Processing device, program for processing device, and control method

Abstract

To easily secure processing accuracy of workpiece W.SOLUTION: A processing device 100 includes a frame 1 having a first surface 3a in a Z-axis direction and a second surface 4a in a Y-axis direction. A first movement mechanism 10 and a second movement mechanism 30 are provided on the first surface 3a side of the frame 1. A third movement mechanism 30 is provided on the second surface 4a side of the frame 1. A trestle 2 supports the frame 1 from the second surface 4a side of the frame 1. A first rotation mechanism 50, a second rotation mechanism 60, and a support mechanism 40 for supporting the workpiece W are moved by the third movement mechanism 30. The third movement mechanism 30 is provided below in a Z-axis direction of the frame 1 and in a space formed of the trestle 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device capable of processing an object to be processed. [Background technology]

[0002] As a processing device, a device that performs cutting or the like on a processing target (workpiece) by rotating a spindle to which a processing tool is attached has been conventionally known (for example, Patent Document 1). In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the workpiece moves and rotates while being supported on the side surface of a frame that constitutes the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-30192 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, since the workpiece moves and rotates while being supported on the side of the frame that constitutes the device, it is difficult to ensure the rigidity to support the workpiece. If the rigidity of the parts that support the workpiece or the spindle is insufficient, the processing stability may decrease. If the processing stability decreases, there is a possibility that the processing accuracy of the workpiece cannot be sufficiently ensured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The processing apparatus of the present invention is a processing apparatus including a first frame having a first surface along a Z-axis direction and a second surface along a Y-axis direction, and includes an X-axis moving mechanism and a Z-axis moving mechanism provided on the first surface side of the first frame, a Y-axis moving mechanism provided on the second surface side of the first frame, a second frame supporting the first frame from the second surface side of the first frame, and an A-axis rotation mechanism, a B-axis rotation mechanism, and a support mechanism for supporting a workpiece, which are moved by the Y-axis moving mechanism. The Y-axis moving mechanism is provided below the first frame in the Z-axis direction in a space formed by the second frame, the first frame supports the X-axis moving mechanism, the Y-axis moving mechanism, and the Z-axis moving mechanism, and the Y-axis moving mechanism has a guide shaft that guides the support mechanism in the Y-axis direction, and the length in the Y-axis direction from one end where the second frame supports the first frame to the other end opposite to the one end is longer than the guide shaft. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is easy to ensure the machining accuracy of the workpiece. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a processing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a top view of a processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of a processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view showing a part of a cutting apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5A] 1 is a side view showing the processing device according to the first embodiment with a portion of the stand cut away; [Figure 5B] 5B is a side view of the processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the support mechanism has been moved in the Y-axis direction from the state in FIG. 5A, with a portion of the stand being cut away. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of the processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, in which the workpiece is tilted around the b-axis. [Figure 7]1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrical equipment unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a processing device according to another first example of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a part of a processing device according to another second example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of a processing device according to another second example of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a support mechanism and a first rotation mechanism according to another second example of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a support mechanism according to another second example of the first embodiment. [Figure 13A] Cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 12. [Figure 13B] Cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 . [Figure 13C] Cross-sectional view taken along CC in Figure 12 . [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first rotation mechanism, a support mechanism, and a tool magazine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first rotation mechanism, a support mechanism, and a tool magazine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16A] 15. Cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG. [Figure 16B] EE cross section of Figure 15. [Figure 17A] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a holding portion according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17B] 17B is a perspective view of the holding portion as viewed from the back side of FIG. 17A. [Figure 18A] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a first rotation mechanism including a support portion according to a second embodiment. [Figure 18B] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first rotation mechanism including a support portion according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19A] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state before a holding portion is inserted into a support portion in the second embodiment. [Figure 19B] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holding portion is inserted into a supporting portion in the second embodiment. [Figure 20A] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holding part is attached to a support part in the second embodiment. [Figure 20B]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a holding part is attached to a support part in the second embodiment. [Figure 21A] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration for preventing rotation of the holding part in order to attach and detach the holding part in the second embodiment. [Figure 21B] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration for preventing rotation of the holding portion in order to attach and detach the holding portion in the second embodiment. [Figure 22A] 21B is a plan view showing a state in which the support mechanism is rotated around the b-axis from the state in FIG. 21A. [Figure 22B] 21C is a perspective view showing a state in which the support mechanism is rotated around the b-axis from the state in FIG. 21B. [Diagram 23] FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a processing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 24A] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a tool according to a third embodiment before clamping. [Figure 24B] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the tool according to the third embodiment is clamped. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of a processing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 26] 10 is a control flowchart of a processing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 27] 4 is a control flowchart for selecting a tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] <First embodiment> The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16. First, the overall configuration of a processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0009] [Processing equipment] The processing apparatus 100 comprises a frame 1 as a moving mechanism support member, a first moving mechanism 10, a second moving mechanism 20 and a third moving mechanism 30 each supported by the frame 1, a support mechanism 40 supporting a workpiece W as an object to be processed, a first rotating mechanism (rotating mechanism) 50 and a second rotating mechanism (another rotating mechanism) 60 capable of rotating the support mechanism 40, a tool magazine 70, and an electrical unit 80.

[0010] The frame 1 as the first frame is placed on the stand 2 as the second frame having a cavity (space) inside, and is composed of a first portion 3 and a second portion 4 bent at a right angle from an end of the first portion 3, as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the first portion 3 is arranged along the vertical direction, and the second portion 4 is arranged along the horizontal direction. In addition, the surface of the first portion 3 opposite to the side where the second portion 4 is bent (the left surface in FIG. 4) is the first surface 3a, and the surface of the second portion 4 opposite to the first portion 3 (the lower surface in FIG. 4) is the second surface 4a. The first surface 3a and the second surface 4a are perpendicular to each other. The first surface 3a corresponds to the first surface along the Z-axis direction, and the second surface 4a corresponds to the second surface along the Y-axis direction. The stand 2 supports the frame 1 from the second surface 4a side of the frame 1.

[0011] The first moving mechanism 10 as a Z-axis moving mechanism is supported on the first surface 3a of the first part 3 of the frame 1 via the second moving mechanism 20, and can move the spindle 11 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction, first direction). A processing tool 12 is detachably attached to the spindle 11 via a tool holder. The spindle 11 is rotationally driven by a motor 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the first moving mechanism 10 has a motor 14 and a guide shaft 15 arranged in the Z-axis direction, and the spindle 11 is reciprocated (raised and lowered) in the Z-axis direction along the guide shaft 15 by the drive of the motor 14. The spindle 11 is movably supported on the guide shaft 15 via a Z-axis support member 16. For example, the guide shaft 15 is a ball screw, and the Z-axis support member 16 is a member that moves along the guide shaft 15 (ball screw) that rotates by the drive of the motor 14. The guide shaft 15 and the Z-axis support member 16 are covered by a cover 17.

[0012] The second moving mechanism 20 as an X-axis moving mechanism is supported on the first surface 3a of the first portion 3 of the frame 1, and is capable of moving the main shaft 11 together with the first moving mechanism 10 in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction, second direction) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The second moving mechanism 20 has a motor 21 and a guide shaft (not shown) arranged in the X-axis direction, and is driven by the motor 21 to reciprocate the first moving mechanism 10 in the X-axis direction along the guide shaft. As with the first moving mechanism 10, the second moving mechanism 20 may also use, for example, a ball screw as the guide shaft.

