machine tool coolant tank

Abstract

This prevents the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of machine tools. [Solution] A coolant tank for a machine tool, comprising a bottom 11, a wall 12 rising from the outer edge of the bottom 11 and forming a box-shaped structure with an open top together with the bottom 11, a partition rising from the bottom 11 inside the box-shaped structure surrounded by the wall 12 and forming a coolant flow path together with the bottom 11, and a pump 16 for discharging coolant, wherein the coolant flow path has a first flow path 21 formed by the inner wall surface of the first partition, the outer wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom 11 and formed in a spiral shape from the outside toward the center, and a second flow path 22 formed by the outer wall surface of the first partition, the inner wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom 11 and formed in a spiral shape from the center toward the outside, with a supply unit 105 for supplying coolant at the starting end of the first flow path 21 and a pump 16 positioned at the end of the second flow path 22.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coolant tank of a machine tool.

Background Art

[0002] Machine tools such as machining centers and automatic lathes for machining a workpiece (workpiece) with a tool are known. For such machine tools, a coolant (cutting fluid) is used for the purpose of lubricating and cooling the tool, and discharging chips and sludge. The coolant supplied to the machining chamber where the cutting of the workpiece is performed is discharged from the machining chamber together with chips and sludge, and the discharged coolant flows into a tank disposed at the lower part of the machine tool and is temporarily stored therein, and is supplied again to the machining chamber by a pump from here. In this tank, chips and sludge tend to accumulate at locations where the flow direction of the coolant changes abruptly. When the coolant flow path becomes narrower due to deposits, the coolant flow rate decreases. Therefore, it takes time to remove the deposits by removing the tank. Here, it is known that by forming a coolant flow path in a spiral shape and providing a pump at the outlet, the coolant is caused to flow in a spiral shape from the inlet to the outlet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Since the coolant flow path is spiral, it is possible to reduce the abrupt change in the flow direction that causes the accumulation of chips and sludge.

[0003]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​For example, if the coolant flow path is formed in a spiral shape, either the coolant inlet or outlet must be located in the center of the tank. Therefore, it becomes difficult to apply this to machine tools where the inlet and outlet are located at the edges of the tank. In addition, space is required to install a separate dust separation device, etc.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to suppress the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of a machine tool. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure is, The bottom and, A wall portion that rises from the outer edge of the bottom and, together with the bottom, forms a box-shaped form with an opening at the top, Inside the box-shaped structure surrounded by the aforementioned wall, a partition rises from the bottom and, together with the bottom, forms a coolant flow path. A pump for discharging the aforementioned coolant, A coolant tank for a machine tool, The aforementioned partition is, The first partition is spiral-shaped, A spiral-shaped second partition is positioned separately from the first partition and rotates along the first partition in the same direction as the first partition, It has, The coolant flow path is, A first channel is formed by the inner wall surface of the first partition, the outer wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, and is formed in a spiral shape from the outside toward the center, A second channel is formed by the outer wall surface of the first partition, the inner wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, and is formed in a spiral shape from the center outwards, It has, The first flow path has a supply section at its starting end to which the coolant is supplied, The pump is located at the end of the second flow path. This is a coolant tank for a machine tool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of a machine tool. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a machine tool according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of a coolant tank according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the flow channel section according to the first embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of a coolant tank according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of the third channel according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the flow channel section according to the second embodiment, viewed from above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A coolant tank for a machine tool, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, comprises a bottom, a wall portion rising from the outer edge of the bottom and forming a box-shaped structure with an open top together with the bottom, a partition rising from the bottom and forming a coolant flow path together with the bottom inside the box-shaped structure surrounded by the wall portion, and a pump for discharging the coolant, wherein the partition comprises a spiral-shaped first partition and a partition positioned apart from the first partition and along the first partition and The coolant flow path comprises a first flow path formed by the inner wall surface of the first partition, the outer wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, which is spiral-shaped from the outside toward the center, and a second flow path formed by the outer wall surface of the first partition, the inner wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, which is spiral-shaped from the center toward the outside, and a supply unit for supplying the coolant is located at the starting end of the first flow path, and the pump is located at the end of the second flow path.

