Switching device

Abstract

To secure a movable range of a cradle on which a milling blade tool is placed.SOLUTION: An exchange device of a milling blade tool includes: a plate-like cradle 14 having ball casters 43 at one surface side; a cover 13 which has a spacer 33, on which the ball casters 43 are placed, and supports the cradle 14 in a manner that the cradle 14 can move in a direction parallel to a surface of the cradle 14; a support part 12 which supports the cover 13; a guide mechanism 15 which is connected to the support part 12 and the spacer 33 of the cover 13 and guides relative motion of the support part 12 and the cover 13; and a tension spring 16 which connects a lower surface of the cradle 14 with an upper surface of the support part 12 and generates a tensile force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a milling tool changing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an exchange device in which a guide bar with a shock absorber is provided on the underside of a support table on which a milling tool is mounted, and a movable plate to which the guide bar is fixed is provided with bearings and placed on a base plate, allowing the movable plate to move freely in a horizontal plane and rotate freely on the base plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-155626 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the replacement device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the movable plate is prevented from falling off by using a restricting piece fastened to the base plate. However, when the replacement jig is placed under the milling tool, the movable plate moves in a predetermined direction and is placed in a state restricted by the restricting piece. In other words, in the replacement device, the movable range of the movable plate in the predetermined moving direction may be insufficient, and if it is desired to move the movable plate in a direction where the movable range is insufficient, it may be necessary to reposition the replacement device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides an exchange device in which a range of movement of a pedestal for placing a milling tool is ensured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The replacement device of the present invention is a milling cutter tool replacement device and comprises: a plate-shaped receiving base having a ball caster on one side, a cover having a spacer on which the ball caster is placed and supporting the receiving base so that it can be moved freely in a direction parallel to the surface of the receiving base, a support part supporting the cover, a guide mechanism connected to the support part and the spacer of the cover and guiding the relative movement of the support part and the cover, and a tension spring that connects the lower surface of the receiving base and the upper surface of the support part and generates a tension force. This ensures that when force is applied, the ball casters and guide mechanism allow the receiving surface to move freely in a direction parallel to the surface, while the position of the receiving base when no force is applied can be adjusted by the tension spring. Effect of the Invention

[0007] This makes it possible to ensure a movable range of the support on which the milling cutter is placed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the appearance of the exchange device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing an internal section of the exchange device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the inside of the exchange device from a side direction. [Figure 4] 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of an exchange device in a state where the position of the receiving table is shifted in the XY direction. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover 13 moves downward relative to the support portion 12. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] First embodiment Hereinafter, a milling cutter tool replacement device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of the replacement device 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a cross section of the inside of the replacement device 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross section of the inside of the replacement device 1 from the side.

[0010] In the following, the milling tool will be described as a cutter held by a holder. The cutter and holder shown in Fig. 1 are fixed to each other by matching a key provided on one side with a key groove provided on the other side and rotating them relative to each other. Furthermore, in the exchange device 1, the up-down direction will be described as the Z direction, and the horizontal direction, which is the extension direction of the plate surface of the receiving stand 14 described later, will be described as the XY direction.

[0011] 2 and 3, the exchange device 1 includes a base portion 11, a support portion 12 provided on the base portion 11, a cover 13 disposed near the upper portion of the support portion 12 and formed with an outer diameter wider than that of the support portion 12, a receiving base 14 disposed above the cover 13, a guide mechanism 15 disposed inside the cover 13, and a tension spring 16 disposed inside the cover 13. Here, Figs. 2 and 3 show a state in which the lower end of the cover 13 and the upper end of the support portion 12 are aligned in the Z direction. Below, this state will be described as the initial state.

[0012] The base portion 11 is in the form of a plate whose lower surface is in contact with the ground. The base portion 11 is formed with a larger diameter than the support portion 12. The support portion 12 is placed on and connected to the upper surface of the base portion 11. The diameter of the base portion 11 in the XY direction is formed to be longer than a base main body portion 21 and a flat plate portion 22 of the support portion 12, which will be described later.

[0013] The support part 12 supports the cover 13 in a state in which the cover 13 can move up and down. The support part 12 has a cylindrical base main body part 21 and a flat plate part 22 formed on the upper part of the base main body part 21 so as to extend in the XY direction.