[0013] The third moving mechanism 30 as a Y-axis moving mechanism is supported on the second surface 4a of the second part 4 of the frame 1, and can move the support mechanism 40 in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction, third direction) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction. The third moving mechanism 30 has a motor 32 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) and a guide shaft (not shown) arranged in the Y-axis direction, and moves the support mechanism 40 back and forth in the Y-axis direction along the guide shaft by driving the motor. As with the first moving mechanism 10, the third moving mechanism 30 may also use, for example, a ball screw as the guide shaft. As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, the third moving mechanism 30 is provided below the frame 1 in the Z-axis direction and in a space formed by the stand 2. In addition, the guide surface of the third moving mechanism 30 is located above the rotation center axis (a-axis) of the first rotating mechanism 50 and the rotation center axis (b-axis) of the second rotating mechanism 60 in the Z-axis direction, which will be described later.

[0014] The third movement mechanism 30 also includes a support plate section 31 that supports the second rotation mechanism 60, and as shown in Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, the support plate section 31 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction along the guide shaft. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the support mechanism 40 side of the gantry 2 in the Y-axis direction is open, preventing interference with the gantry 2 even when the support plate section 31 and the second rotation mechanism 60 supported by the support plate section 31 move in the Y-axis direction. As will be described in detail later, the third movement mechanism 30 can move the support mechanism 40 in the Y-axis direction together with the second rotation mechanism 60 and the first rotation mechanism 50.

[0015] The support mechanism 40 supports a workpiece W as a processing object such as a dental prosthesis to be machined by the processing tool 12. Such a support mechanism 40 has a holding part 41 that holds the workpiece W, and a support part 42 whose both ends are connected to rotating parts 51, 52 of the first rotating mechanism 50, respectively, and that supports the workpiece W via the holding part 41. The holding part 41 and the support part 42 are separate bodies, and the holding part 41 is fixed to the support part 42, as will be described in detail later. However, the holding part 41 and the support part 42 may be integrated.

[0016] The first rotation mechanism 50 as the A-axis rotation mechanism can rotate the support mechanism 40 around the a-axis (see Figs. 2 to 4 and 6) as a rotation axis perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the a-axis is parallel to the X-axis direction. Such a first rotation mechanism 50 has a support frame 53 that rotatably supports the rotating parts 51 and 52, and a motor 54 (Fig. 11) that rotates and drives the rotating part 51. The support frame 53 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to surround the periphery of the support mechanism 40, and is composed of a first support part 53a that supports the motor 54 and the rotating part 51, a second support part 53b that supports the rotating part 52, and a connecting part 53c that connects the first support part 53a and the second support part 53b.

[0017] The rotating part 51 supported by the first support part 53a and the rotating part 52 supported by the second support part 53b are arranged to face each other in the a-axis direction and to be rotatable about the a-axis as a rotation axis. Both ends of the support mechanism 40 in the a-axis direction are supported by the rotating parts 51 and 52, respectively. As a result, the first rotation mechanism 50 supports the support mechanism 40 so as to be rotatable by α° about the a-axis as shown in FIG.

[0018] The first rotation mechanism 50 can rotate at least 180° and can invert the workpiece W supported by the support mechanism 40. In this embodiment, the first rotation mechanism 50 can rotate the support mechanism 40 360° around the a-axis. As will be described in detail later, an extension of the a-axis passes through the center of the thickness direction of the workpiece W supported by the support mechanism 40, so the distance from the a-axis, which is the rotation central axis, to the front surface and the distance from the a-axis to the back surface are the same. Therefore, even if the workpiece W is inverted, the positional relationship between the center of the thickness direction of the workpiece W and the processing tool 12 does not change.

[0019] The second rotation mechanism 60 as the B-axis rotation mechanism can rotate the support mechanism 40 around the b-axis (see Figs. 4 and 5) as another rotation axis perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the a-axis. In this embodiment, the b-axis is parallel to the Y-axis direction. Such a second rotation mechanism 60 has a rotation unit 61 (Fig. 11) to which the support frame 53 of the first rotation mechanism 50 is attached, and a motor 62 (Fig. 4) that rotates the rotation unit 61. The connection unit 53c of the support frame 53 is attached to the rotation unit 61, and the support frame 53 can be rotated around the b-axis by being rotated by the motor 62. Therefore, the second rotation mechanism 60 supports the support mechanism 40 together with the first rotation mechanism 50 so as to be rotatable by β° around the b-axis, as shown in Fig. 6.

[0020] The b-axis passes through the center in the X-axis direction between the rotating units 51 and 52 of the first rotating mechanism 50, and its extension passes through the center in the X-axis direction of the workpiece W supported by the support mechanism 40. The a-axis and the b-axis intersect perpendicularly to each other, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. Therefore, the a-axis can rotate around the b-axis, and swings from the a1-axis to the a2-axis, for example, as shown in Figure 6.

[0021] The tool magazine 70 as a tool holding section can hold a plurality of processing tools, is disposed adjacent to the first rotating mechanism 50, and is supported by a support member 71 as shown in FIG. 2. The support member 71 is supported by the support plate portion 31 of the third moving mechanism 30. Therefore, the tool magazine 70 can be moved in the Y-axis direction together with the support mechanism 40 by the third moving mechanism 30. However, as shown in FIG. 4, even if the support mechanism 40 rotates around the a-axis, the tool magazine 70 does not rotate, and as shown in FIG. 6, even if the support mechanism 40 rotates around the b-axis, the tool magazine 70 does not rotate. That is, the tool magazine 70 is supported by the support member 71 so as to maintain a predetermined posture even if the support mechanism 40 rotates around the a-axis and the b-axis.

[0022] In the tool magazine 70, a plurality of types of processing tools each formed integrally with a tool holder 12a are held and arranged in a plurality of rows along the Y-axis direction. The processing tools attached to the spindle 11 are replaceable. The tool holder 12a is a part held by the spindle 11, and may be formed integrally with the processing tool or may be formed separately. In this embodiment, the processing tool 12 is attached to the tool holder 12a with a chuck, and the chuck part of the spindle 11 for holding the tool holds the tool via the tool holder 12a, forming a double chuck configuration. However, the processing tool may be attached directly to the spindle 11. The processing tool may be replaced by an operator or automatically by the processing device 100.

[0023] When the tool is replaced automatically, the second moving mechanism 20 and the third moving mechanism 30 move the empty space of the tool magazine 70 where no tool is inserted to below the spindle 11. Then, the first moving mechanism 10 lowers the spindle 11, and an attachment / detachment device such as a chuck provided on the spindle 11 is operated to remove the tool 12 attached to the spindle 11 and place it in the empty space of the tool magazine 70. Next, the first moving mechanism 10 raises the spindle 11, and the second moving mechanism 20 and the third moving mechanism 30 move the position of the tool magazine 70 where the tool 12 to be replaced is located to below the spindle 11. Then, the first moving mechanism 10 lowers the spindle 11 again, and the attachment / detachment device is operated to attach the tool 12 to be replaced to the spindle 11. The tool 12 is, for example, a drill or an end mill.

[0024] The electrical component unit 80 is attached to the inside of the frame 1. That is, the electrical component unit 80 is disposed on the side opposite the first surface 3a of the first section 3 and the side opposite the second surface 4a of the second section 4. By disposing the electrical component unit 80 on the inside of the frame 1 formed in an L-shape in this manner, where the movement mechanisms and rotation mechanisms are not disposed, it is possible to effectively utilize space and to miniaturize the device.

[0025] Such an electrical equipment unit 80 controls the processing device 100, and as shown in Fig. 7, a control board 83 and each of the control units 84a, 84b, 84c, 84x, 84y, and 84z are supported on a frame 81. The control board 83 controls the driving of the motors of the spindle and each of the axes. Each of the control units 84a, 84b, 84c, 84x, 84y, and 84z calculates pulses to be output to the motors from signals of the rotary encoders of the corresponding motors, for example, and appropriately controls the rotation of the corresponding motors.