[0011] The coolant flows along the partition. The partition is formed to rise from the bottom. The partition may be configured to include a plate-like member. The pump sucks the coolant from the coolant tank and discharges the coolant to the outside of the coolant tank (e.g., the processing chamber). The partition has a first partition and a second partition, and the coolant flows between the first partition and the second partition. Here, since the first partition and the second partition are formed in a spiral shape, the flow path of the coolant is formed in a double spiral shape. Then, the coolant flows from the outside to the center side of the spiral through one flow path of the double spiral, and further, the coolant flows from the center side to the outside of the spiral through the other flow path of the double spiral. Here, a first flow path, which is one flow path of the double spiral, is formed between the inner wall surface of the first partition and the outer wall surface of the second partition. The coolant is supplied to this first flow path. Also, a second flow path, which is the other flow path of the double spiral, is formed between the outer wall surface of the first partition and the inner wall surface of the second partition. By arranging the pump in this second flow path, the coolant supplied to the first flow path is discharged to the outside by the pump through the second flow path from the first flow path. Thus, by flowing the coolant through the first flow path and the second flow path formed in a double spiral shape, the first flow path and the second flow path can be made relatively narrow. Therefore, the flow rate of the coolant can be increased. Thus, it is possible to suppress the deposition of chips and sludge in the coolant tank. Also, since the bending of the flow path can be made relatively small, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of stagnation of the coolant. This also can suppress the deposition of chips and sludge in the coolant tank. Also, the dead space can be reduced.

[0012] Further, the flow path of the coolant may further include a third flow path having a first corner portion formed by the bottom, the first partition, and the end portion on the center side of the second partition, and a second corner portion formed by the bottom, the end portion on the center side of the first partition, and the second partition.

[0013] The third flow path is a flow path in which the direction of the coolant flow is reversed. For example, when the coolant flows from the outside to the center while rotating counterclockwise in the first flow path, the direction of the coolant flow in the third flow path changes from counterclockwise to clockwise. Then, the coolant flows as it is from the center to the outside in the second flow path clockwise. In this way, by reversing the flow direction in the third flow path, the flow directions of the coolant in the first flow path and the second flow path are opposite. As a result, the flow path through which the coolant flows can be made narrow and long. Then, since the flow velocity of the coolant can be increased, it is possible to suppress the deposition of chips and sludge.

[0014] Further, the coolant tank of the machine tool may further include a third partition that rises from the bottom and divides the third flow path into the first partition side and the second partition side.

[0015] In the third flow path, since the direction of the coolant flow changes abruptly, there is a risk of stagnation in the coolant flow. On the other hand, by providing the third partition, the coolant flows along the third partition, so that the occurrence of stagnation can be suppressed.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure only to those, unless otherwise specified.

[0017] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a machine tool 1 according to the first embodiment. The machine tool 1 may be, for example, a machining center or a lathe. However, the machine tool 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a machine tool that uses coolant. The coolant is a cutting fluid that performs lubrication, cooling, cleaning, etc. A coolant tank 10 for storing the coolant is provided below the machine tool 1. The coolant tank 10 has a function of temporarily storing the coolant discharged from the processing chamber of the machine tool 1 and supplying the coolant to the processing chamber again.

[0018] Figure 2 shows an example of the schematic configuration of a coolant tank 10 according to the first embodiment. The dotted arrows indicate the direction in which the coolant flows. The coolant tank 10 has a roughly rectangular bottom 11 and four wall sections 12 rising from the outer edge of the bottom 11, forming a box shape with an open top. Casters 13 are provided near each of the four corners of the wall sections 12. These casters 13 allow the coolant tank 10 to be pulled out from the bottom of the machine tool 1. The coolant tank 10 has a filter section 100 and a flow path section 200. The coolant flows into the filter section 100, moves from the filter section 100 to the flow path section 200, and is discharged from the pump 16 toward the machining chamber or the like.

[0019] The filter section 100 is equipped with a first basket 101 and a second basket 102 that remove relatively large chips and sludge contained in the coolant. 02 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top. The first cage 101 and the second cage 102 have, for example, a grid-like mesh on their bottom or walls, and chips and sludge are removed from the coolant as it passes through this mesh. The coolant is supplied to the first cage 101 by falling from the top of the first cage 101 due to gravity.

