Machining Center

Abstract

To provide a machining center equipped with an LED display mechanism for displaying the operating status of a machine tool in more detail in a state where the LED display mechanism can be more easily viewed from a wider area outside the machining center than before. [Solution] The machine tool is provided with an LED (light-emitting diode) display mechanism having an illuminating section provided in at least a part of the front area above an exterior cover that surrounds the outer periphery of the machine tool, the illuminating section comprising a long slit hole drilled horizontally into the exterior cover, and an LED tape fixing plate that is attached to cover the slit hole from the inside over its entire length and holds the RGB-LED tape light over its entire length, the lower end surface of the opening upper edge of the slit hole forming a first reflective surface that reflects the LED light downward, and the inclined surface of the LED tape fixing plate forming a second reflective surface that reflects and diffuses the LED light downward and forward.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a machining center equipped with an LED display mechanism that indicates the operating status of a machine tool, at least in the front area of ​​an exterior cover of the machine tool. [Background technology]

[0002] In the machining section of a machine tool, cutting processing is performed on a workpiece placed on a machining table by driving and controlling a rotating spindle to which various interchangeable tools are attached. During the machining process, cutting chips and cutting fluid are splashed around with great force.

[0003] Usually, an exterior cover formed by sheet metal processing is provided to surround at least the machining area as a splash guard to prevent such cutting chips and cutting fluid from scattering outside the machining area. This exterior cover also functions as a safety cover to prevent the danger of approaching or coming into contact with the machining area during operation.

[0004] Some machining centers have a system in which a workpiece placed at one end is rotated to be transported to a processing table at the other end. In this case, an opening and closing door is provided in the front area of ​​the exterior cover facing the rotating table to allow access to perform operations such as placing and removing a workpiece on the rotating table.

[0005] Meanwhile, in recent years, many machine tools have come into widespread use in the form of machining centers, which are equipped with a magazine in which various tools are stored and an automatic tool changer that changes tools between the magazine and the rotating spindle of the processing section, and whose drive control is performed by a computer numerical control device, or so-called CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) device.

[0006] In such a machining center, a control panel for a CNC device is installed in one side area of ​​the exterior cover, and this CNC device automatically operates the machine tool according to a predetermined NC processing program. That is, a predetermined cutting process is performed while a predetermined tool is automatically replaced at a predetermined timing on the rotating spindle of the processing part. Thus, products of various shapes are formed by the automatic operation of the machine tool according to various NC processing programs.

[0007] In general, such machining centers are integrated into a single product by enclosing the entire configuration, including not only the machining section including the machining section, but also the front section including the rotating table that transports the workpiece to the machining section, and the automatic tool changer and magazine connected to the machining section, with an exterior cover. Some machining centers have also long been equipped with a large red rotating warning light that turns on when an abnormality occurs due to some kind of failure. However, in the case of machining centers that are normally operated automatically, it is difficult to visually grasp the operating status from the outside because the entire circumference is surrounded by a cover.

[0008] Therefore, it is desirable for machining centers to be equipped with display means that allows the specific operating status of the machine tool to be easily determined from outside, other than when an abnormality has occurred, such as whether it is operating normally, preparing for operation, or whether operation has been completed.

[0009] Therefore, machining centers have been developed that are equipped with multiple types of LED light-emitting diodes that emit different colors and have an LED display means in the front area of ​​the exterior cover (guard) that emits LEDs of the corresponding colors depending on the operating conditions (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3178520 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3179056 [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-219784 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, the above LED display means has a semi-cylindrical shape, protrudes from the surface of the guard, and is installed on a side that does not interfere with the opening and closing of the sliding door, so it emits light only in one place and almost only forward. Therefore, with this LED display means, the angle range that can be seen from outside is limited, and the invisible area is large in all directions around the machining center.

[0012] Also, Patent Document 3 discloses an operation status notification device in which a full-color LED is provided on the top of a housing that houses the machining area of ​​a machine tool. However, this lighting only emits light upwards, and although it can be seen if the top is relatively low, if the lighting position is above a certain height, it becomes difficult to see because it must be checked by looking up from below.

[0013] In particular, recent machining centers are equipped with devices such as tool storage magazines and automatic tool changers, and because these devices protrude upward in a complex manner, most of the machine tools are surrounded by a high cover. Therefore, in machining centers that are surrounded by such high covers and have a large overall footprint, even if the LED lighting is installed somewhere outside the top surface area, it is very difficult to clearly see it from below, making it impractical for understanding the operating status of the machine tool.

