the field of tool changing technology. The tool sleeve mechanism for mounting and demounting a tool comprises a shell and a mandrel, the shell and the mandrel are provided with a mounting groove for mounting the tool, further comprising a pull claw, the mandrel is provided with a containing groove for containing the pull claw, the pull claw can slide in the axial direction of the mandrel, the containing groove is communicated with the mounting groove, the mandrel is movably connected with a clamping bead, the mandrel is provided with a groove for containing the clamping bead, the groove is communicated with the mounting groove and the containing groove, one end of the pull claw towards the insertion end of the tool is provided with a conical surface, when the tool is locked, the pull claw abuts against the clamping bead so that the clamping bead extends into the mounting groove to fix the tool, when the tool is unlocked, the pull claw axially slides so that the conical surface is aligned with the groove bottom of the groove, thereby forming a space for the clamping bead to exit from the mounting groove. The application has the effects of improving the tool mounting and demounting efficiency and reducing the safety risk.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of tool changing technology, and in particular to a tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools. Background Technology

[0002] A tool magazine system is a device that provides the necessary tool storage and changing capabilities for automated machining processes. Common tool magazine systems include disc-type, chain-type, and mortise-and-tenon type tool magazines. Tool magazines typically have multiple tool holders to accommodate tools of different sizes. Tool holders are a key component of CNC machine tool tool magazine systems; they are used to hold various tools, providing storage space and serving to secure and protect the tools within the magazine, preventing damage during storage and transportation.

[0003] During machining, different tools need to be changed. Common manual tool loading and unloading methods typically cannot be semi-automatic or automatic using external mechanisms. Operators must manually pull out the tools using a tool puller, especially for longer and heavier tools, which is impossible for one person to handle. Although some tool magazines now use pneumatic or hydraulic pressure via a foot valve for semi-automatic tool unloading, loading still requires significant manual force from the operator to insert the tool into the tool holder. Therefore, manual tool loading and unloading is difficult and prone to operator injury due to improper force control. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the difficulties and safety risks associated with manually loading and unloading cutting tools, this application provides a tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading cutting tools.

[0005] The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading cutting tools provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools includes a housing and a spindle. A mounting groove for mounting the tool is provided between the housing and the spindle. The mechanism also includes a pull claw. A receiving groove for accommodating the pull claw is provided within the spindle. The pull claw is movably connected to the spindle and can slide along the axial direction of the spindle. The receiving groove communicates with the mounting groove and has an opening at the end opposite to the tool insertion end. A clamping ball is movably connected to the spindle. A groove for accommodating the clamping ball is provided on the spindle, and the groove communicates with the mounting groove and the receiving groove. The end of the pull claw facing the tool insertion end has a conical surface. When locking the tool, the pull claw abuts against the clamping ball to allow the clamping ball to extend into the mounting groove to fix the tool. When unlocking the tool, the pull claw slides axially to align the conical surface with the bottom of the groove, creating clearance space for the clamping ball to exit from the mounting groove.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the pull claw is installed in the receiving groove, and the end of the receiving groove opposite to the tool insertion end has an opening. An external drive source can drive the pull claw to slide axially through the opening of the receiving groove. The pull claw slides towards the tool insertion end, causing the conical surface to align with the bottom of the groove. Since the conical surface is a conical inclined surface, when the conical surface aligns with the groove, it creates a clearance space. The clamping ball, which was originally pressed into the mounting groove and locked to the tool by the pull claw, falls into the clearance space, thus exiting the mounting groove and unlocking the tool. When the tool needs to be locked after insertion, the pull claw slides axially back to its original position, causing the pull claw to press the clamping ball, causing the clamping ball to exit the clearance space and enter the mounting groove to lock with the tool. This solution, through the mechanical linkage structure of the pull claw and clamping ball, only requires an external drive source, such as a pneumatic mechanism like a cylinder, to perform axial push-pull actions to complete the locking and releasing of the tool. Compared with existing technologies, this solution requires no manual force during tool loading and unloading, resulting in high loading and unloading efficiency and high safety.

[0008] Preferably, the pull claw includes a rod and a head, and the receiving groove includes a first receiving groove for receiving the rod and a second receiving groove for receiving the head. The groove walls of the first receiving groove and the groove walls of the second receiving groove form a step to axially limit the head.