[0026] That is, the control unit 84a controls the motor 54 of the first rotation mechanism 50 to rotate the support mechanism 40 around the a-axis. The control unit 84b controls the motor 62 of the second rotation mechanism 60 to tilt the support mechanism 40 around the b-axis, and determines the attitude of the support mechanism 40. The control unit 84x also controls the motor 21 of the second movement mechanism 20 to move the spindle 11 in the X-axis direction, and determines the position of the spindle 11 in the X-axis direction. The control unit 84y controls the motor of the third movement mechanism 30 to move the support mechanism 40 in the Y-axis direction, and determines the position of the support mechanism 40 in the Y-axis direction. The control unit 84z controls the motor 14 of the first movement mechanism 10 to move the spindle 11 in the Z-axis direction, and determines the position of the spindle 11 in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the relative positions of the spindle 11 and the support mechanism 40 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are determined.

[0027] The control unit 84c controls the motor 13 that rotates the spindle 11. The control unit 84c rotates the processing tool 12 attached to the spindle 11 at high speed, so that it is likely to be larger and heavier than the other control units 84a, 84b, 84x, 84y, and 84z. Therefore, in this embodiment, the frame 81 of the electrical unit 80 has a partition 82 that divides the installation space of the control unit into upper and lower parts, and the large and heavy control unit 84c is provided below the partition 82, and the small and lightweight control units 84a, 84b, 84x, 84y, and 84z are provided above the partition 82. By arranging the heavy object below in this way, the stability of the device can be improved, and by arranging the small control units together above the partition 82, the space can be effectively utilized to reduce the size of the device.

[0028] Moreover, the control board 83 is provided on the side surface of the frame 81 in order to facilitate wiring etc. However, the arrangement of the various parts of the electrical unit 80 may be changed in any order.

[0029] In the above description, the movement mechanism support member that supports the movement mechanisms, rotation mechanism, and electrical component unit is an L-shaped frame 1, but it may be a box-shaped frame 1A as shown in Fig. 8. Like the frame 1, the frame 1A has a first surface 3a that supports the first movement mechanism 10 and the second movement mechanism 20, and a second surface 4a that supports the third movement mechanism 30. The electrical component unit 80 is disposed within the box-shaped frame 1A.

[0030] When machining a workpiece W using such a machining device 100, the spindle 11 to which the machining tool 12 is attached is rotated, and the spindle 11 is raised and lowered by the first moving mechanism 10, so that the machining surface (upper surface) of the workpiece W is cut by the machining tool 12. At this time, the spindle 11 is raised and lowered by the first moving mechanism 10 while the second moving mechanism 20 moves the spindle 11 in the X-axis direction, and the third moving mechanism 30 moves the support mechanism 40 supporting the workpiece W in the Y-axis direction, so that any position on the machining surface of the workpiece W can be cut. In addition, the second rotating mechanism 60 can cut the workpiece W even when it is tilted around the b-axis, and the first rotating mechanism 50 can turn the workpiece W over and cut it.

[0031] Moreover, the machining device 100 of this embodiment is an NC machining device that performs automatic machining by computer control. Specifically, machining data is created by a CAD / CAM system using an external terminal such as a personal computer, and the workpiece W is machined by numerical control based on this data. For this purpose, an external terminal such as a personal computer that issues commands to the machining device 100 is connected to the machining device 100. Note that the machining device 100 itself may be provided with a computer equipped with a CPU and memory capable of numerical control.

[0032] For example, when a dental prosthesis is to be created by the processing device 100, data of the dental prosthesis measured by a three-dimensional measuring device is transferred to a CAD / CAM system, and processing data is created by the CAD / CAM system. Then, based on this processing data, the processing device 100 is controlled to cut the workpiece W with the processing tool 12, thereby creating the dental prosthesis.

[0033] In a processing device that processes a workpiece in this manner, it is preferable to ensure sufficient rigidity of the moving mechanism support member that supports the moving mechanism that moves the spindle and the workpiece and the rotating mechanism that rotates the workpiece. In particular, when cutting is performed by rotating the spindle at high speed, it is desirable to ensure sufficient rigidity of the moving mechanism support member. For example, in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the workpiece moves and rotates while being supported by the side of a frame that constitutes the device. For this reason, it is difficult to ensure the rigidity to support the workpiece. If the rigidity of the parts that support the workpiece and the spindle is insufficient, processing stability may decrease.

[0034] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the frame 1 or frame 1A supporting each moving mechanism or each rotating mechanism has a first surface 3a and a second surface 4a perpendicular to the first surface 3a. The first moving mechanism 10 and the second moving mechanism 20 are supported on the first surface 3a, the third moving mechanism 30 is supported on the second surface 4a, and the first rotating mechanism 50 and the second rotating mechanism 60 are supported on the second surface 4a via the third moving mechanism 30. The configuration in which each moving mechanism or each rotating mechanism is supported on the frame 1 or 1A having an L-shaped portion has a higher support rigidity than the configuration in which the moving mechanism or the rotating mechanism is supported on the side plate. Therefore, by configuring as in this embodiment, the processing stability of the workpiece can be ensured and the processing accuracy of the workpiece can be improved. Furthermore, even if applied to a processing device having a spindle that rotates at high speed, sufficient rigidity can be ensured.

[0035] [Support mechanism] Next, the support mechanism 40A for the workpiece W of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 9 to 13. The support mechanism 40A shown in Figs. 9 to 13 is different from the support mechanism 40 shown in Figs. 1 to 8 in that it has pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c. That is, the support mechanism 40A shown in Figs. 9 to 13 also includes a holding part 41 for holding the workpiece W, and a support part 42 that is connected to the rotating parts 51 and 52 of the first rotating mechanism 50 and supports the workpiece W via the holding part 41. The holding part 41 is pressed by the pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c, so that the holding part 41 is fixed to the support part 42.

[0036] 1 to 8, the holding part 41 may be fixed to the support part 42 by a fixing member such as a screw, or may be fixed by the configuration of the second embodiment described later. However, in the support mechanism 40 shown in Fig. 1 to 8, the relationship between the center in the thickness direction of the workpiece W held by the holding part 41 and the position where the support part 42 is connected to the rotating parts 51 and 52 is the same as that described below.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the support mechanism 40A has a pressing device 44 and a receiving device 45 arranged to sandwich the holding part 41 that holds the workpiece W. The pressing device 44 and the receiving device 45 are arranged on the a-axis, with the pressing device 44 arranged on the rotating part 52 side of the first rotating mechanism 50 and the receiving device 45 arranged on the rotating part 51 side. As shown in FIG. 13 described later, the pressing device 44 has pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c, and presses the holding part 41 toward the receiving device 45 side and the side toward the support part 42. The receiving device 45 is in contact with the holding part 41 and receives the pressing force applied to the holding part 41 by the pressing device 44. The pressing device 44 and the receiving device 45 are fixed on the support part 42.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the first rotating mechanism 50 and the support mechanism 40A cut on the a-axis, and is a view of the support mechanism 40A viewed from the support portion 42 side. As shown in FIG. 11, the work W is a disk-shaped member, and a protrusion W1 is provided around the entire circumference of the outer periphery. The holding portion 41 has a main body portion 41a and a pressing plate portion 41b. The main body portion 41a is formed with a recess 41c into which the protrusion W1 of the work W can enter. The work W is held by the holding portion 41 as the protrusion W1 is sandwiched between the recess 41c of the main body portion 41a and the pressing plate portion 41b. The pressing plate portion 41b is fixed to the main body portion 41a by, for example, a screw 41d (see FIG. 12, etc.) in a state in which the work W is sandwiched between the main body portion 41a and the pressing plate portion 41b.