[0014] In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a machining center equipped with an LED display mechanism that displays the operating status of the machine tool in more detail and in a state that is easier to see from a wider area outside the machining center than conventional methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to achieve the above object, the machining center according to the present invention is a machining center equipped with a computer numerical control (CNC) device that performs numerical control on a machine tool, an LED (light-emitting diode) display mechanism having a light-emitting portion provided in at least a part of a front area of ​​a front cover portion surrounding a front section of the machine tool in a substantially U-shaped manner above an exterior cover surrounding the outer periphery of the machine tool; The LED display mechanism is As the light emitting unit, A slit hole is formed in the exterior cover in a long shape along a horizontal direction; An LED tape fixing plate attached to the inside of the exterior cover so as to cover the entire length of the slit hole; and an RGB-LED tape light that is held over the entire length of the LED tape fixing plate and has a plurality of chip light emitting diodes with red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs embedded therein mounted in a row at predetermined intervals; An LED power supply wiring for supplying power to the RGB-LED tape light, and a color tone control unit for causing the RGB-LED tape light to emit light in a plurality of different light colors preset in accordance with various operating conditions of the machine tool, The LED tape fixing plate has a horizontal bottom surface to which the RGB-LED tape light is attached on its back surface, and Rear end of horizontal bottom and an inclined surface extending forward from the upper edge of the slit hole to a position above the RGB-LED tape light, The lower end surface of the upper edge of the opening of the slit hole forms a horizontal, smooth first reflective surface that reflects light from the RGB-LED tape light downward, and the inclined surface forms a smooth second reflective surface that reflects and diffuses the light from the RGB-LED tape light downward and forward.

[0016] In a machining center having the above-described configuration, the RGB-LED tape light is installed so as to be embedded inside the slit hole drilled in the exterior cover, and the light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light is reflected well downward and forward of the exterior cover by the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface of the LED tape fixing plate, so that it can be seen reliably and sufficiently from outside the exterior cover.

[0017] That is, a part of the light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light is reflected downward as a sharp light by the horizontal and smooth lower end surface of the opening upper edge of the slit hole forming the first reflection surface. At the same time, the other light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light is diffused and reflected forward from the exterior cover by the smooth inclined surface that extends from the rear side toward the inside of the exterior cover to a position above the lower end surface of the slit hole in the front, which serves as the second reflection surface. Therefore, even if the exterior cover itself is high and the light emitting unit is installed at a high position, these two types of reflected light allow the LED light to reach a wide range from a position close to the exterior cover to a position relatively far away, and visibility from the outside is very high.

[0018] Since the light-emitting unit using the RGB-LED tape light is installed in a long horizontal shape in at least a part of the front area above the exterior cover, the light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light can be seen from anywhere within the range in which the front of the exterior cover of the machining center is visible. Therefore, in the present invention, compared to conventional LED display means, the LED light color of the light-emitting unit can be more reliably confirmed from a wide range within which the front of the machining center is visible, and the operating status of the machine tool can be grasped.

[0019] In addition, the light-emitting portion of the LED display mechanism according to the present invention is installed inside the slit hole formed in the exterior cover by the LED tape fixing plate attached to the inside of the exterior cover, so there is no part that protrudes outward from the surface of the exterior cover. Therefore, even if some object comes into contact with the light-emitting portion from the outside, it is unlikely to be damaged. For example, if the opening and closing door that is usually provided in the front area is a sliding door, even if the light-emitting portion is arranged in the area that the door covers in the open state, there is no problem with the sliding opening and closing of the door, and there is no problem with the light-emitting portion itself.

[0020] In addition, the long light-emitting portion according to the present invention can be provided longer and on more sides to further improve visibility. For example, if the light-emitting portion is provided at least on one of the left and right corners of the front cover portion, the light-emitting area is wider because one light-emitting portion extends over the two sides that form the corner. In this case, the slit hole is formed in an L-shape along the horizontal direction continuously across the two sides that are perpendicular to each other at the corner, and the LED tape fixing plate is attached in a substantially L-shape so as to cover the slit hole over its entire length.

[0021] In this way, when a light-emitting unit is provided at least on one of the left and right corners of the front cover, the light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light can be seen from anywhere in the entire circumference of the machining center within the range where the front and side of the exterior cover, including the corner where the light-emitting unit is installed, are visible. Therefore, even with a single light-emitting unit, the LED light color of the light-emitting unit can be confirmed from a much wider range of directions than with conventional LED display means, and the operating status of the machine tool can be more reliably viewed.

[0022] The RGB-LED tape light used in the present invention can be a commercially available product, and can be easily prepared. A typical LED tape light is a tape-shaped substrate on which a large number of RGB chip LEDs are mounted together with wiring at a predetermined interval, and a terminal connector is attached to the wiring cord extending from the end contact, and the light is connected to a power source via a DC jack or the like.

[0023] In addition, each RGB chip LED has an embedded light-emitting diode (LED) for each of the three primary colors of light: red (R), green (G), and blue (B). An RGB-LED tape light is one that can emit different light colors by adjusting the current flowing through the R, G, and B LEDs.

[0024] In addition, RGB-LED tape lights are usually installed with the light-emitting part on the front side and the back side pasted in a specified position, but some commercially available products have double-sided adhesive tape on the back side, so by using this adhesive tape, it is possible to easily attach the back side to the LED tape fixing plate and hold it in place. Also, if the adhesive tape is removable, the RGB-LED tape light itself can be easily removed. This makes it easy to replace the RGB-LED tape light when it deteriorates or breaks down over time.