[0009] Preferably, the head includes a first cylindrical portion and a conical portion containing a conical surface, wherein the first cylindrical portion is connected to one end of the bottom circumference of the conical portion, and the first cylindrical portion is located at one end of the conical portion near the tool insertion end.

[0010] Preferably, the end of the conical portion opposite to the tool insertion end is connected to a second cylindrical portion, which abuts against the step formed by the groove wall of the first receiving groove and the groove wall of the second receiving groove to limit the head.

[0011] Preferably, a reset member is sleeved on the pull claw, and the pull claw has a protrusion for the reset member to abut against. One end of the reset member abuts against the protrusion, and the inner wall of the mandrel protrudes towards the central axis of the pull claw to form a stepped end face. The other end of the reset member abuts against the stepped end face of the inner wall of the mandrel.

[0012] Preferably, the end of the pull claw opposite to the cutter insertion end is provided with an ejector rod, which extends out from the opening of the receiving groove.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting groove has a positioning block, and the tool shank abuts against the positioning block to indicate that the tool is installed in place.

[0014] Preferably, the groove is a hemispherical groove, and the bottom of the groove has a through hole that connects the groove to the receiving groove.

[0015] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0016] It improves tool loading and unloading efficiency, has low safety risks, and can use external driving sources such as cylinders to apply force to the ejector rod, control the axial sliding of the pull claw to lock or release the tool, which is time-saving, labor-saving and highly safe.

[0017] It has a wide range of applications, a large overturning moment of the blade sheath, and can be used to load heavy and long blades. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the blade sleeve mechanism in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tool holder mechanism in use in the embodiments of this application.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Outer shell; 2. Mandrel; 3. Pull claw; 11. Mounting groove; 21. Receiving groove; 4. Clamping ball; 22. Groove; 31. Conical surface; 23. Clearance space; 32. Rod; 33. Head; 211. First receiving groove; 212. Second receiving groove; 331. First cylindrical part; 332. Conical part; 333. Second cylindrical part; 34. Reset part; 35. Protrusion; 36. Ejector rod; 111. Positioning block. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-3 This application will be described in further detail.

[0023] This application discloses a tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading cutting tools. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The tool holder mechanism includes a housing 1, a spindle 2, and a pull claw 3. The housing 1 and spindle 2 are fixedly connected, and the pull claw 3 is movably connected to the spindle 2. A mounting groove 11 for inserting a tool is provided between the housing 1 and the spindle 2. A receiving groove 21 for accommodating the pull claw 3 is provided inside the spindle 2. The pull claw 3 can move axially along the axial direction of the spindle 2 within the receiving groove 21 to lock and unlock the tool. The receiving groove 21 has an opening at the end opposite to the tool insertion end. An external drive source can drive the pull claw 3 to slide axially from the opening of the receiving groove 21. The external drive source can be a pneumatic structure such as a cylinder. When unlocking the tool, the external drive source pushes the pull claw 3 towards the tool insertion end. If the external drive source is a cylinder, the piston rod of the cylinder extends to push the pull claw 3 to unlock the tool. When locking is required after the tool is inserted into the mounting groove 11, the piston rod of the cylinder retracts, causing the pull claw 3 to return to its original position and lock the tool.

[0024] A clamping bead 4 is movably connected to the spindle 2. The clamping bead 4 is a spherical or cylindrical locking element used to engage with the cutting tool to lock it in place. Specifically, the spindle 2 has a groove 22 for accommodating the clamping bead 4. The groove 22 connects the mounting groove 11 and the receiving groove 21. In a preferred embodiment, the groove 22 is a hemispherical groove 22, the radius of which corresponds to the radius of the clamping bead 4. A through hole is formed at the bottom of the groove 22. The diameter of the through hole is smaller than the diameter of the clamping bead 4 to prevent the clamping bead 4 from falling completely out of the groove 22. The through hole connects the groove 22 and the receiving groove 21, so that the pull claw 3 can abut against the clamping bead 4 located in the groove 22 through the through hole.