[0020] The filter section 100 is provided with a weir 103 that divides the filter section 100 into the first basket 101 side and the second basket 102 side. The weir 103 is a plate-shaped member that rises from the bottom 11 and is fixed to the wall section 12 and the first partition 17, which will be described later. The height of the weir 103 is lower than the height of the wall section 12 and the first partition 17. The second basket 102 is positioned lower than the upper end of the weir 103 so as to be in contact with the weir 103.

[0021] The coolant that has passed through the first basket 101 is temporarily stored in a coolant storage section 104 located at the bottom of the first basket 101. The coolant storage section 104 is formed by a bottom 11, two walls 12, a first partition 17, and a weir 103. When the liquid level of the coolant stored in the coolant storage section 104 reaches the height of the weir 103, the coolant flows over the top of the weir 103 to the second basket 102. The coolant that has passed over the top of the weir 103 flows into the second basket 102. In the coolant storage section 104, the flow velocity of the coolant is relatively low due to the relatively large flow area of ​​the coolant, so chips and sludge contained in the coolant settle. Then, coolant with relatively few chips and sludge is supplied to the second basket 102. In the second basket 102, chips and sludge are further removed. The mesh provided in the second basket 102 may be formed to have a finer mesh than the mesh provided in the first basket 101. The first basket 101, the second basket 102, and the coolant storage section 104 are configured to be cleaned without having to remove the coolant tank 10 from the machine tool 1. On the other hand, when cleaning the flow path section 200, it is necessary to remove the coolant tank 10 from the machine tool 1.

[0022] The filter section 100 has one or more outlets 105. The outlets 105 are openings provided in the first partition 17 to connect the filter section 100 and the flow path section 200. These outlets 105 may be formed to lead from the second basket 102 to the flow path section 200. In addition, some or all of the coolant that has passed through the second basket 102 may be sucked in through the suction pipe 106 and sent to the filtration device, and supplied from the filtration device to the flow path section 200. In this case, the end of the pipe that supplies coolant from the filtration device to the flow path section 200 may be the outlet 105. Note that the outlets 105 are an example of a supply section.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the flow path section 200 according to the first embodiment, viewed from above. The outer edge of the flow path section 200 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape by three wall sections 12 and a first partition 17, which will be described later. The flow path section 200 has a pump 16, a spiral-shaped first partition 17 rising from the bottom 11, and a spiral-shaped second partition 18 rising from the bottom 11 and positioned away from the first partition 17. The pump 16 pumps the coolant inside the coolant tank 10 towards the processing chamber, filtration device, etc.

[0024] The first partition 17 and the second partition 18 are plate-shaped members fixed to the bottom 11. This fixing may be done by welding, adhesive, rivets, or bolts. The first partition 17 and the second partition 18 are spiral partitions that rotate in the same direction when viewed from above the machine tool 1. The first partition 17 has a plurality of first long sides 172 formed in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel 200, a plurality of first short sides 173 formed in the short direction of the flow channel 200, and a plurality of corners 174 having curved surfaces that join the first long sides 172 and the first short sides 173. The corners 174 have curved surfaces that bend at a 90-degree angle when viewed from above the machine tool 1. The first partition 17 gradually approaches the center of the spiral, repeating the first long sides 172, corners 174 and first short sides 173 in order from the outlet 105, and the central side end of the first partition 17 It reaches section 171. Furthermore, the first partition 17 has a first curved section 175 that curves 180 degrees around the central end 181 of the second partition 18, just before the central end 171 of the first partition 17.

[0025] The second partition 18 has a plurality of second long sides 182 formed in the longitudinal direction of the flow channel 200, a plurality of second short sides 183 formed in the short direction of the flow channel 200, and a plurality of corners 184 having curved surfaces that join the second long sides 182 and the second short sides 183. The corners 184 have curved surfaces that bend at a 90-degree angle when viewed from above the machine tool 1. The second partition 18 gradually approaches the center of the spiral by sequentially repeating the second long sides 182, corners 184 and second short sides 183 from the outlet 105, and reaches the central end 181 of the second partition 18. In addition, the second partition 18 has a second curved section 185 that curves 180 degrees around the central end 171 of the first partition 17 just before the central end 181 of the second partition 18.