[0039] The support portion 42 has a through hole 42a formed therein, which is larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece W and smaller than the outer diameter of the circumscribing circle of the holding portion 41. As a result, when the workpiece W is turned over by the first rotation mechanism 50 and the back surface of the workpiece W is machined, the processing tool 12 can come into contact with the workpiece W through the through hole 42a. That is, the back surface of the workpiece W can be cut through the through hole 42a. In addition, the holding portion 41 can be placed on the outer portion of the through hole 42a of the support portion 42.

[0040] Fig. 12 is a plan view of the support mechanism 40A as viewed from the holding portion 41 side. In Fig. 12, Fig. 13B shows a BB cross section passing through the a-axis, Fig. 13A shows an AA cross section displaced a predetermined angle counterclockwise from the a-axis about the center O of the workpiece W, and Fig. 13C shows a CC cross section displaced a predetermined angle clockwise from the a-axis about the center O of the workpiece W. The deviation angle of the a-axis between the AA cross section and the CC cross section is the same. The center O of the workpiece W is the center when the disk-shaped workpiece W is viewed in a plane.

[0041] 13B, a plane along the a-axis, which is the rotation axis of the first rotation mechanism 50, is defined as plane P. A direction perpendicular to plane P is defined as the thickness direction of the workpiece W. The center of the workpiece W in the thickness direction is defined as center Q. In this case, the holding unit 41 holds the workpiece W at a position where plane P passes. The holding unit 41 holds the workpiece W so that an extension of the a-axis passes through center Q of the workpiece W in the thickness direction.

[0042] On the other hand, the support part 42 that supports the holder 41 is connected to the first rotation mechanism 50 at a connecting position c that is on one side (the lower side in FIG. 13B) of the position where the holder 41 holds the workpiece W in the thickness direction of the workpiece W and is eccentric to the a-axis. For this reason, connecting parts 42b and 42c are provided on both ends of the support part 42 in the a-axis direction. The connecting parts 42b and 42c are connected to a connecting protrusion 51a of the rotating part 51 and a connecting protrusion 52a of the rotating part 52, respectively, as shown in FIG.

[0043] The connecting protrusion 51a of the rotating part 51 and the connecting protrusion 52a of the rotating part 52 are formed to protrude along the a-axis from positions eccentric to the a-axis. On the other hand, the connecting parts 42b and 42c formed on the support part 42 have a notch shape into which the connecting protrusions 51a and 52a can enter. Then, in a state in which the connecting protrusions 51a and 52a enter the connecting parts 42b and 42c, respectively, the connecting parts 42b and 42c and the connecting protrusions 51a and 52a are fixed. The connecting protrusions 51a and 52a have the same amount of eccentricity from the a-axis, and the connecting parts 42b and 42c have the same amount of notch. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the connecting protrusions 51a and 52a and the connecting parts 42b and 42c are connected at the connecting position c, and the connecting position c is a position offset from the a-axis.

[0044] In this embodiment, the workpiece W is held by the holder 41 so that the a-axis passes through the center Q in the thickness direction of the workpiece W. Therefore, even if the connection position c between the support part 42 and the rotating parts 51, 52 is eccentric from the a-axis, the rotating parts 51, 52 rotate about the a-axis, so that the workpiece W can be rotated about the a-axis together with the support mechanism 40A.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 13A to 13C, the pressing device 44 has pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c at multiple locations (three locations in this embodiment) around the holding part 41. The pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c press a part of the periphery through which the plane P of the holding part 41 passes. Specifically, the pressing part 43b arranged at a position passing through the a-axis presses the holding part 41 in a direction substantially parallel to the a-axis as shown in Fig. 13B. The pressing part 43b presses the holding part 41 toward the receiving device 45 by a spring (not shown). For this purpose, the pressing device 44 has a guide hole 44b that guides the pressing part 43b movably along a direction substantially parallel to the a-axis direction.

[0046] A protrusion 43b1 is provided at the tip of the pressing portion 43b, and the protrusion 43b1 engages with a recess 41e provided on the outer circumferential surface of the holding portion 41, thereby performing positioning in the rotation direction centered on an axis perpendicular to the plane P of the holding portion 41. Note that the protrusion 43b1 may be a sphere rotatably provided at the tip of the pressing portion 43b, or the tip of the pressing portion 43b may be rounded into a hemisphere.

[0047] When mounting the holding part 41 on the support part 42, the holding part 41 is inserted between the pressing device 44 and the receiving device 45 provided on the support part 42. At this time, the phase of the recess 41e of the holding part 41 and the protrusion 43b1 of the pressing part 43b is shifted in the rotational direction. Then, by rotating the holding part 41 relative to the support part 42, the phases of the recess 41e and the protrusion 43b1 are matched and engaged with each other. This positions the holding part 41 in the rotational direction relative to the support part 42.

[0048] On the other hand, the pressing parts 43a and 43c arranged on both sides of the pressing part 43b in the rotation direction press the holding part 41 in a direction inclined with respect to the plane P as shown in Figs. 13A and 13C. The pressing parts 43a and 43c press the holding part 41 toward the support part 42 by springs (not shown). Here, the pressing direction of the pressing parts 43a and 43c is inclined with respect to the plane P so as to face one side (the support part 42 side) rather than the direction along the plane P. That is, a part of the component force of the pressing direction of the pressing parts 43a and 43c acts in a direction to press the holding part 41 toward the support part 42. For this purpose, the pressing device 44 has guide holes 44a and 44c that guide the pressing parts 43a and 43c movably along the directions inclined with respect to the plane P.

[0049] The pressing parts 43a and 43c also have protrusions 43a1 and 43c1 at their tips. The holding part 41 has inclined surfaces 41f and 41g that engage with the protrusions 43a1 and 43c1. The inclined surfaces 41f and 41g are surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the pressing direction of the pressing parts 43a and 43c, and the holding part 41 is effectively pressed toward the support part 42 by the pressing force of the pressing parts 43a and 43c. The protrusions 43a1 and 43c1 may be balls rotatably provided at the tips of the pressing parts 43a and 43c, or the tips of the pressing parts 43a and 43c may be rounded into a hemispherical shape. The pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c may each be the same member.

[0050] In this manner, the holding portion 41 is pressed against the support portion 42 by the pressing portions 43a and 43c, whereby the holding portion 41 is fixed to the support portion 42. In addition, the holding portion 41 is positioned relative to the support portion 42 in the rotational direction by the pressing portion 43b.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the support part 42 that supports the holding part 41 is connected to the first rotating mechanism 50 at a connecting position c that is on one side (the lower side in FIG. 13B ) of the position where the workpiece W is held by the holding part 41 in the thickness direction of the workpiece W and is a position eccentric to the a-axis. Therefore, when the workpiece W is machined, it is easy to ensure sufficient rigidity against the machining load on the workpiece W. That is, in the case of this embodiment, by shifting the holding position of the workpiece W and the connecting position between the support mechanism 40A and the first rotating mechanism 50, it is possible to ensure sufficient rigidity against the machining load on the workpiece W.

[0052] Here, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration having a holding part that holds the workpiece by clamping it, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the workpiece via the holding part. In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is considered that the position where the holding part holds the workpiece, the position where the workpiece is supported by the rotation mechanism via the holding part, and the rotation center for rotating the workpiece are approximately on the same axis. In this way, when the position where the workpiece is held and the position where the workpiece is supported by the rotation mechanism are approximately on the same axis, it is difficult to ensure sufficient rigidity against the load on the workpiece during processing as a configuration for supporting the workpiece. For this reason, there is a possibility that the processing accuracy of the workpiece cannot be sufficiently ensured.