[0025] There are also tube-type products in which the front side of the tape is covered with a waterproof cover. This cover is usually made of a flexible milky white silicone material, and the dot-like light emission of each chip is softened by the diffusion effect of the cover material. In the present invention, since it is installed on an exterior cover that prevents the scattering of cutting chips and cutting fluid generated during the operation of a machine tool, such a tube-type RGB-LED tape light with a waterproof cover is suitable.

[0026] Usually, commercially available RGB-LED tape lights are equipped with a controller that is connected between the tape light and a power source via a DC jack. This controller adjusts the current to each color LED according to the input control signal, thereby adjusting the light emission to a predetermined light color. Therefore, such a controller can be incorporated and used as the light color control unit of the present invention.

[0027] There are two types of control methods for adjusting the light color: a full-color type that can achieve nearly continuous light color changes by adjusting the amount of current flowing to each LED color, and a type that can selectively switch between different colors by adjusting the on / off power supply to each LED color, depending on the combination of three colors.

[0028] In the machining center of the present invention, since it is sufficient to obtain light colors corresponding to several operating conditions of the machine tool, a switching type is sufficient. In this case, the control signal only needs to command the on / off of the current to each color LED according to the combination of color LEDs that obtains the light color preset for each operating condition.

[0029] Therefore, the CNC device of the machining center uses its control unit to automatically operate the machine tool in accordance with the tool information pre-stored in the memory unit and the pre-set NC machining program. When the above-mentioned switching type is adopted, this control unit is equipped with a light color control signal generating unit that outputs light color control signals that instruct the light color control unit to emit different light colors that are pre-set in response to each operating status of the machine tool.

[0030] Therefore, the light color control unit is connected between the RGB-LED tape light and the LED power wiring, and turns on and off the power supply to the red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs in response to the light color control signal input from the light color control signal generating unit, thereby changing the light color by combining and emitting different LEDs.

[0031] For example, a control signal that passes current only through the red LED will cause the entire tape light to emit red light by lighting only the red LED, and a control signal that passes current only through the green LED will cause the entire tape light to emit green light by lighting only the green LED. To make the entire tape light emit yellow light, a control signal that passes the same amount of current through the red and green LEDs can be input, and to emit white light, a control signal that passes current through all the LEDs can be input so that all the colors are lit. These light colors can then be made to correspond to the operating conditions of the machine tool.

[0032] With this configuration, during the automatic operation process of the machine tool controlled by the CNC device, a light color control signal corresponding to the operating status is output at each operating step, and the light color of the light-emitting part in the LED display mechanism is automatically changed in conjunction with changes in the operating status of the machine tool.

[0033] In the present invention, the light color control signals that command the light color adjustment of the light-emitting unit according to the operating status include the following, which need to be output from the light color control signal generating unit of the control unit of the CNC device. That is, the light color control signals include a first light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a power-on state when the machine tool is not operating, a second light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a state in which the machine tool is in a machining operation, a third light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a state in which the machine tool is completed in machining operation, and a fourth light color control signal that commands adjustment to a warning light color that indicates an alarm occurrence state in the machine tool. These make it possible to visually distinguish and recognize the statuses that should be grasped as the operating status of the machine tool as different light colors of the LED.

[0034] In addition, most commercially available RGB-LED tape lights can be cut at a specified pitch, and can be cut to any length depending on the installation area. When cutting and using, a wiring cord with a terminal connector can be connected by soldering to the contact point at the cut end. Furthermore, by connecting RGB-LED tape lights installed in multiple different locations to a controller via a commercially available branching box equipped with branching wiring, all RGB-LED tape lights can be synchronized and adjusted to the same light color by the same controller.

[0035] Therefore, in the machining center of the present invention, it is possible to install RGB-LED tape lights as light-emitting elements not only on a portion of the exterior cover, but also on one or more sides, or on one or all of the four corners of the exterior cover, and to adjust the light color in a synchronized manner.

[0036] For example, in the case of a relatively small machining center in which the width of the front area itself is small and the opening and closing door is disposed near one of the left and right corners of the front cover, it is efficient and practical to install the light emitting units only in the other of the left and right corner areas. On the other hand, in the case where the width of the front area is relatively large and there is a sufficiently large area on both the left and right sides of the opening and closing door, it is sufficient to install the light emitting units in two places in the corner areas on both the left and right sides of the front cover.

[0037] The exterior cover is formed according to the configuration of the target machine tool by sheet metal processing using steel materials such as general structural rolled steel materials such as SS400, hot rolled mild steel materials (SPHC), cold rolled steel materials (SPCC), etc. Therefore, the slit holes that constitute the light-emitting parts of the LED display mechanism of the present invention can also be formed during this forming process.