[0026] A portion of the first partition 17 also serves as the outer wall of the coolant reservoir 104 and the wall portion 12 of the coolant tank 10. The inner wall surface of the first partition 17, the outer wall surface of the second partition 18, and the bottom portion 11 form the first flow path 21. The first flow path 21 is a flow path in which the coolant flows in a swirling pattern from the outside to the inside. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, when viewed from above the machine tool 1, the coolant flows in a counterclockwise direction from the outside towards the center. The first flow path 21 is a flow path from the outlet 105 to the central end portion 181 of the second partition 18 where the outer wall surface of the second partition 18 is interrupted. The first channel 21 is composed of a straight portion formed by the inner wall surface of the first long side portion 172, the outer wall surface of the second long side portion 182, and the bottom portion 11; a curved portion formed by the inner wall surface of the corner portion 174, the outer wall surface of the corner portion 184, and the bottom portion 11; and a straight portion formed by the inner wall surface of the first short side portion 173, the outer wall surface of the second short side portion 183, and the bottom portion 11.

[0027] Furthermore, the outer wall surface of the first partition 17, the inner wall surface of the second partition 18, and the bottom portion 11 form a second flow path 22. The second flow path 22 is a flow path in which the coolant flows in a swirling pattern from the center outward. In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, when viewed from above the machine tool 1, the coolant flows clockwise from the center outward. The second flow path 22 is a flow path that begins at the central end 171 of the first partition 17 where the outer wall surface of the first partition 17 is interrupted, and extends to the pump 16. Near the pump 16, the second flow path 22 is formed by the outer wall surface of the first partition 17, the inner wall surface of the wall portion 12, and the bottom portion 11. In this case, the wall portion 12 that forms the second flow path 22 also serves as the second partition 18. The second flow channel 22 is composed of a straight portion formed by the outer wall surface of the first long side portion 172, the inner wall surface of the second long side portion 182, and the bottom portion 11; a curved portion formed by the outer wall surface of the corner portion 174, the inner wall surface of the corner portion 184, and the bottom portion 11; and a straight portion formed by the outer wall surface of the first short side portion 173, the inner wall surface of the second short side portion 183, and the bottom portion 11.

[0028] Furthermore, the first channel 21 and the second channel 22 are connected at the center of the channel section 200 via a third channel 23. The third channel 23 is the area hatched in Figure 3, and is a channel in which the direction of coolant flow changes from counterclockwise to clockwise. The third channel 23 is a channel formed by the inner wall surface of the first partition 17 extending from the first curved section 175 to the central end 171, the inner wall surface of the second partition 18 extending from the second curved section 185 to the central end 181, and the bottom 11. The channel formed by the inner wall surface of the first curved section 175 and the bottom 11 is an example of the first corner section. The channel formed by the inner wall surface of the second curved section 185 and the bottom 11 is an example of the second corner section. The first partition 17 and the second partition 18 are formed so that the channel areas of the first channel 21, the second channel 22, and the third channel 23 are approximately equal.

[0029] The first channel 21 is connected to the outlet 105 of the coolant reservoir 104, and coolant flows into the first channel 21 from this outlet 105. The coolant that flows into the first channel 21 flows while rotating counterclockwise along the first channel 21. At this time, the direction of flow of the coolant changes as it flows along the corner section 174.

[0030] When the coolant reaches the central end 181 of the second partition 18, it flows along the third flow path 23. That is, the coolant that flows into the third flow path 23 rotates counterclockwise along the first curved section 175. In other words, the coolant rotates counterclockwise around the central end 181 of the second partition 18 along the inner wall of the first partition 17. Next, when the coolant reaches the central end 171 of the first partition 17, it rotates clockwise along the second curved section 185. That is, the coolant rotates clockwise around the central end 171 of the first partition 17 along the inner wall of the second partition 18.

[0031] Subsequently, the coolant flows into the second flow path 22 and flows while rotating clockwise along the second flow path 22. At this time, the direction of flow of the coolant changes as it flows along the corner section 184. At the end of the second flow path 22, the suction port of the pump 16 opens, and the coolant that has flowed through the second flow path 22 is sucked in through the suction port of the pump 16 and discharged toward the processing chamber, etc.