[0053] A more specific explanation will be given. When the workpiece W is machined, a force is transmitted from the workpiece W to the support portion 42 via the holding portion 41. This force then acts on the connection portion between the support portion 42 and the first rotating mechanism 50. At this time, if the position where the workpiece W is held by the holding portion 41 and the position where the workpiece W is supported by the first rotating mechanism 50, i.e., the connection portion between the support portion 42 and the rotating portions 51 and 52, are on the same straight line, the area from this connection portion to the workpiece W can be regarded as an integrated "straight beam." For this reason, when a load is applied to the workpiece W due to a processing load, bending is likely to occur, and there is a risk of a decrease in processing accuracy.

[0054] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the position where the workpiece W is held by the holding portion 41 is offset from the connection position c between the support portion 42 and the first rotation mechanism 50. Therefore, the area from the connection position through the support portion 42 and the holding portion 41 to the workpiece W can be regarded as an integrated crank-shaped member. This increases the strength against bending when a load is applied to the workpiece W due to a processing load. As a result, sufficient rigidity against the load on the workpiece W during processing can be ensured, and it is easy to ensure sufficient processing accuracy of the workpiece W.

[0055] In addition, the a-axis, which is the rotation axis of the first rotating mechanism 50, passes through the center Q of the workpiece W in the thickness direction, and the connection position c between the support 42 and the first rotating mechanism 50 is eccentric to the a-axis. Therefore, even if the workpiece W is rotated around the a-axis and inverted so that the front and back sides are swapped, the positional relationship between the center Q of the workpiece W in the thickness direction and the processing tool 12 does not change. Therefore, processing can be performed without newly correcting the positional relationship between the processing tool 12 and the workpiece W by inversion. That is, in the configuration in which the workpiece W can be inverted and processed, the rigidity against the processing load during processing of the front surface of the workpiece W can be ensured while preventing a decrease in machinability due to inversion of the workpiece W.

[0056] In this embodiment, a support portion 42 is disposed on one side of the holding portion 41, and the holding portion 41 is supported by the support portion 42. Therefore, when machining the front surface of the workpiece W (the upper surface in Figs. 13A, 13B, and 13C), the load acting on the workpiece W can be sufficiently supported by the support portion 42. On the other hand, for the machining load on the back surface of the workpiece W, the following configuration is used to ensure support strength.

[0057] That is, in this embodiment, as described above, the holding portion 41 is pressed by the pressing portions 43a and 43c, so that the holding portion 41 is pressed against the support portion 42, and therefore the strength of the holding portion 41 in the direction away from the support portion 42 can be sufficiently ensured. Therefore, even if the support mechanism 40A is inverted and the back surface of the workpiece W is machined from the support portion 42 side, the pressing portions 43a and 43c can sufficiently support the load transmitted to the holding portion 41 through the workpiece W. That is, when the back surface of the workpiece W is machined, a force acts on the holding portion 41 in the direction away from the support portion 42 through the workpiece W, but since the holding portion 41 is pressed against the support portion 42 by the pressing force of the pressing portions 43a and 43c, the holding strength of the workpiece W sufficient against the load during machining can be ensured. As a result, the back surface of the workpiece W can be stably machined, and the machining accuracy of the workpiece W can be sufficiently ensured.

[0058] [Tool magazine] Next, the tool magazine 70 as the tool holding section of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 14 to 16. As described above, the tool magazine 70 can hold a plurality of processing tools, is disposed adjacent to the first rotation mechanism 50, and is supported by a support member 71 as shown in Fig. 2. Such a tool magazine 70 can arrange a plurality of processing tools 12 in each of a plurality of rows (two rows in this embodiment). The processing tools 12 are formed integrally with the tool holder 12a.

[0059] A specific description will be given. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the tool magazine 70 has a plurality of first tool arrangement sections 72a and a plurality of second tool arrangement sections 73a. The first tool arrangement section 72a and the second tool arrangement section 73a are each formed so that a plurality of processing tools 12 can be attached and detached in a predetermined direction (the Z-axis direction in this embodiment). The first tool arrangement sections 72a can arrange the plurality of processing tools 12 along a first row 72. The second tool arrangement sections 73a can arrange the plurality of processing tools 12 along a second row 73 that is substantially parallel to the first row 72 and adjacent to the first row 72. In this embodiment, the first row 72 and the second row 73 are rows along the Y-axis direction and adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. However, the first row 72 and the second row 73 may be rows along the X-axis direction and adjacent to each other in the Y-axis direction.

[0060] In particular, in this embodiment, the multiple first tool placement parts 72a and the multiple second tool placement parts 73a are formed so that the multiple processing tools 12 are arranged such that the center of the processing tools 12 arranged in the first row 72 and the center of the processing tools 12 arranged in the second row 73 are shifted with respect to the direction along the first row 72 and the second row 73. In other words, the multiple first tool placement parts 72a and the multiple second tool placement parts 73a are arranged so as to be shifted from each other in the direction along the first row 72 and the second row 73 (Y-axis direction). The first tool placement parts 72a and the second tool placement parts 73a are arranged so that a part of one second tool placement part 73a enters between a pair of adjacent first tool placement parts 72a, or a part of one first tool placement part 72a enters between a pair of adjacent second tool placement parts 73a. More specifically, the multiple first tool placement parts 72a and the multiple second tool placement parts 73a are arranged in a staggered pattern.

[0061] By arranging the first tool placement sections 72a and the second tool placement sections 73a in a staggered manner in this manner, the first tool placement sections 72a and the second tool placement sections 73a can be arranged close to each other, thereby achieving size reduction in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the first row 72 is arranged on the first rotating mechanism 50 side, and the second row 73 is arranged on the side away from the first rotating mechanism 50.

[0062] In this embodiment, the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to each of the first tool placement sections 72a and the second tool placement sections 73a can be detected. This point will be described with reference to Figures 16A and 16B. Figure 16A shows a configuration for detecting the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to the first tool placement section 72a arranged in the first row 72.

[0063] In this embodiment, in order to detect the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 in the first tool placement section 72a, there are provided a first arm section 74 as a plurality of first swinging sections, and a first detection section 75. The first arm section 74 can swing about a swing axis 74a. In this embodiment, the first detection section 75 is a photointerrupter having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section, and the base end of the first arm section 74 can pass between the light-emitting section and the light-receiving section.

[0064] The first arm portions 74 are arranged so as to pass from the side of the second row 73 opposite the first row 72 through a position that is offset from the second tool placement portion 73a in the direction along the second row 73. The first arm portions 74 each swing in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to / from the first tool placement portion 72a. The first detector 75 is arranged on the side of the second row 73 opposite the first row 72, and detects the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to / from the first tool placement portion 72a by the swinging motion of the first arm portion 74.

[0065] That is, the tip of the first arm portion 74 can freely engage with a part of the processing tool 12 attached to the first tool placement portion 72a, and when the processing tool 12 is attached to the first tool placement portion 72a, it swings to the position shown in Fig. 16A, and the base end is positioned between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the first detection portion 75, blocking the light of the light-emitting portion. On the other hand, when the processing tool 12 comes out of the first tool placement portion 72a, the first arm portion 74 swings about the swing shaft 74a so that the tip rises, and the base end comes out from between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the first detection portion 75, and the light-receiving portion receives the light of the light-emitting portion. The control board 83 (Fig. 7) recognizes the attachment and detachment of the processing tool 12 to and from the first tool placement portion 72a based on the detection result of the first detection portion 75.