[0038] In addition, since the LED tape fixing plate in the present invention is provided to close the slit hole of the exterior cover and constitutes a part of the splash guard, it is desirable that it has the same strength as the exterior cover body. Therefore, it is preferable to mold it from the same steel material as the material of the exterior cover and fix it to the inside of the slit hole by welding or the like. The LED tape fixing plate can also be fixed by a metal adhesive. As such an LED tape fixing plate, it is sufficient that the horizontal lower end surface of the opening upper edge of the slit hole, which is the first reflection surface, and the inclined surface, which is the second reflection surface, are smooth and can reflect the LED light well.

[0039] Furthermore, if the machining center is large and there is a large gap between the front and rear sides, making it difficult to see from the rear side with just the light-emitting part on the front side, by providing light-emitting parts on one or both of the left and right corner areas on the rear side in addition to the front side, blind spots can be almost eliminated.

[0040] In addition, the RGB-LED tape light of the present invention is not limited to being installed in a single line in a single row on the horizontal bottom surface of the LED tape fixing plate, but can also be arranged in two lines in two rows as long as the width of the horizontal bottom surface of the LED tape fixing plate is wide enough to ensure a sufficient installation area. Effect of the Invention

[0041] As explained above, in the machining center according to the present invention, the RGB-LED tape light is installed as a light-emitting part of the LED display mechanism in a long horizontal shape in at least a part of the front area above the exterior cover, so that it emits light downward from inside the slit hole, which reduces the influence of external interference on the light-emitting part, and the light emitted from the RGB-LED tape light can be seen from any position within the range where at least the front of the machining center is visible. This has the effect of making it possible to check the LED light color of the light-emitting part more reliably than before, and making it easier to grasp the operating status of the machine tool. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view showing a machining center according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the portion AA in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a light emitting unit of the machining center of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the machining center in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the machining center of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a machining center according to an embodiment different from that shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a machining center in which the shape of a light emitting part is different from that in FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of each light-emitting unit in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] A machining center 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 1 is a front perspective view showing the machining center 1, and Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a light emitting unit in this embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the machining center 1.

[0044] In the machining center 1 according to this embodiment, the machine tool 2 is equipped with an automatic tool changer 4 and a tool magazine M in which a plurality of types of tools are stored. A rotating table for transporting a workpiece to the processing section 3 is disposed in the front section, and the entirety of these is surrounded by an exterior cover 10 in a substantially rectangular shape.

[0045] Of this exterior cover 10, a front cover portion 12 that surrounds the front section in a generally U-shape is provided with a sliding door 11 at the center of the front. Work such as placing a workpiece on the rotating table and retrieving the workpiece is performed through this door 11. Also, an operation panel 6 of a CNC device 5 that numerically controls the machine tool 2 is provided on the side of the exterior cover 10, as in the conventional case.

[0046] The operation panel 6 is provided with a touch panel display D, and on a menu screen of the touch panel display D, various work operation mode items for the machine tool 2 that are provided in advance in the CNC device 5 are displayed as, for example, icons so as to be selectable. Various data input / output units such as a USB port are provided around the display D, and below the display D, a keyboard including a mouse pad and mouse buttons is arranged as an input unit I, and further below that, various switches and buttons related to the various operations of the machine tool 2 are provided.

[0047] In the control unit 7 of the CNC device 5, in order to cut the material workpiece to obtain the target product, first, in a required work operation mode selected on a menu screen, required operations are performed, such as setting tool information F in the memory unit 9 related to each tool stored in the tool magazine M, various settings of the rotation axis in the processing unit 3, and selection and editing of the NC processing program P. Then, after the required settings are completed, the control unit 7 uses the tool information F to cause the processing unit 3 to execute a predetermined automatic operation in accordance with the NC processing program P that has been set in advance. As a result, the predetermined cutting is performed on the workpiece transferred from the swivel table to the rotary table of the processing unit 3.

[0048] The machining center 1 of this embodiment is provided with an LED display mechanism that allows the operating status to be visually observed from outside when performing cutting processing in the machine tool 2 as described above. That is, light-emitting sections (20a, 20b) of the LED display mechanism are provided in the upper regions of the corners (13a, 13b) on both the left and right sides of the opening and closing door 11 of the front cover section 12, among the four corners on the front, rear, left and right sides of the exterior cover 10.

[0049] These light-emitting sections (20a, 20b) are mainly composed of L-shaped slit holes (21a, 21b) that are drilled continuously and elongatedly along the horizontal direction from the front of each corner (13a, 13b) to the right side and left side, respectively, LED tape fixing plates (25a, 25b) that are attached so as to cover these slit holes (21a, 21b) over their entire length from the inside of the exterior cover 10, and RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) that are held in an L shape on each LED tape fixing plate (25a, 25b) over their entire length.