[0025] When the tool is inserted into the mounting slot 11, the top of the clamping bead 4 extends into the mounting slot 11 and uses contact friction to press against the tool surface to restrict tool movement. In another configuration, the tool has a stepped structure, and the clamping bead 4 extends into the mounting slot 11 to press against the stepped part of the tool to restrict tool movement. Further, the end of the pull claw 3 facing the tool insertion end has a conical surface 31, which is a tapered inclined surface formed at the front end of the pull claw 3, forming an angle with the central axis of the pull claw 3. When it is necessary to unlock the tool, the pull claw 3 is driven to slide axially so that the conical surface 31 aligns with the bottom of the groove 22. Because the conical surface 31 has a certain inclination angle, when the conical surface 31 moves to align with the groove 22, a clearance space 23 is formed below the groove 22. The top of the clamping bead 4 exits from the mounting slot 11, and the bottom of the clamping bead 4 falls into the clearance space 23, thereby unlocking the tool. When the tool is inserted into the mounting slot 11 and needs to be locked, the drive claw 3 slides axially back to its original position, and the claw 3 lifts the clamping ball 4 into the mounting slot 11 to lock the tool.

[0026] The pull claw 3 includes a rod 32 and a head 33, which are fixedly connected. The receiving groove 21 includes a first receiving groove 211 for receiving the rod 32 and a second receiving groove 212 for receiving the head 33. The groove walls of the first receiving groove 211 and the second receiving groove 212 form a step. The step refers to the abrupt groove wall structure formed at the connection between the first receiving groove 211 and the second receiving groove 212. The change in groove diameter forms a physical blocking surface. The head 33 abuts against the step to axially limit the pull claw 3. A conical surface 31 is located on the head 33. A groove 22 is connected to the second receiving groove 212. The width of the second receiving groove 212 is greater than the width of the head 33 so that the head 33 can slide within the second receiving groove 212.

[0027] Reference Figure 2The head 33 includes a first cylindrical portion 331 and a conical portion 332. The conical surface 31 is located in the conical portion 332. When locking the tool, the first cylindrical portion 331 abuts against the clamping ball 4. When unlocking the tool, the conical portion 332 abuts against the clamping ball 4. In one embodiment, the first cylindrical portion 331 is connected to one end of the bottom circumference of the conical portion 332. The first cylindrical portion 331 is located at the end of the conical portion 332 near the tool insertion end. When the pull claw 3 is driven to slide axially towards the tool insertion end, the conical portion 332 aligns with the groove 22 to form a clearance space 23. The pull claw 3 retracts, causing the first cylindrical portion 331 to align with the groove 22 to lift the clamping ball 4. To better align the conical portion 332 with the groove 22 to form the clearance space 23, the axial length of the conical surface 31 can be designed to be equal to the width of the groove 22. One embodiment of the conical surface 31 is a conical surface 31 with a cross-section of a cone, also known as a frustum. The end of the frustum near the tool insertion end is connected to the first cylindrical portion 331, and the end of the frustum away from the tool insertion end is connected to the second cylindrical portion 333. When the frustum is aligned with the groove 22, the second cylindrical portion 333 abuts against the step formed by the groove walls of the first receiving groove 211 and the second receiving groove 212 to axially limit the head 33, and also to indicate that the pull claw 3 has slid into place. In addition, the second cylindrical portion 333 can also evenly distribute the radial pressure applied by the clamping ball 4 through the cylindrical structure, thereby enhancing the overall bending strength of the pull claw 3.

[0028] In one embodiment, the pull claw 3 can be reset by an external drive source, such as by retracting the piston rod of a cylinder. In another embodiment, a reset member 34 is fitted onto the pull claw 3, and reset is achieved by utilizing the rebound force of the reset member 34, which is preferably a spring. The pull claw 3 has a protrusion 35 for the reset member 34 to abut against. One end of the reset member 34 abuts against the protrusion 35, and the inner wall of the spindle 2 protrudes towards the central axis of the pull claw 3 to form a stepped end face. The other end of the reset member 34 abuts against the stepped end face of the inner wall of the spindle 2. When the pull claw 3 is driven to slide axially towards the tool insertion end, the reset member 34 is compressed and stores elastic potential energy. When the pull claw 3 needs to be reset, the external drive source is withdrawn, and the rebound force of the reset member 34 drives the pull claw 3 to return to its original position.