[0066] 16B shows a configuration for detecting attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 in the second tool placement section 73a arranged in the second row 73. In this embodiment, in order to detect attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 in the second tool placement section 73a, the second tool placement section 73a has a second arm section 76 as a plurality of second swinging sections and a second detection section 77. The second arm section 76 is shorter in length than the first arm section 74 and can swing around a swing axis 76a. The second detection section 77 is a photointerrupter similar to the first detection section 75, and the base end of the second arm section 76 can pass between the light emitting section and the light receiving section.

[0067] The second arm portions 76 are arranged from the opposite side of the second row 73 to the first row 72 toward the second tool placement portion 73a. The second arm portions 76 each swing in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to / from the second tool placement portion 73a. The second detector 77 is arranged on the opposite side of the second row 73 to the first row 72, and detects the attachment / detachment of the processing tool 12 to / from the second tool placement portion 73a by the swinging motion of the second arm portion 76.

[0068] That is, the tip of the second arm portion 76 can freely engage with a part of the processing tool 12 attached to the second tool placement portion 73a, and when the processing tool 12 is attached to the second tool placement portion 73a, the second arm portion 76 swings to the position shown in Fig. 16B, and the base end is positioned between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the second detection portion 77, blocking the light of the light-emitting portion. On the other hand, when the processing tool 12 comes out of the second tool placement portion 73a, the second arm portion 76 swings about the swing shaft 76a so that the tip of the second arm portion 76 rises, and the base end comes out from between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the second detection portion 77, and the light-receiving portion receives the light of the light-emitting portion. The control board 83 (Fig. 7) recognizes the attachment and detachment of the processing tool 12 to the second tool placement portion 73a from the detection result of the second detection portion 77.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first detectors 75 and the second detectors 77 are arranged in the same number as the corresponding first arm portions 74 and second arm portions 76. The first detectors 75 and the second detectors 77 are arranged in a row substantially parallel to the second row 73 on the side of the second row 73 opposite the first row 72. However, the first detectors 75 and the second detectors 77 do not have to be arranged in a row, and may be arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first tool placement sections 72a and the second tool placement sections 73a are arranged in a staggered pattern, and the first arm section 74 for detecting the attachment and detachment of the processing tool 12 to the first tool placement sections 72a is arranged between the second tool placement sections 73a. Therefore, the first detection section 75 and the second detection section 77 can be arranged together on one side of the first row 72 and the second row 73, making it easy to wire the detection sections. In addition, the first detection section 75 and the second detection section 77 can be arranged in a row, making it possible to miniaturize the device.

[0071] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 17 to 22. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the configuration in which the holding part 41 is fixed to the support part 42 by the pressing parts 43a, 43b, and 43c has been described. In contrast, in this embodiment, the holding part 41A is configured to be easily attached and detached by rotating it relative to the support part 42A. In addition, in this embodiment, a workpiece 201 having a plurality of blocks 200 is used as a processing target part, but such a workpiece 201 may be used in the first embodiment, or the workpiece W of the first embodiment may be used in this embodiment. Since the other configurations and functions are the same as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the similar configurations, and illustrations and descriptions are omitted or simplified, and the following description will focus on the points different from the first embodiment.

[0072] First, the work 201 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B. In the field of dentistry, a processing device is provided that cuts a block for a single crown as a dental prosthesis, and there is a processing device that can fix a plurality of blocks for a single crown with a dedicated jig and perform processing continuously. The work 201 is a work in which such a plurality of blocks for a single crown 200 are fixed to a jig 202. The work 201 including the jig 202 is formed in a substantially circular plate shape, and the outer peripheral shape is the same as that of the work W of the first embodiment. In addition, it is preferable that the work 201 having a plurality of blocks 200 can be easily attached and detached from the device in order to attach and detach the blocks 200 to and from the jig. Therefore, in this embodiment, the holding part 41A that holds the work 201 is configured to be easily attached and detached to the support part 42A.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the workpiece 201 is held by a holding portion 41A. Then, as described below, the holding portion 41A is attached to a support portion 42A to form a support mechanism 40B that supports the workpiece 201 (see FIG. 20). The holding portion 41A is detachable from the support portion 42A in a direction perpendicular to the plane P, and has a main body portion 410, a protruding portion 411, and a first protrusion 412. The main body portion 410 holds the workpiece 201. The configuration in which the main body portion 410 holds the workpiece 201 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 17B, the protrusion 411 is a portion protruding from the back surface of the main body 410 in a direction perpendicular to the plane P (FIG. 13B). The back surface of the main body 410 is the surface on the side where the holding part 41A is supported by the support part 42A. Such a protrusion 411 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the back surface of the workpiece 201 is exposed on the inside. The first projection 412 is formed so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 411 in a direction parallel to the plane P (diametrically outward of the cylindrical protrusion 411). Such a first projection 412 is provided at a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) on the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 411 at intervals from each other.

[0075] 18A and 18B, the support part 42A has an opening 420, a second protrusion 421, an entrance part 422, and a leaf spring 423 as a biasing part. The opening 420 is a cylindrical hole having an inner diameter that allows the protrusion 411 of the holding part 41A to be inserted. The opening 420 is a through hole, and when the holding part 41A is attached, the back surface of the workpiece 201 can be processed by a processing tool through the inside of the opening 420 and the protrusion 411.

[0076] The second protrusions 421 are formed to protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the opening 420 in a direction parallel to the plane P (diametrically inward of the cylindrical opening 420). Such second protrusions 421 are provided at a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) spaced apart from one another on the inner circumferential surface of the opening 420. The number of first protrusions 412 and the number of second protrusions 421 are the same. The second protrusions 421 are located downstream of the first protrusions 412 in the insertion direction into the protrusion 411 when the protrusion 411 is attached to the opening 420.

[0077] The entry portion 422 is a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the opening 420 where the second protrusion 421 is not formed. Such entry portion 422 allows the first protrusion 412 to enter downstream of the second protrusion 421 in the insertion direction of the protrusion 411 when the protrusion 411 is inserted into the opening 420 at a position deviated from the second protrusion 421. In this embodiment, the entry portions 422 are formed so that the number of the entry portions 422 is the same as that of the first protrusions 412 and the phase of the entry portions 422 is the same as that of the first protrusions 412. In addition, the circumferential length of each entry portion 422 is longer than the circumferential length of each first protrusion 412. As a result, when the protrusion 411 enters the opening 420, the first protrusion 412 passes through the entry portion 422 without interfering with the second protrusion 421.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 18B, the leaf spring 423 is provided below the second protrusion 421 (downstream side in the insertion direction of the protruding portion 411). Then, as shown in FIG. 20B, the leaf spring 423 is located between the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 in a state where the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 overlap in the insertion direction of the protruding portion 411, and biases the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 in a direction away from each other. The leaf spring 423 may be formed so that a predetermined range in the circumferential center portion is located lower than both ends and is inclined upward from this predetermined range to both ends. Thereby, as described later, when the first protrusion 412 enters the lower side of the second protrusion 421 by rotating the holding portion 41A relative to the support portion 42A, the first protrusion 412 is guided to both ends of the leaf spring 423 and smoothly guided to the predetermined range of the leaf spring 423.