[0050] Each LED tape fixing plate (25a, 25b) has a horizontal bottom surface (26a, 26b) to which the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) is attached on its back surface via double-sided adhesive tape 36, and an inclined surface (27a, 27b) which extends forward from the upper end of the rising wall on the rear end side of the horizontal bottom surface (26a, 26b) toward the inside of the exterior cover, above the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b), to a position above the lower end surface (22a, 22b) of the opening upper edge of the slit hole (21a, 21b).

[0051] The LED tape fixing plates (25a, 25b) according to this embodiment are made of the same steel material as the exterior cover 10. In addition, the slit holes (21a, 21b) are formed in the manufacturing process of the exterior cover 10 by sheet metal processing, and the attachment of these LED tape fixing plates (25a, 25b) can also be performed after the formation of the slit holes (21a, 21b) in the manufacturing process of the exterior cover 10.

[0052] In the light-emitting section (20a, 20b) of this embodiment, the lower end surface of the upper edge of the opening of the slit hole (21a, 21b) forms a horizontal and smooth first reflection surface (22a, 22b) that reflects light from the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) downward. This first reflection surface (22a, 22b) irradiates a thin and sharp reflected light of the LED light downward.

[0053] In addition, the inclined surfaces of the LED tape fixing plates (25a, 25b) form smooth second reflective surfaces that reflect and diffuse the light from the RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) downward and forward. The second reflective surfaces (27a, 27b) allow the LED light to be widely irradiated around the lower portion of the exterior cover 10.

[0054] These two types of reflected light make the LED light color from the RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) clearly visible whether close to or far from the exterior cover 10. In addition, the LED light color can be seen from a wide area within all directions of the machining center 1, as long as the wall surface of the exterior cover 10 on which these light-emitting units (20a, 20b) are provided is visible, and the operating status of the machine tool 2 at that time can be easily grasped without approaching the machining center 1.

[0055] The LED display mechanism in this embodiment includes an LED power wiring W for supplying power to each RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b), and a light color adjuster 40 serving as a light color control unit that causes each RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) to emit light in a plurality of different light colors that are preset in accordance with various operating conditions of the machine tool 2.

[0056] The light color adjuster 40 controls the on / off of the power supply to each color LED of the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) in response to a light color control signal Cs output from a light color control signal generating unit 8 provided in the control unit 7 of the CNC device 5. This control causes the LEDs to emit light in a color or a combination of colors that can produce a predetermined light color.

[0057] The RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) incorporated in the light-emitting units (20a, 20b) of this embodiment are the same RGB-LED tape lights 30, each adjusted to an appropriate length. This RGB-LED tape light 30 is formed by mounting a large number of RGB chip LEDs 32 together with wiring at predetermined intervals on a tape-shaped base material 31, and a terminal connector 34 is attached to a wiring cord 33 extending from an end contact point, and the wiring cord 33 is connected to the power supply circuit S of the machine tool 2 via a DC jack or the like. Therefore, when the main power supply of the machine tool 2 is turned on, power is supplied to the RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) at an appropriate voltage at the same time.

[0058] The RGB-LED tape light 30 used in this embodiment is a tube-type product whose front side is covered with a waterproof cover 35 made of flexible milky white silicone. This waterproof cover 35 softens the dot-like light emission of each RGB chip LED 32 by the diffusion effect of the cover material. Therefore, the light-emitting part (20a, 20b) provides uniform LED illumination overall.

[0059] Each RGB chip LED32 has an embedded light emitting diode (LED) of each of the three primary colors of light, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and each RGB chip LED32 can emit light of different colors by adjusting the current flowing through the red (R) LED, green (G) LED, and blue (B) LED, respectively.

[0060] In this embodiment, a light color adjuster 40 is connected between each RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) and a power supply circuit S via a branch box B for adding tape lights or the like. Therefore, the light color adjuster 40 adjusts the light color of the two RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) in synchronization, and in this embodiment, by controlling the on / off of the current supply to the wiring of each color LED, the color LEDs to be emitted and their combination are changed to change the light color.

[0061] In the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) of this embodiment, the multiple RGB chip LEDs 32 are arranged such that LEDs of different colors are independent of each other, while LEDs of the same color are connected in series, and the on / off of the current is synchronously adjusted.

[0062] The light color adjuster 40 controls the current supply to the LED wiring of each color on and off in response to an input of a light color control signal Cs which is output from the light color control signal generating unit 8 of the control unit 7 of the CNC device 5 and which commands a light color which is preset in accordance with each operating status of the machine tool 2.

[0063] In this embodiment, the pre-set light color control signals Cs include, for example, a first light color control signal Cs1 that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a power-on state when the machine tool 2 is not operating in machining mode, a second light color control signal Cs2 that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a state in which the machine tool 2 is in machining mode, a third light color control signal Cs3 that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a state in which the machine tool 2 has completed machining mode, and a fourth light color control signal Cs4 that commands adjustment to a warning light color that indicates an alarm has been generated in the machine tool 2.

