Collet for cutter cooling
The collet design with multiple grooves and flow paths addresses inefficient cooling in conventional collets by promoting cutter cooling, reducing wear and extending service life.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025001829U
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-06-05
AI Technical Summary
Conventional collets for machining tools provide only one path for coolant, leading to inefficient cooling and increased wear due to thermal fatigue, reducing the cutter's service life and increasing maintenance costs.
A collet design with multiple grooves and flow paths for coolant distribution, allowing for enhanced cooling of the cutter both internally and at the machining interface, reducing thermal fatigue and extending cutter life.
The enhanced cooling effect reduces cutter wear and extends service life, thereby decreasing repair and maintenance costs.
Smart Images
Figure 0003252266000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present utility model relates to accessories for a machining device, and more specifically, to a collet for cooling a cutter through various paths.
Background Art
[0002] A collet is a member used to fix a machining tool such as a cutter. In order to exert a cooling effect on the cutter, there is also a collet designed to provide a path through which a coolant flows inside the collet, and by cooling the cutter fixed to the collet, the temperature during machining is reduced and the wear of the cutter is reduced.
[0003] However, among the above-described collets, a conventional collet has only one path for the coolant. This conventional collet directly contacts the cutter with the coolant inside the collet or sprays and contacts the coolant from the collet to the workpiece through only one path. Therefore, the conventional collet cannot exert an efficient cooling effect on the cutter.
[0004] In order to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional collet, the present utility model provides a collet for cooling a cutter that reduces or eliminates the above problems.
Summary of the Invention
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] The main object of the present utility model is to provide a collet that can provide various paths for cooling a cutter and promote the cooling effect on the cutter.
[0006] The collet has a collet body, at least one groove, and at least one flow path. The collet body has a central axis, a through hole extending along the central axis, a plurality of front slots, and a plurality of rear slots that are in fluid communication with the groove and the flow path. Each front slot extends from the front end to the rear end of the collet body. Each rear slot extends from the rear end to the front end of the collet body. Each groove is defined on the inner surface of the through hole and extends from the front end to the rear end of the collet body. Each flow path is separated from the through hole, extends from the front end to the rear end of the collet body, and is inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body.
[0007] In the present utility model, the groove and the flow path each form a different path for the coolant flowing inside. The cutter is cooled inside the collet and at the machining part that contacts the workpiece. Compared with a conventional collet having only one coolant path, in the collet of the present utility model, the cooling effect on the cutter is promoted. Wear of the cutter due to thermal fatigue is reduced, the service life of the cutter is extended, and accordingly, the repair cost and maintenance cost of the cutter are reduced.
[0008] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present utility model will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0009]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a collet 80 according to the present utility model includes a collet body 10, a plurality of slots, a plurality of grooves 30, and a plurality of flow paths 40. The plurality of slots, the plurality of grooves 30, and the plurality of flow paths 40 are formed in the collet body 10 by machining.
[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the collet body 10 has a central axis C, a front end 11, and a rear end 12. The front end 11 and the rear end 12 face each other along the central axis C. A cutter can be connected into the collet body 10 through the front end 11 of the collet body 10. The rear end 12 of the collet body 10 can be connected to a cutter holder assembled with a spindle. The collet body 10 further has a through hole 13 extending from the front end 11 to the rear end 12 along the central axis C for accommodating a cutter.
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the plurality of slots are separated from each other. Each slot is defined by penetrating the outer peripheral portion of the collet body 10 and extends to the through hole 13. The plurality of slots can be distinguished into a plurality of front slots 21 and a plurality of rear slots 22. Each front slot 21 extends from the front end 11 to the rear end 12 of the collet body 10. Each rear slot 22 extends from the rear end 12 to the front end 11 of the collet body 10.
[0013] Specifically, the collet 80 is an elastic collet. Since the plurality of front slots 21 and the plurality of rear slots 22 extend to the through-hole 13 of the collet body 10, the collet body 10 can be deformed when assembling or removing a cutter from the through-hole 13 of the collet body 10. After inserting the cutter into the through-hole 13, the collet nut is configured to press the collet body 10, and the collet body 10 deforms to clamp the cutter. Therefore, the cutter is fixed and does not come off.
[0014] Here, the collet body 10 has two conical structures. One of the two conical structures is tapered toward the front end 11 of the collet 10 and can be deformed in cooperation with the plurality of front slots 21. The other of the two conical structures is tapered toward the rear end 12 of the collet body 10 and can be deformed in cooperation with the plurality of rear slots 22. The collet nut and the cutter holder each have their respective pits, and by pressing the two conical structures respectively, the collet body 10 clamps the cutter.