[0079] In addition, the support part 42A is provided with an abutment part 424 below the second protrusion 421 and the leaf spring 423 on the inner peripheral surface of the opening 420 (on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the protrusion 411). The abutment part 424 is formed over the entire circumference so as to protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the opening 420. When the holding part 41A is attached to the support part 42A, the leading end of the protrusion 411 in the insertion direction abuts against the abutment part 424. That is, as shown in FIG. 20B, the leaf spring 423 biases the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 in a direction in which they move away from each other, so that the protrusion 411 on which the first protrusion 412 is formed is further pushed downstream in the insertion direction and abuts against the abutment part 424. As a result, the frictional force between the first protrusion 412 and the abutment part 424 increases, and the holding part 41A is fixed to the support part 42A.

[0080] When the holding part 41A is attached to the support part 42A, a part of the surface (lower surface) of the main body part 410 of the holding part 41A facing the insertion direction may be brought into contact with a part of the periphery of the opening part 420 of the support part 42A. Even in this case, the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 are biased by the leaf spring 423 in a direction in which they move away from each other, thereby increasing the frictional force at the part where the part of the lower surface of the main body part 410 and the part of the periphery of the opening part 420 come into contact with each other, and the holding part 41A is fixed to the support part 42A.

[0081] The mounting operation of the holding part 41A to the support part 42A will be described with reference to FIGS. 19A and 19B. As shown in FIG. 19A, when mounting the holding part 41A to the support part 42A, the holding part 41A is moved in a direction perpendicular to the plane P relative to the support part 42A. At this time, the holding part 41A is rotated in the rotation direction by a predetermined angle relative to the support part 42A so that the phase of the first protrusion 412 of the holding part 41A and the entering part 422 of the support part 42A match. Then, as shown in FIG. 19B, the protrusion 411 of the holding part 41A is inserted into the opening 420 of the support part 42A. At this time, the protrusion 411 is inserted into the opening 420 until the first protrusion 412 is located downstream of the second protrusion 421 in the insertion direction.

[0082] Next, the holding portion 41A is rotated relative to the support portion 42A from the state shown in FIG. 19B. That is, with the first protrusion 412 passing through the entry portion 422, the holding portion 41A and the support portion 42A are rotated relative to each other to obtain the state shown in FIG. 20A. FIG. 20A shows a state in which the mounting operation of the holding portion 41A to the support portion 42A is completed. In this state, the first protrusion 412 enters the downstream side of the second protrusion 421 and the leaf spring 423 in the insertion direction, and as described above, the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 are biased by the leaf spring 423 in directions away from each other. As a result, the holding portion 41A is mounted and fixed to the support portion 42A.

[0083] On the other hand, when removing the holding part 41A from the support part 42A, the holding part 41A is rotated relative to the support part 42A in the opposite direction to that when it was attached, so as to align the phase of the first protrusion 412 with the entering part 422. Then, in this state, the holding part 41A is moved in the opposite direction to the insertion direction to pull out the protruding part 411 from the opening 420, thereby completing the removal operation of the holding part 41A from the support part 42A.

[0084] In the above description, the leaf spring 423 is provided in the support portion 42A, but it may be provided in the holding portion 41A. In this case, it is preferable to provide the leaf spring 423 on the upstream side of the first protrusion 412 in the insertion direction. In this way, the leaf spring 423 biases the first protrusion 412 and the second protrusion 421 in a direction separating them from each other while being positioned between them. That is, it is sufficient that the leaf spring 423 is provided in either the holding portion 41A or the support portion 42A.

[0085] The above-mentioned attachment and detachment operation of the holding part 41A to the support part 42A may be performed manually, but in this embodiment, it is performed automatically. When performing it manually, it is preferable to rotate the support mechanism 40B by the first rotation mechanism 50 to set the angle of the holding part 41A to an easy-to-grasp angle by hand. For example, the support mechanism 40B may be tilted so that the surface of the workpiece 201 faces upwards, with the center of rotation of the holding part 41A relative to the support part 42A being in the range of 30° to 60° with respect to the b-axis.

[0086] On the other hand, a case where the attachment / detachment operation is performed automatically will be described with reference to Figures 21 and 22. First, when removing the holding part 41A from the support part 42A, as shown in Figures 21A and B, the jig 210 is inserted into the jig hole 413 (see Figures 17A and 20A) formed in a part of the holding part 41A. At this time, the support mechanism 40B is rotated by the first rotation mechanism 50 so that the surface of the workpiece 201 faces the side opposite to the second rotation mechanism 60. In this case, it is preferable that the center of rotation of the holding part 41A with respect to the support part 42A is positioned on the b-axis.

[0087] In this state, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the second rotation mechanism 60 rotates the support mechanism 40B together with the first rotation mechanism 50 around the b-axis. At this time, the rotation of the holding part 41A is restricted by inserting the jig 210 into the hole 413. That is, the holding part 41A is in a state where the rotation is stopped by the jig 210. Therefore, the second rotation mechanism 60 rotates the support mechanism 40B around the b-axis, and the holding part 41A and the support part 42A rotate relatively. In addition, the rotation angle at this time is set to an angle at which the phases of the first protrusion 412 and the entry part 422 match. This allows the holding part 41A to be removed from the support part 42A.

[0088] On the other hand, when mounting the holding part 41A to the support part 42A, as shown in Figures 22A and B, the protrusion 411 of the holding part 41A is inserted into the opening 420 of the support part 42A. In addition, the rotation of the holding part 41A is restricted by the jig 210. Then, by rotating the second rotation mechanism 60 in the direction opposite to the above-mentioned case, the mounting state shown in Figures 21A and B can be achieved.

[0089] In the above description, the process of relatively rotating the holding portion 41A and the support portion 42A by the rotation of the second rotation mechanism 60 is automated (semi-automated), but the entire process of the attachment and detachment operation may be automated.

[0090] For example, the holding part 41A is grasped by a robot hand and moved toward the support part 42A, and the protrusion 411 of the holding part 41A is inserted into the opening 420 of the support part 42A. Then, in a state where the holding part 41A is grasped by the robot hand and the rotation of the holding part 41A is stopped, the second rotation mechanism 60 is rotated in the same manner as described above, so that the holding part 41A and the support part 42A are rotated relatively. When removing the holding part 41A, in a state where the holding part 41A is grasped by the robot hand and the rotation of the holding part 41A is stopped, the second rotation mechanism 60 is rotated in the opposite direction to that at the time of attachment. Then, the robot hand grasping the holding part 41A is moved in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. This allows the holding part 41A to be automatically attached to and detached from the support part 42A.

[0091] By using the rotation of the second rotation mechanism 60 in this way, the attachment and detachment operation of the holding part 41A and the support part 42A can be automated or semi-automated. As a result, the efficiency of work such as replacing the workpiece can be improved. Note that the rotation of the second rotation mechanism 60 may also be used when such attachment and detachment operation is performed manually.

[0092] <Third embodiment> The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 23 to 27. This embodiment relates to a configuration for clamping or unclamping a processing tool (hereinafter also referred to as a "tool" or a "cutting tool") to a spindle in a processing device (machine tool) such as those described in the first and second embodiments.

[0093] For example, when unclamping a tool from a spindle, a technique is known in which a fluid such as air or hydraulic oil is used to perform the unclamping (see JP 2018-1323 A).

[0094] In addition to the hydraulic method described in JP 2018-1323 A, air pressure may be used to unclamp the spindle chuck. In this type of mechanism, strong air pressure is required to open the spindle chuck against the force of the spring inside the spindle chuck. If you want to open the spindle chuck with weak air pressure, you need to weaken the spring force, but this will cause unnecessary trouble because the cutting tool cannot be firmly gripped during processing. During processing, it is desirable to close the spindle chuck with a strong spring to firmly grip the cutting tool, and after processing, to open the spindle chuck with strong air pressure and release the cutting tool. In this case, a booster valve may be used to increase the air pressure. The booster valve operates when the air pressure difference between the input and output is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and may not operate when the air pressure difference is less than the predetermined value.