[0064] To each of these light color control signals Cs (Cs1 to Cs4), it is possible to assign, for example, a color LED to be emitted and a light color resulting from a combination of these, as shown in Table 1. Therefore, the light color adjuster 40 performs on / off control of the electrical connection of the wiring from each color LED so that an electrical current is applied to the color LED or combination of LEDs that will emit a preset light color in response to the input light color control signal Cs (Cs1 to Cs4).

[0065] [Table 1]

[0066] That is, when white is assigned as the light color indicating a normal energized state such as before machining operation of the machine tool 2, the light color adjuster 40 energizes all three color LEDs by turning on all wiring energization connections to the red LED, green LED, and blue LED in response to the input of the first light color control signal Cs1. This causes the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) to emit white light. Also, when green is assigned as the light color indicating a machining operation in progress state of the machine tool 2, the light color adjuster 40 turns on only the energization connection of the wiring to the green LED in response to the input of the second light color control signal Cs2, and turns off the energization connection to the other color LEDs to de-energize them. This causes the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) to emit green light.

[0067] Furthermore, when yellow is assigned as the light color indicating the completion of machining operation of the machine tool 2, the light color adjuster 40 turns on the wiring connection to the red LED and the green LED and turns off the wiring connection to the blue LED to de-energize in response to the input of the third light color control signal Cs3. This causes the RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) to emit yellow light. Furthermore, when red is assigned as the warning light color indicating an alarm occurrence state in the machine tool 2, the light color adjuster 40 turns on only the wiring connection to the red LED and turns off the wiring connection to the other color LEDs to de-energize in response to the input of the fourth light color control signal Cs4. This causes the RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b) to emit red light.

[0068] The light color control signal generating unit 8 outputs corresponding light color control signals (Cs1-Cs4) according to the operating status of the machine tool 2, but it is efficient to link it to each process when a predetermined NC machining program P is executed in the control unit 7. In this case, for example, the light color control signal generating unit 8 may be set to output the second light color control signal Cs2 when a command is issued to start execution of the predetermined NC machining program P, and to output the third light color control signal Cs3 when execution of the NC machining program P is completed.

[0069] Also, the first light color control signal Cs1 may be output at the same time that the main power of the machining center 1 is turned on to operate the machine tool 2. Furthermore, normally, when a fault or the like occurs in the machine tool 2, the control unit 7 of the CNC device 5 stops the NC machining program P being executed and stops the driving of the machining unit 3, the automatic tool changer 4, etc., but it is practical for the light color control signal generating unit 8 to be set so as to output the fourth light color control signal Cs4 in conjunction with the generation of the alarm signal.

[0070] Although the above four colors can indicate at least the necessary operating status of the machine tool 2, in the light color control method by switching the current supply to the three-color LED in this embodiment, light colors other than the above four colors can be obtained by combining other color LEDs, so it is also possible to assign other operating statuses to the other light colors. For example, a purple light color is obtained by illuminating both a red LED and a blue LED, and a sky blue light color is obtained by illuminating both a green LED and a blue LED. Of course, a blue light color is obtained by illuminating only the blue LED. These other light colors can be used to grasp situations other than the above operating statuses.

[0071] In this embodiment, a punched-out display section 15 with a product name and number punched out is provided on the front area of ​​the exterior cover 10 at the left corner (13b) of the opening and closing door 11 in the upper area of ​​the light-emitting section 20b. This punched-out display section 15 transmits LED light from the back side by another LED lighting device, so that the product name and number of the target machining center 1 can be easily grasped visually. In this case, the light color of the LED emitted by the punched-out display section 15 is other than the light color emitted by the RGB-LED tape light (30a, 30b) in the light-emitting section (20a, 20b) to indicate the above-mentioned operating status. For example, the blue light color in Table 1 above can be used for the punched-out display section 15.

[0072] In addition, if the machining center 1 is relatively large, the area in which the LED light color can be perceived can be made wider by providing a light-emitting unit in the corner area on the rear side of the exterior cover 10. For example, as shown in the rear perspective view of Fig. 5, the light-emitting unit 20c can be provided in the area including one of the left and right corners (13c, 13d) on the rear side. Here, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper area on the rear side of the exterior cover 10 does not have a portion that divides the wall surface like the front opening and closing door 11, so the rear side area of ​​the light-emitting unit 20c can be extended long up to the opposing corner 13d.

[0073] This light-emitting section 20c is mainly composed of a slit hole 21c drilled in an L-shape along the horizontal direction with the rear side area being longer than the side sides, a roughly L-shaped LED tape fixing plate 25c fixed so as to cover the slit hole 21c over its entire length from the inside of the exterior cover 10, and an RGB-LED tape light 30c held in an L-shape on the horizontal bottom surface of the LED tape fixing plate 25c over its entire length.

[0074] This RGB-LED tape light 30c can also be connected to the light color adjuster 40 via the branching box B, so that the light color is adjusted in synchronization with the other RGB-LED tape lights (30a, 30b).