[0014] The base body 21 is cylindrical with a hollow portion 21a that penetrates in the vertical direction. The wall surface that forms the hollow portion 21a is referred to as a wall portion 21b. A plate-like lid portion 23 that is thin in the Z direction is disposed inside the hollow portion 21a. The lid portion 23 is disk-shaped with a diameter in the XY direction.

[0015] The hollow portion 21a is formed in a circular shape when viewed from both sides in the Z direction, and is formed so that the inner diameter arranged on the lower side is larger than the inner diameter on the upper side. Here, the portion with the short inner diameter on the upper side is called the small inner diameter portion 21c, and the portion with the long inner diameter on the lower side is called the large inner diameter portion 21d. In addition, a step is formed at the portion where the lower part of the small inner diameter portion 21c and the upper part of the large inner diameter portion 21d are connected.

[0016] The flat plate portion 22 has a flange shape that extends from the upper end of the wall portion 21b of the base main body portion 21 in the radial direction of the base main body portion 21.

[0017] The lid portion 23 is disposed in the large inner diameter portion 21d in the hollow portion 21a. The lid portion 23 is formed such that the length in the radial direction (XY direction) is slightly shorter than the diameter of the large inner diameter portion 21d and slightly longer than the diameter of the small inner diameter portion 21c.

[0018] The lid part 23 is movable up and down in the lower region, which is the large inner diameter part 21d, of the hollow part 21a. In the initial state shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lid part 23 is in an upward movement state. At this time, the lid part 23 is caught on a step formed between the small inner diameter part 21c and the large inner diameter part 21d, and moves to the top dead center.

[0019] Furthermore, the lid portion 23 is connected to a pedestal holding portion 32, which will be described later. Typically, a bolt penetrates the lid portion 23 from below the surface, and the tip of the bolt is inserted into and fixed to the pedestal holding portion 32, thereby fixing the lid portion 23 and the pedestal holding portion 32.

[0020] A first hook 24 extending upward is disposed in the center of the lid portion 23 in the XY direction. This first hook 24 is supported so as not to move relative to the lid portion 23 in the Z direction. Meanwhile, an extension portion extending upward of the first hook 24 is supported in the XY direction by a pedestal holding portion 32 of the cover 13 described later via a bearing. Therefore, the first hook 24 moves up and down in conjunction with the lid portion 23 moving up and down, and is supported rotatably around the Z axis.

[0021] Here, a plurality of holes 21e penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the wall 21b of the base main body 21. A lower portion of a guide mechanism 15 arranged inside the cover 13 and extending in the vertical direction is inserted from above into the holes 21e. More specifically, a lower portion of a rod 15a of the guide mechanism 15 described later is arranged in the hole 21e in a state in which it can move vertically.

[0022] Typically, two holes 21e are arranged in the wall portion 21b facing each other across the central axis of the exchange device 1, and a guide mechanism 15 is inserted into each of them, but the number and arrangement of the holes 21e and the guide mechanisms 15 are not limited to this.

[0023] The cover 13 has a cylindrical cover body portion 31 and a pedestal holding portion 32 disposed within the cover body portion 31 .

[0024] The cover body 31 includes a hollow portion 31a that penetrates in the vertical direction, and a wall portion 31b that forms the hollow portion 31a. The hollow portion 31a is formed in a circular shape when viewed from both sides in the Z direction, and the inner diameter of the lower portion is longer than the inner diameter of the upper portion of the hollow portion 31a. Here, the portion with the shorter inner diameter on the upper side is called a small inner diameter portion 31c, and the portion with the longer inner diameter on the lower side is called a large inner diameter portion 31d.

[0025] Here, the diameter of the lower large inner diameter portion 31d is formed to be slightly longer than the flat plate portion 22 formed on the base body portion 21 of the support portion 12. Therefore, when a downward force is applied to the cover 13, the cover 13 can be lowered with the support portion 12 inserted from below within the large inner diameter portion 31d.

[0026] A disk-shaped spacer 33 is disposed in the small inner diameter portion 31c. A ball caster 43 of the receiving base 14, which will be described later, is placed on the plate surface of the spacer 33. A hole having a predetermined diameter is formed in the center of the spacer 33, penetrating in the vertical direction. The spacer 33 is placed on the upper part of the receiving base holding portion 32.

[0027] The wall portion 31b is formed with a plurality of holes penetrating in the vertical direction, into which bolts for fixing the cover main body portion 31 and the pedestal holding portion 32 are inserted.