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of grooves 30 are arranged around the through-hole 13. Each groove 30 is defined on the inner surface of the through-hole 13, extends from the front end 11 to the rear end 12 of the collet body 10, and is in fluid communication with the corresponding one of the rear slots 22. The groove 30 and the rear slot 22 that are in fluid communication with each other form a path through which the coolant flows inside. The groove 30 that is in fluid communication with the rear slot 22 is separated from the plurality of front slots 21.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of flow paths 40 are also arranged around the through hole 13. Each flow path 40 is separated from the through hole 13 and the plurality of grooves 30. Each flow path 40 extends from the front end 11 to the rear end 12 of the collet body 10, is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the rear slots 22, and gradually inclines toward the central axis C and the front end 11 of the collet body 10 to form another path through which the coolant flows inside. The flow paths 40 in fluid communication with the rear slots 22 are also separated from the plurality of front slots 21.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 4, when the collet 80 of the present utility model is configured in a spindle structure, the collet 80 is assembled and fixed to the cutter holder 92, and the cutter 94 is fixed to the through hole 13 of the collet 80 via the collet nut 93. Then, the cutter holder 92 is fixed to the spindle 91. By driving the cutter 94 by the spindle 91 and rotating it together with the spindle 91, machining can be performed.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 5, a coolant flow path 95 is axially arranged in the cutter holder 92 to cooperate with the collet 80. During machining, the coolant is guided from the flow path in the spindle 91 to the coolant flow path 95 of the cutter holder 92. Thereafter, the coolant enters the plurality of rear slots 22, the plurality of grooves 30, and the flow paths 40 extending from the rear end 12 of the collet body 10 respectively to exert various cooling effects.
[0019] Here, the coolant from the rear slots 22 flows through the plurality of grooves 30 defined on the inner surface of the through hole 13, so that the contact time between the coolant, the inside of the collet 80, and the cutter 94 for cooling the collet body 10 and a part of the cutter 94 in the collet 80 is extended. The coolant passing through the grooves 30 is sprayed from the front end 11 of the collet body 10 onto the workpiece.
[0020] When a coolant flows into a plurality of flow paths 40 separated from the through holes and the plurality of grooves 30, it flows along a path that does not come into contact with the cutter 94. After passing through the flow paths 40, the coolant is sprayed from the front end 11 of the collet body 10. Since each flow path 40 is inclined toward the central axis C of the collet body 10 and the front end 11 of the collet body 10, the coolant flowing out from the flow path 40 is sprayed onto the machining part where the cutter 94 contacts the workpiece and generates heat due to friction, directly cooling the machining part.
[0021] Therefore, the grooves 30 and the flow paths 40 each form different paths for the coolant flowing inside. The cutter 94 is cooled inside the collet 80 and at the machining part that contacts the workpiece. Compared with the conventional collet having only one coolant path, in the collet of this utility model, the cooling effect on the cutter 94 is promoted. Wear of the cutter 94 due to thermal fatigue is reduced, the service life of the cutter 94 is extended, and accordingly, the repair cost and maintenance cost of the cutter 94 are reduced.
[0022] In the first embodiment of this utility model, the collet 80 has a plurality of grooves 30 and a plurality of flow paths 40. Specifically, the collet 80 has three of the above grooves 30 and three of the above flow paths 40. In other embodiments, various paths of the coolant for promoting the cooling effect can be formed by a single one of the above grooves 30 and a single one of the above flow paths 40. The specific quantity of the grooves 30 and the flow paths 40 can be determined by the length and outer diameter of the collet body 10, the quantity of the rear slots 22, and the diameter of the through hole 13 so as to obtain an optimal cooling effect.
[0023] Also, in FIG. 2, in order to uniformly cool the cutter 94 and the collet body 10 from the inside of the collet 80, a plurality of grooves 30 are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole 13. A plurality of flow paths 40 are also arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole 13, and the coolant flowing out from the front end 11 of the collet body 10 is sprayed onto the machining part where the cutter 94 contacts the workpiece at various angles so as to obtain a better cooling effect.
[0024] On the one hand, in the first embodiment of the present utility model shown in FIG. 2, the shortest distance G is defined between the inner surface of the through hole 13 and the inner surface of each flow path 40. The through hole 13 has a diameter D. Referring to FIG. 3, an included angle θ is defined between the central axis C of the collet body 10 and each flow path 40 that is inclined toward the central axis C and the front end 11 of the collet body 10. The tangent of the included angle θ is equal to the following value obtained by dividing the shortest distance G by four times the diameter D.
Number
[0025] Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, after the cutter 94 is assembled to the through hole 13 of the collet 80, an extension distance E is defined as the length of the portion of the cutter 94 protruding from the front end 11 of the collet body 10. The extension distance E is approximately four times the diameter of the cutter 94 and also four times the diameter D of the through hole 13. Thereby, the extension distance E is not too long for the cutter 94 to vibrate. The extension distance E is not too short for the workpiece to hit a member such as the collet nut 93 of the spindle structure.