[0075] The LED tape fixing plate 25c has the same cross-sectional shape as that shown in Fig. 2, except that its length is different from the other LED tape fixing plates (25a, 25b). That is, it has a horizontal bottom surface 26c to which the RGB-LED tape light 30c is attached on its back surface, and an inclined surface that extends forward from the upper end of the rising wall on the rear end side of the horizontal bottom surface 26c to a position above the RGB-LED tape light 30c above the opening upper edge of the slit hole 21c. The horizontal lower end surface of the opening upper edge of the slit hole 21c forms the first reflection surface 22c, and the inclined surface forms the second reflection surface 27c, and these two types of reflection surfaces (22c, 27c) illuminate the light from the RGB-LED tape light 30c over a wide range downward on the rear side of the exterior cover 10.

[0076] 6, in a relatively small machining center 51 in which the width of the front area of ​​the exterior cover 60 is narrow and the opening and closing door 61 is disposed near one of the left and right corners (73a, 73b) of the front cover portion 62, the light emitting portion 70 of the LED lighting mechanism may be provided only at the other corner 73a. In this machining center 51, the operation panel 56 of the CNC device is disposed on the right side of the exterior cover 60, but the entire machine tool is constructed small within the exterior cover 60. For this reason, the range in which the front and left side are visible occupies a relatively large area in all directions around the circumference of the machining center 51.

[0077] This light-emitting section 70 has the same configuration as the light-emitting section 20b shown in Figures 1 to 3 above, and is mainly composed of an L-shaped slit hole 71 drilled in a long region along the horizontal direction from the front to the left side of the corner 73b, an LED tape fixing plate 75 attached so as to cover this slit hole 71 over its entire length from the inside of the exterior cover 60, and an RGB-LED tape light 80 held in an L-shape on the horizontal bottom surface 76 of the LED tape fixing plate 75 over its entire length.

[0078] The LED tape fixing plate 75 here has the same cross-sectional shape as that shown in Figure 2, and is equipped with a first reflective surface 72 consisting of the horizontal lower end surface of the upper edge of the opening of the slit hole 71, and a second reflective surface 77 consisting of an inclined surface, and these two types of reflective surfaces (72, 77) are configured to illuminate a wide area downward from the RGB-LED tape light 80 on the back side of the exterior cover 10.

[0079] In this relatively small machining center 51, the L-shaped light-emitting unit 70 is only provided at one of the left and right corners (73a, 73b) of the front cover portion 62, corner 73b, which has a larger area. However, the LED light can be seen from anywhere around the entire circumference of the machining center 51, within the range where the front and left side where the light-emitting unit 70 is located can be seen.

[0080] As described above, the LED lighting mechanism of the present invention has a light-emitting unit arranged in an L-shape at at least one of the four front corners of the exterior cover, out of the four corners at the front, back, left and right. By increasing the number of corners at which the light-emitting units are arranged appropriately depending on the size of the machining center, the LED lighting can be more reliably viewed in any type of machining center, and the operating status of the machine tool can be more easily understood from the light color.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the RGB-LED tape light is installed in one line and one row on the horizontal bottom surface of the LED tape fixing plate for one light-emitting unit. However, if the horizontal bottom surface of the LED tape fixing plate is wide enough to secure the installation area, it is also possible to arrange them in two lines and two rows to further increase the amount of light emitted.

[0082] In addition, in the above embodiment, the light-emitting portion is configured as a series of slit holes formed in an L-shape at the corner of the exterior cover, but the present invention is not limited to this, and rectangular shapes may be provided on each side.

[0083] For example, as shown in Figure 7, in a machining center 100 similar to that in Figure 1, rather than being connected in an L-shape to the left and right corners (113a, 113b) of a front cover part 112 having an opening and closing door 111 in the center, independent rectangular slit holes (121a, 121b, 121c) are formed on each side, and LED tape fixing plates (125a, 125b, 125c) to which RGB-LED tape lights (130a, 130b, 130c) are fixed are attached to the backside thereof, thereby forming rectangular light-emitting parts (120a, 120b, 120c).

[0084] As shown in FIG. 8, the LED tape fixing plates (125a, 125b, 125c) of the light emitting portions (120a, 120b, 120c) have the same cross-sectional shape as that shown in FIG. 2 in the above embodiment.

[0085] That is, each LED tape fixing plate (125a, 125b, 125c) has a horizontal bottom surface (126a, 126b, 126c) to which the RGB-LED tape light (130a, 130b, 130c) is attached on its back surface via double-sided adhesive tape 36, and an inclined surface (127a, 127b, 127c) extending forward from the upper end of the rising wall on the rear end side toward the inside of the exterior cover of this horizontal bottom surface (126a, 126b, 126c) above the RGB-LED tape light (130a, 130b, 130c) to a position above the lower end surface (122a, 122b, 122c) of the opening upper edge of the slit hole (121a, 121b, 121c).