[0028] The pedestal holding part 32 includes a cylindrical pedestal holding main body part 32a formed long in the vertical direction, and a flange-like flat plate part 32b extending outward in the XY direction from the upper part of the pedestal holding main body part 32a. Here, in the pedestal holding main body part 32a, a wall part 32d forms an outer periphery, thereby forming a hollow part 32c.

[0029] The outer diameter of the pedestal holding main body 32a is formed to be slightly shorter than the diameter of the small inner diameter portion 21c of the hollow portion 21a of the support part 12. The lower part of the pedestal holding main body 32a is disposed in a state of being inserted from above into the small inner diameter portion 21c of the hollow portion 21a of the support part 12.

[0030] Here, the lower end of the wall 32d of the pedestal holding main body 32a abuts against the upper surface of the lid 23 in the hollow portion 21a of the support 12. In addition, the lower end of the wall 32d of the pedestal holding main body 32a is fixed to the lid 23 by bolts.

[0031] Furthermore, a plurality of bearings 34 are disposed on the inner wall side of the wall portion 32d near the lower end of the pedestal holding main body portion 32a. The first hook 24 is supported via the bearings 34 so as to be rotatable around the Z axis.

[0032] The tip of a bolt passing through a hole provided in the wall portion 31b of the cover body 31 is inserted from above into the flat plate portion 32b and fixed thereto. In this way, the pedestal holding portion 32 is fixed to the cover body 31.

[0033] Here, the guide mechanism 15 has a rod 15a extending vertically, a flange-shaped flat plate portion 15b provided near the upper portion of the rod 15a, and a spring 15c arranged below the flat plate portion 15b so as to wind the rod 15a around the rod 15a. The upper end of the rod 15a protrudes upward from the flat plate portion 15b.

[0034] The upper end of the rod 15a of the guide mechanism 15 is inserted from below into the flat plate portion 32b of the pedestal holding main body portion 32a. Furthermore, the lower surface of the flat plate portion 32b abuts against the upper surface of the flat plate portion 15b of the guide mechanism 15.

[0035] The upper end of the spring 15c is connected to the lower surface of the flat plate portion 15b, and the lower end of the spring 15c is connected to the vicinity of the insertion opening of the hole portion 21e of the support portion 12.

[0036] When a downward force is applied to the cover body 31 of the cover 13, the pedestal holder 32 fixed to the cover body 31 also descends at the same time. At this time, the pedestal holder 32 descends while being guided by the rod 15a so as to prevent misalignment in the X and Y directions, so that the entire cover 13 can descend without causing misalignment in the X and Y directions.

[0037] The receiving stand 14 has a disk-shaped first receiving stand 41, a second receiving stand 42 arranged between the first receiving stand 41 and the cover 13, and a ball caster 43 protruding downward from the second receiving stand 42.

[0038] The first receiving stand 41 is made of, for example, rubber, and acts as a cushion to prevent scratches caused by contact with the milling tool. Typically, the upper surface of the second receiving stand 42 is bonded to the lower surface of the first receiving stand 41. Therefore, the first receiving stand 41 and the second receiving stand 42 can be treated as a single receiving stand.

[0039] The second receiving stand 42 is a plate having ball casters 43 on the underside. The second receiving stand 42 is made of aluminum, for example, and rotates under the load of the milling cutter. The second receiving stand 42 is formed with a thick-walled portion 42a that protrudes downward with a predetermined diameter from the center in the XY direction. The portion of the second receiving stand 42 that is formed thinner than the thick-walled portion 42a is referred to as a thin-walled portion 42b.

[0040] A part of the lower surface of this thin-walled portion 42b faces the upper end of the wall portion 31b of the cover body portion 31 of the cover 13. In addition, the length of the gap between the thin-walled portion 42b and the upper end of the wall portion 31b is sufficiently short so that an operator's fingers cannot get in between.

[0041] Further, a second hook 44 that protrudes downward is provided at the center of the second receiving base 42 in the XY direction.

[0042] The ball casters 43 have balls provided at the bottom thereof placed on the top of the spacer 33, and support the second receiving base 42 movably in the XY directions. Typically, three ball casters 43 are provided protruding downward from the thick portion 42a of the second receiving base 42.