[0029] Reference Figure 3An ejector rod 36 is fixed to the end of the pull claw 3 opposite to the tool insertion end. The ejector rod 36 extends from the opening of the receiving groove 21, and its function is to facilitate the connection between an external drive source and the pull claw 3. In one embodiment, the extended end of the ejector rod 36 extends beyond the opening end face of the receiving groove 21 in the unlocked state, forming a mechanical pushing contact surface. Specifically, when the pull claw 3 is axially slid away from the tool insertion end by an external force, the ejector rod 36 moves synchronously with the pull claw 3 and extends out from the opening. In the locked state, the ejector rod 36 is retracted into the receiving groove 21, and the end of the ejector rod 36 is flush with or retracted inward from the opening end face.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 The mounting groove 11 has a positioning block 111. The positioning block 111 can be a metal block that is fixed to the bottom of the mounting groove 11 by thread connection or welding. The positioning block 111 forms a hard contact with the end face of the tool holder to prevent the tool from continuing to move axially, thereby realizing the control of the tool insertion depth. When the tool holder abuts against the positioning block 111, it indicates that the tool is installed in place.

[0031] The implementation principle of a tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: When the tool needs to be unlocked, the pull claw 3 is driven by an external drive source to slide axially towards the tool insertion end. The first cylindrical part 331 moves out from the bottom of the groove 22, and the conical surface 31 of the conical part 332 aligns with the bottom of the groove 22 to form a clearance space 23. The clamping ball 4 exits from the mounting groove 11 and falls into the clearance space 23, allowing the tool to be pulled out from the mounting groove 11. When the tool needs to be locked, the external drive source is removed, and the pull claw 3 returns to its original position under the action of the reset member 34. The step formed by the groove walls of the first receiving groove 211 and the second receiving groove 212 restricts the axial displacement of the pull claw 3. The first cylindrical part 331 moves to abut against the clamping ball 4, causing the clamping ball 4 to extend into the mounting groove 11 and lock the tool.

[0032] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading cutting tools, comprising a housing (1) and a spindle (2), wherein a mounting groove (11) for mounting cutting tools is provided between the housing (1) and the spindle (2), characterized in that: It also includes a pull claw (3), and the spindle (2) has a receiving groove (21) for accommodating the pull claw (3). The pull claw (3) is movably connected to the spindle (2), and the pull claw (3) can slide along the axial direction of the spindle (2). The receiving groove (21) is connected to the mounting groove (11), and the end of the receiving groove (21) opposite to the tool insertion end has an opening. A clamping ball (4) is movably connected to the spindle (2), and the spindle (2) has a groove (22) for accommodating the clamping ball (4). The mounting groove (11) and the receiving groove (21) are connected. The pull claw (3) has a conical surface (31) at one end facing the tool insertion end. When locking the tool, the pull claw (3) abuts against the clamping bead (4) so ​​that the clamping bead (4) extends into the mounting groove (11) to fix the tool. When unlocking the tool, the pull claw (3) slides axially so that the conical surface (31) aligns with the bottom of the groove (22) to form a clearance space (23) for the clamping bead (4) to exit from the mounting groove (11).

2. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pull claw (3) includes a rod (32) and a head (33). The receiving groove (21) includes a first receiving groove (211) for receiving the rod (32) and a second receiving groove (212) for receiving the head (33). The groove wall of the first receiving groove (211) and the groove wall of the second receiving groove (212) form a step to axially limit the head (33).

3. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 2, characterized in that: The head (33) includes a first cylindrical portion (331) and a conical portion (332) containing a conical surface (31). The first cylindrical portion (331) is connected to one end of the bottom circumference of the conical portion (332). The first cylindrical portion (331) is located at one end of the conical portion (332) near the tool insertion end.

4. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 3, characterized in that: The conical portion (332) is connected to a second cylindrical portion (333) at one end away from the tool insertion end. The second cylindrical portion (333) abuts against the step formed by the groove wall of the first receiving groove (211) and the groove wall of the second receiving groove (212) to limit the head (33).

5. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: A reset member (34) is sleeved on the pull claw (3). The pull claw (3) has a protrusion (35) for the reset member (34) to abut. One end of the reset member (34) abuts against the protrusion (35). The inner wall of the spindle (2) protrudes towards the central axis of the pull claw (3) to form a stepped end face. The other end of the reset member (34) abuts against the stepped end face of the inner wall of the spindle (2).

6. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pull claw (3) has an ejector rod (36) at one end away from the cutter insertion end, and the ejector rod (36) extends out from the opening of the receiving groove (21).

7. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting groove (11) has a positioning block (111), and the shank of the tool abuts against the positioning block (111) to indicate that the tool is installed in place.

8. The tool holder mechanism for loading and unloading tools according to claim 1, characterized in that: The groove (22) is a hemispherical groove (22), and a through hole is opened at the bottom of the groove (22). The through hole of the groove (22) connects the groove (22) and the receiving groove (21).

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