[0086] In these light-emitting sections (120a, 120b, 120c), the lower end faces of the upper edge of the openings of the slit holes (121a, 121b, 121c) form horizontal, smooth first reflective surfaces (122a, 122b, 122c) that reflect light from the RGB-LED tape lights (130a, 130b, 130c) downward, and this first reflective surface causes a thin, sharp reflected light of the LED light to be emitted downward.

[0087] The inclined surfaces of the LED tape fixing plates (125a, 125b, 125c) form smooth second reflective surfaces (127a, 127b, 127c) that reflect and diffuse the light from the RGB-LED tape lights (130a, 130b, 130c) downward and forward, and this second reflective surface allows the LED light to be widely irradiated around the lower part of the exterior cover 110.

[0088] As described above, when multiple rectangular light-emitting units (120a, 120b, 120c) are provided on the exterior cover 110, by preparing and attaching components of the same dimensions and design, light-emitting units of the same shape can be easily installed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1,51,100: Machining center 2: Machine tools 3: Processing section 4: Automatic tool changer M: Tool magazine 5:CNC equipment 6,56:Operation panel D: Display I: Input section 7: Control unit 8: Light color control signal generator Cs(Cs1,Cs2,Cs3,Cs4): Light color control signal 9: Storage part P: NC machining program F: Tool information 10,60,110:Exterior cover 11,61,111:Opening and closing doors 12,62,112: Front cover 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 73a, 73b, 113a, 113b: corner 15: Punched display section 20a, 20b, 20c, 70, 120a, 120b, 120c: light emitting section 21a, 21b, 21c, 71, 121a, 121b, 121c: Slit holes 22a, 22b, 22c, 72, 122a, 122b, 122c: first reflecting surface (lower end surface of upper edge of opening) 25a, 25b, 25c, 75, 125a, 125b, 125c: LED tape fixing plate 26a, 26b, 26c, 76, 126a, 126b, 126c: Horizontal bottom 27a, 27b, 27c, 77, 127a, 127b, 127c: Second reflective surface (slanted surface) 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 80, 130a, 130b, 130c: RGB LED strip light 31: Tape-shaped substrate 32: RGB chip LED 33: Wiring cord 34: Terminal connector 35: Waterproof cover 36: Double-sided adhesive tape B: Branch box 40: Light color adjuster W: LED power wiring S: Power supply circuit

Claims

1. In a machining center equipped with a computer numerical control (CNC) device that performs numerical control on a machine tool, an LED (light-emitting diode) display mechanism having a light-emitting portion provided in at least a part of a front area of ​​a front cover portion surrounding a front section of the machine tool in a substantially U-shaped manner above an exterior cover surrounding an outer periphery of the machine tool; The LED display mechanism includes: As the light emitting unit, A slit hole is formed in the exterior cover in a long shape along a horizontal direction; an LED tape fixing plate attached to the inside of the exterior cover so as to cover the entire length of the slit hole; an RGB-LED tape light that is held over the entire length of the LED tape fixing plate and has a plurality of chip light emitting diodes with red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs embedded therein mounted in a row at predetermined intervals; An LED power supply wiring for supplying power to the RGB-LED tape light, and a light color control unit for causing the RGB-LED tape light to emit light in a plurality of different light colors preset in accordance with various operating conditions of the machine tool, the LED tape fixing plate has a horizontal bottom surface to which the RGB-LED tape light is attached at its back surface, and an inclined surface extending forward from the rear end side of the horizontal bottom surface to a position above the RGB-LED tape light above the upper edge of the opening of the slit hole; A machining center characterized in that the lower end surface of the upper edge of the opening of the slit hole forms a horizontal, smooth first reflective surface that reflects light from the RGB-LED tape light downward, and the inclined surface forms a smooth second reflective surface that reflects and diffuses the light from the RGB-LED tape light downward and forward.

2. the light emitting portion is provided at least at one of the left and right corners of the front cover portion, The slit hole is formed in an L-shape along the horizontal direction continuously across two side surfaces perpendicular to each other at the corner portion, The LED tape fixing plate is attached in a substantially L-shape so as to cover the entire length of the slit hole, 2. The machining center according to claim 1, wherein the RGB-LED tape light is held in an L-shape over the entire length of the LED tape fixing plate.

3. a control unit of the computer numerical control device including a light color control signal generating unit that outputs light color control signals for instructing the light color control unit to emit light in different light colors preset in accordance with each operating state of the machine tool, The machining center according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light color control unit is connected between the RGB-LED tape light and the LED power wiring, and turns on and off the power supply to the red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs in response to the input light color control signal, thereby changing the light color by combining and emitting light from different LEDs.

4. 4. The machining center according to claim 3, wherein the light color control signals include a first light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a power-on state of the machine tool when it is not in machining operation, a second light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a machining operation in progress state of the machine tool, a third light color control signal that commands adjustment to a light color that indicates a machining operation completion state of the machine tool, and a fourth light color control signal that commands adjustment to a warning light color that indicates an alarm occurrence state of the machine tool.

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