[0043] In this way, the three ball casters 43 support the underside of the receiving stand 14 at three points, thereby enabling the receiving stand 14 to be stably supported. As a result, in the initial state, the upper surface of the receiving stand 14 is supported in a substantially horizontal state. As a result, the receiving stand 14 is supported movably in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the receiving stand 14 via the spacer 33 and the ball casters 43 provided on the cover 13.

[0044] Typically, the movement of the second support 42 in the XY directions is restricted by the XY direction end of the thick portion 42a abutting against the inner wall surface of the small inner diameter portion 31c of the cover 13. This allows the ball caster 43 to maintain a state of being placed on the spacer 33 at a portion of the flat plate other than the hole provided in the center of the spacer 33.

[0045] The tension spring 16 has an extension 16a extending in a predetermined direction, and both ends of the extension 16a are hooked onto hooks to generate a tension force. In the initial state, the extension 16a of the tension spring 16 extends in the vertical direction.

[0046] More specifically, the extension 16a of the tension spring 16 is disposed within the hollow portion 32c of the pedestal holding main body 32a, and the vicinity of the upper portion of the extension 16a is disposed so as to pass through a hole provided in the center of the spacer 33 in the XY direction. The lower end of the tension spring 16 is hooked to a first hook 24 provided on the cover 23 of the support 12. Furthermore, the upper end of the tension spring 16 is hooked to a second hook 44 connected to the pedestal 14. In this way, the tension spring 16 connects the lower surface of the pedestal 14 and the upper surface of the support 12 to generate a tensile force.

[0047] Here, the tension spring 16 connects the center in the XY directions of the lower surface of the receiving base 14 and the center in the XY directions of the upper surface of the support part 12. Therefore, when the receiving base 14 is shifted in the XY directions, the tension spring 16 generates a tension force so that the positions of the center of the support part 12 and the center of the receiving base 14 in the XY directions are aligned.

[0048] Next, there will be described an operation and function of the exchange device 1. First, there will be described an operation for aligning the position of the cutter placed on the receiving base 14 with respect to the holder.

[0049] 1, when attaching a cutter to a holder, the cutter is placed on the receiving stand 14 of the exchange device 1 and the holder is lowered. At this point, it is necessary to align the cutter with the position of the holder.

[0050] Here, the receiving table 14 on which the cutter is placed is movable in the XY directions. For example, Fig. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of the exchange device 1 in a state where the position of the receiving table 14 has shifted in the XY directions.

[0051] Furthermore, since the first hook 24 is rotatable around the Z axis, the tension spring 16 is also rotatable, and the support base 14 to which the tension spring 16 is connected via the second hook 44 is also freely rotatable around the Z axis.

[0052] As a result, alignment of the cutter placed on the receiving base 14 with the holder and alignment of the key grooves can be easily performed by adjusting the position of the receiving base 14 in the XY directions and rotating it about the Z axis.

[0053] Typically, the tension spring 16 is arranged so that the extension portion 16a does not abut against the wall portion 32d of the receiving base holding main body portion 32a or the spacer 33, even when the receiving base 14 is moved in the XY direction in this manner.

[0054] Next, the operation of ensuring the movable range of the receiving stand 14 in the movement directions in the X and Y directions in the exchange device 1 will be described.

[0055] In the initial state where no cutter is placed on the receiving stand 14, the receiving stand 14 is pulled to the center in the XY directions of the exchange device 1 by the spring force of the tension spring 16. Therefore, for example, even if the exchange device 1 is tilted when moving the exchange device 1, the position of the receiving stand 14 in the XY directions will not be shifted to an edge, but will be pulled to the center by the spring force of the tension spring 16.

[0056] Therefore, when the exchange device 1 is moved and then installed in the environment of use, and the cutter is placed on the receiving stand 14 to align the axis with the holder, the position of the receiving stand 14 is arranged so that it can move in either direction in the XY directions. In other words, the exchange device 1 can prevent a shortage of the movable range of the receiving stand 14, and can perform alignment regardless of the direction of axial misalignment between the cutter and the holder.

[0057] Next, the operation of the exchange device 1 when a downward force is applied to the receiving base 14 when the cutter is attached to the holder will be described.

[0058] When the holder is lowered to attach to the cutter placed on the receiving stand 14, the cutter and the holder are completely attached and a downward force is applied to the receiving stand 14.