[0026] In the first embodiment of the present utility model, a specific angle is assigned to the included angle θ such that the tangent of the included angle θ is equal to the value obtained by dividing the shortest distance G by four times the diameter D. When spraying the coolant from the front end 11 of the collet body 10 through the flow path 40, actually, the coolant can be sprayed onto the machining part where the tip of the cutter 94 contacts the workpiece so as to obtain an optimal cooling effect.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a second embodiment of the collet 80A according to the present utility model is shown. In the first embodiment of the present utility model, a plurality of grooves 30 and a plurality of flow paths 40 around the through hole 13 are offset from each other. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, each groove 30A is in fluid communication with the corresponding one of the flow paths 40A through the corresponding one of the rear slots 22.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, in the first embodiment of the present utility model, a plurality of grooves 30 and a plurality of flow paths 40 around the through hole 13 are offset from each other. As a result, the plurality of grooves 30 and the plurality of flow paths 40 are radially oriented in different directions. Since the grooves 30 and the flow paths 40 are formed in different radial directions by machining, the portion around the through hole 13 has high rigidity and the structural strength will not be reduced by excessive machining.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 7, in the second embodiment of the present utility model, each groove 30A is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the flow paths 40A through a corresponding one of the rear slots 22. Each groove 30A and the corresponding flow path 40A are arranged in the same radial direction with respect to the through hole 13. Therefore, each flow path 40A and the through hole 13 are separated by the corresponding groove 30A. The heat transmitted from the cutter 94 to the flow path 40A through the collet body 10 is reduced, the coolant sprayed onto the machining part through the flow path 40A is kept at a low temperature, and a better cooling effect is obtained.
[0030] Here, by considering data such as the material and size of the collet 80, and the quantity of the front slots 21 and rear slots 22, it can be determined whether the first embodiment or the second embodiment is configured such that the rigidity of the collet 80 is appropriate and a suitable cooling effect is obtained.
[0031] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, each groove 30 / 30A and each flow path 40 / 40A are in fluid communication with the corresponding rear slot 22. In other embodiments, when a large number of rear slots 22 are densely arranged, each groove 30 / 30A and each flow path 40 / 40A may be in fluid communication with two or more rear slots 22.
[0032] In the above description, many characteristics and advantages of the present utility model have been described together with the details of the structure and features of the present utility model, but the present disclosure is merely illustrative. In particular, with respect to details such as shape, size, and arrangement of components, within the principle of the present utility model, changes can be made up to the maximum scope indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms representing the appended claims.
Claims
1. A collet having a collet body, at least one groove, and at least one flow path, wherein the collet body has a central axis, a through hole extending along the central axis, a plurality of front slots each extending from the front end of the collet body toward the rear end of the collet body, and a plurality of rear slots each extending from the rear end of the collet body toward the front end of the collet body, and the at least one groove is in fluid communication with the plurality of rear slots, each groove being defined on the inner surface of the through hole and extending from the front end of the collet body toward the rear end of the collet body, the at least one flow path is in fluid communication with the plurality of rear slots, each flow path being separated from the through hole, extending from the front end of the collet body toward the rear end of the collet body, and being inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body, a collet.
2. The plurality of grooves disposed around the through hole, each of the plurality of grooves being in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of rear slots, and the plurality of flow paths disposed around the through hole, each of the plurality of flow paths being in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of rear slots The collet according to claim 1, having.
3. The collet according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves and the plurality of flow paths around the through hole are offset from each other.
4. The collet according to claim 2, wherein each groove is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of flow paths through a corresponding one of the plurality of rear slots with which the groove is in fluid communication.
5. The collet according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
6. The collet according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
7. The collet according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
8. The collet according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of flow paths are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
9. The collet according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of flow paths are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
10. The collet according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of flow paths are arranged at equal angular intervals around the through hole.
11. The shortest distance is defined between the inner surface of the through hole and the inner surface of each flow path, the through hole has a diameter, an included angle is defined between the central axis of the collet body and each flow path that is inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body, the tangent of the included angle is equal to the value obtained by dividing the shortest distance by four times the diameter of the through hole, The collet according to claim 1.
12. The shortest distance is defined between the inner surface of the through hole and the inner surface of each flow path, the through hole has a diameter, an included angle is defined between the central axis of the collet body and each flow path that is inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body, the tangent of the included angle is equal to the value obtained by dividing the shortest distance by four times the diameter of the through hole, The collet according to claim 2.
13. The shortest distance is defined between the inner surface of the through hole and the inner surface of each flow path, the through hole has a diameter, an included angle is defined between the central axis of the collet body and each flow path that is inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body, the tangent of the included angle is equal to the value obtained by dividing the shortest distance by four times the diameter of the through hole, The collet according to claim 3.
14. The shortest distance is defined between the inner surface of the through hole and the inner surface of each flow path, the through hole has a diameter, an included angle is defined between the central axis of the collet body and each flow path that is inclined toward the central axis and the front end of the collet body, the tangent of the included angle is equal to the value obtained by dividing the shortest distance by four times the diameter of the through hole, The collet according to claim 4.