[0032] In the coolant tank 10 of the machine tool 1 configured in this way, the coolant flow path is formed in a swirling shape, minimizing the number of places where the direction of the coolant flow changes abruptly. This suppresses stagnation in the coolant flow, thus preventing the accumulation of chips and sludge in the flow path. Furthermore, because the flow path folds back from the first flow path 21 to the second flow path 22, the width of the flow path can be narrowed, increasing the coolant flow velocity. This also suppresses the accumulation of chips and sludge in the flow path. In addition, dead space can be reduced.

[0033] <Second Embodiment> Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the coolant tank 10 according to the second embodiment. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the third flow path 23 according to the second embodiment. Figure 6 is a schematic view of the flow path section 200 according to the second embodiment as seen from above. The differences from the configuration described in the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0034] The coolant tank 10 according to the second embodiment is equipped with a flow straightening plate 30 in the third flow path 23. The flow straightening plate 30 rises from the bottom 11 and is positioned between the first partition 17 and the second partition 18, and is positioned parallel to the first partition 17 and the second partition 18. The flow straightening plate 30 divides the third flow path 23 into two parts, the first partition side flow path 231 and the second partition side flow path 232, from the start point to the end point of the third flow path 23. The flow straightening plate 30 is an example of the third partition.

[0035] The first partition-side flow path 231 is a flow path formed by the first partition 17, the rectifier plate 30, and the bottom 11. The second partition-side flow path 232 is a flow path formed by the second partition 18, the rectifier plate 30, and the bottom 11. The rectifier plate 30 is formed such that the flow path areas of the first partition-side flow path 231 and the second partition-side flow path 232 are approximately equal.

[0036] In the third channel 23, the direction of coolant flow changes abruptly, which may result in areas with slow and fast flow velocities. For example, in the third channel 23 according to the first embodiment, when coolant flows from the first channel 21 into the third channel 23, the coolant tends to flow more easily towards the first curved section 175 than towards the central end 181 of the second partition 18. As a result, the coolant flow velocity near the central end 181 of the second partition 18 slows down, which may lead to the accumulation of chips and sludge. The same applies to the area near the central end 171 of the first partition 17.

[0037] In contrast, if the flow straightening plate 30 is positioned to divide the coolant flow path into two parallel paths before the direction of coolant flow changes abruptly, the tendency of the coolant to be biased outward in the radial direction can be suppressed, thereby making the coolant flow velocity more uniform. This suppresses the accumulation of chips and sludge in the third flow path 23.

[0038] <Other Embodiments> In the second embodiment, a flow straightening plate 30 is provided to divide the third flow path 23 into two, but multiple flow straightening plates may be provided to further divide the third flow path 23 into three or more sections. Alternatively, a flow straightening plate may be provided between the corner portion 174 of the first partition 17 and the corner portion 184 of the second partition 18 to divide the first flow path 21 or the second flow path 22. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 Machine tools 10 Coolant Tank 11 Bottom 12 Wall 16 pumps 17 First partition 18 Second partition 21 First channel 22 Second flow path 23 Third flow path 30 Rectifier plate

Claims

1. The bottom and, A wall portion that rises from the outer edge of the bottom and, together with the bottom, forms a box-shaped form with an open top, Inside the box-shaped structure surrounded by the aforementioned wall, a partition rises from the bottom and, together with the bottom, forms a coolant flow path. A pump for discharging the aforementioned coolant, A coolant tank for a machine tool, The aforementioned partition is, The first partition is spiral-shaped, A spiral-shaped second partition is positioned separately from the first partition and rotates along the first partition in the same direction as the first partition, It has, The coolant flow path is, A first channel is formed by the inner wall surface of the first partition, the outer wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, and is formed in a spiral shape from the outside toward the center, A second channel is formed by the outer wall surface of the first partition, the inner wall surface of the second partition, and the bottom, and is formed in a spiral shape from the center outwards, It has, The first flow path has a supply section at its starting end to which the coolant is supplied, The pump is located at the end of the second flow path. Coolant tank for machine tools.

2. The coolant flow path is, The first corner portion is formed by the bottom portion, the first partition, and the central end of the second partition, The bottom portion, the central end of the first partition, and the second partition form a second corner portion, It further comprises a third channel having A coolant tank for a machine tool according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a third partition that rises from the bottom and divides the third flow path into the first partition side and the second partition side. A coolant tank for a machine tool according to claim 2.

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