[0059] Here, the cover 13 is lowered by the application of a downward force via the pedestal 14. Here, Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover 13 has moved downward relative to the support part 12 from the initial state in which the lower end of the cover 13 and the upper end of the support part 12 are aligned in the Z direction as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Specifically, the lower end of the rod 15a of the guide mechanism 15 moves further downward in the hole 21e of the support part 12. Incidentally, the lid part 23 moves downward within the large inner diameter part 21d in response to the descent of the pedestal holding part 32.

[0060] In other words, the guide mechanism 15 is connected to the support portion 12 and the spacer 33 of the cover 13 , and guides the relative movement of the support portion 12 and the cover 13 .

[0061] Furthermore, the spring 15c of the guide mechanism 15 is bent in the Z direction at the same time as the cover 13 moves downward. That is, the bent spring 15c generates a reaction force in a direction that lifts the cover 13 together with the pedestal holding portion 32.

[0062] As a result, in the exchange device 1, the reaction force of the spring 15c of the guide mechanism 15 suppresses excessive movement and also suppresses the application of excessive force.

[0063] Next, the operation of preventing the fingers of an operator from being pinched in the exchange device 1 will be described.

[0064] The exchange device 1 can be configured so that even when a downward force is applied to the receiving base 14 and the cover 13 moves to the bottom dead center, a gap of approximately 20 mm is created between the lower end of the wall portion 31b of the cover main body portion 31 and the upper surface of the base portion 11.

[0065] This prevents the operator's fingers from being pinched even if a downward force is accidentally applied to the receiving stand 14 when moving the exchange device 1 and the operator's fingers are placed between the lower end of the wall portion 31b of the cover main body portion 31 and the upper surface of the base portion 11.

[0066] Furthermore, in the receiving stand 14, since the first receiving stand 41 and the second receiving stand 42 are bonded together, the operator's fingers will not get caught between them. Also, the operator's fingers will not get caught between the thin-walled portion 42b of the second receiving stand 42 and the upper end of the wall portion 31b of the cover main body 31.

[0067] Therefore, in the exchange device 1, the fingers of the operator are prevented from being pinched at any of the movable parts.

[0068] In the above, we have described using the replacement device 1 to attach a holder to a cutter placed on the receiving stand 14, but the replacement device 1 can also be used to remove a cutter from a holder to which the cutter is attached.

[0069] Specifically, the holder to which the cutter is attached is lowered toward the receiving stand 14 of the exchange device 1 in the same manner as during assembly, and the cutter lands on the receiving stand 14. Thereafter, the cover 13 is lowered together with the receiving stand 14 until the spring 15c of the guide mechanism 15 is sufficiently bent. This brings the cutter into a state where it is sufficiently fitted into the receiving stand 14.

[0070] Thereafter, the holder is rotated to loosen the connection with the cutter, and the cutter can be removed from the holder, leaving only the cutter in the exchange device 1.

[0071] Therefore, in the exchange device 1, the movable range of the cutter placed on the receiving base 14 can be secured, while excessive movement can be prevented, and the safety of the operator can be ensured.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In other words, the above description has been omitted or simplified as appropriate for the purpose of clarity, and a person skilled in the art can easily modify, add, or convert each element of the embodiment within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 Exchange device 11 Base 12 Support part 13 Cover 14 Cradle 15 Guide mechanism 15a Rod 15b Flat plate part 15c spring 16 Extension spring 16a Extension 21 Base body 21a Hollow part 21b Wall section 21c Small inner diameter part 21d Large inner diameter section 21e Hole 22 Flat plate part 23 Lid 24 First Hook 31 Cover body 31a Hollow part 31b Wall section 31c Small inner diameter part 31d Large inner diameter part 32 Receiving platform holder 32a cradle holding body 32b Flat plate part 32c Hollow part 32d wall 33 Spacer 34 Bearings 41 First Cradle 42 Second Cradle 42a Thick wall part 42b Thin wall part 43 Ball Caster 44 Second Hook

Claims

[Claim 1] A milling tool changing device, comprising: A plate-shaped support having a ball caster on one side; a cover having a spacer on which the ball caster is placed and supporting the base so as to be movable in a direction parallel to a surface of the base; A support portion that supports the cover; a guide mechanism connected to the support portion and the cover and configured to guide a relative movement between the support portion and the cover; A tension spring that connects the lower surface of the receiving base and the upper surface of the support portion and generates a tension force. Exchange device.

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