[0095] This embodiment provides a technology that makes it easy to stabilize the output of the booster valve in a simple manner. That is, the processing device of this embodiment is a processing device that opens the chuck of the processing tool by a booster valve connected to an air compressor. In particular, before the chuck holds the processing tool, air is input to the chuck via the booster valve. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a processing device that makes it easy to clamp the tool by stabilizing the output of the booster valve in a simple manner, and makes it easy to perform stable processing.

[0096] Hereinafter, the processing apparatus 100A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 25. FIG. 23 is an external perspective view of the processing apparatus 100A according to this embodiment. A booster valve 90 is attached to an air compressor (not shown) that generates air, and the booster valve 90 causes a chuck (described later) to be in an unclamped state with the air whose pressure has been increased by the booster valve 90. An air pressure detection sensor 91 is provided downstream of the booster valve 90. The air pressure detection sensor 91 may be provided inside the machine tool in order to measure the degree of pressure applied to the chuck of the tool. As shown in FIG. 23, the processing apparatus 100A accommodates the processing apparatus main body in an exterior cover 101. The exterior cover 101 has an opening / closing door 102, and the workpiece can be replaced by opening the opening / closing door 102. In addition, the opening / closing door 102 is closed during processing of the workpiece. The opening and closing of the opening / closing door 102 is detected by a sensor (not shown).

[0097] The opening / closing door 102 is provided with a light-transmitting window 103. The opening / closing door 102 is configured such that an opening / closing rod 104 is connected to a portion where the window 103 is not provided, and the opening / closing door 102 opens slowly due to a shock absorber mechanism (not shown) provided on the opening / closing rod 104. This makes it easier for the opening / closing door 102 to be opened and closed, and also makes it difficult for a large impact to be transmitted to the window 103, making it difficult for the light-transmitting member provided on the window 103 to be broken.

[0098] 24A will be described. This figure shows the state before the tool is clamped, so the tool holder 113 and the spindle 110 are separated. The tool 114 is attached to the tool holder 113. Here, the spindle 110 is one structural example of the spindle 11 described above.

[0099] At this time, the distance between the spindle 110 and the flange portion of the tool holder 113 is represented by d1. The tool holder 113 is equipped with a pull stud 112, and the pull stud 112 is pulled in the thrust direction of the spindle 110 by a draw bar 111.

[0100] When pulling, the draw bar 111 hooks the claw of the draw bar 111 onto the protruding portion of the pull stud 112. Depending on the position of the draw bar 111, the tool is chucked.

[0101] Next, Fig. 24B will be described. This figure shows the state after the tool is clamped, so the tool holder 113 and the spindle 110 are in contact. As described above, the claws of the drawbar 111 are hooked onto the protruding portion of the pull stud 112. When air is blown out from the state shown in Fig. 24B, the drawbar 111 changes to the state shown in Fig. 24A, and the tool can be replaced.

[0102] 25, the electrical equipment unit 80 includes a CPU 85 as a calculation means, an input / output port (I / O) 86i, motor control units 84x, 84y, and 84z, a spindle control unit 84c, an a-axis control unit 84a, and a b-axis control unit 84b, etc. The CPU 85 performs various calculations using a memory 86m based on input data and signals.

[0103] The I / O 86i is connected to an air blow unit 87, a dust collector 88, and a tool length sensor 96 of the processing device body. The air blow unit 87 blows air onto a tool attached to the spindle 110 to cool the tool and remove chips attached to the tool. The chips removed from the tool and foreign matter such as chips present in the support mechanism 40 and the first rotating mechanism 50 (workpiece holding device) after processing are sucked by a chip suction unit 89 provided in the workpiece holding device and collected by the dust collector 88. The tool length sensor 96 is provided, for example, in the vicinity of the tool magazine 70 (support frame 53 of the first rotating mechanism 50 in the illustrated example) as shown in FIG. 1, and detects the length of the tool by a touch sensor method and sends a signal to the CPU 85. For example, the spindle is moved above the tool length sensor 96 with the tool chucked on the spindle, and the spindle is further lowered to bring the tip of the tool into contact with the tool length sensor 96, thereby detecting the length of the tool.

[0104] The motor control units 84x, 84y, and 84z provided in the CPU 85 drive the X, Y, and Z motors 21, 32, and 14 based on commands from the CPU 85. Each of the motors 21, 32, and 14 is provided with an encoder. The encoder detects, for example, the number of rotations, the rotation angle, and the rotation direction of the rotation shaft of each of the motors 21, 32, and 14. Then, it detects the amount (actual position) that each of the stages X, Y, and Z has actually moved by driving each of the motors 21, 32, and 14. The stage X corresponds to the part that moves the spindle 110 in the X-axis direction, the stage Y corresponds to the part that moves the workpiece holding device in the Y-axis direction, and the stage Z corresponds to the part that moves the spindle 110 in the Z-axis direction by driving the motors 21, 32, and 14, respectively.

[0105] The spindle control unit 84c controls the motor 13 (see FIG. 1) that rotates the spindle 110 to control the rotation speed of the spindle. The a- and b-axis control units 84a and 84b drive the a- and b-axis motors 54 and 62 based on commands from the CPU 85.

[0106] In this manner, the CPU 85 controls each part of the processing device body, whereby the workpiece W held as described above is subjected to a predetermined processing.

[0107] Fig. 26 shows a control flowchart for the processing device according to this embodiment. Each operation is executed by the CPU 85 reading a program into the memory 86m and calculating it. This processing device opens the chuck of the processing tool by using a booster valve 90 connected to an air compressor, and by inputting air to the chuck via the booster valve 90 before the chuck (draw bar 111) holds the processing tool, stable unclamping can be performed even when the booster valve 90 is used.

[0108] In detail, it may be executed by S11 to S22. An air pressure detection sensor 91 may be provided to detect the air pressure of the air through the booster valve 90, and air may be input to the chuck when the air pressure detected by the air pressure detection sensor 91 is lower than a predetermined air pressure. Since the air pressure is detected, it is possible to detect an excess or shortage of air more accurately and execute the process.

[0109] With reference to Fig. 26, a procedure for stabilizing the air pressure on the output side of the booster valve 90 when gripping a tool will be specifically described. When the spindle chuck opening process is started (START), the CPU 85 stores the start time of measurement in a variable that stores the elapsed time in order to measure the time that has elapsed from the spindle chuck closed state to the open state (S11). That is, the elapsed time is initialized. The CPU 85 then issues a chuck open command to the spindle (S12), and measures the elapsed time since the chuck open command was issued (S13). The elapsed time is measured, for example, by finding the difference between the start time of measurement and the current time.

[0110] Next, the CPU 85 checks whether the air pressure in the spindle chuck has reached a predetermined air pressure using an air pressure detection sensor 91 (not shown) (S14). If the predetermined air pressure has been reached in S14, the procedure for stabilizing the air pressure on the output side of the booster valve 90 ends normally (END). If the predetermined air pressure has not been reached in S14, it may take some time for the air pressure to increase, so an error is not immediately determined. Therefore, in order to wait until the air pressure increases to the predetermined pressure, it is checked whether the elapsed time measured in S13 has exceeded the predetermined time (S15).

[0111] If the predetermined time has not elapsed in S15, the process returns to S13 and the elapsed time is measured again. If the predetermined time has elapsed in S15, it is checked whether a predetermined time-out time has been exceeded (S16). If the predetermined time-out time has been exceeded in S16, error processing (S17) is executed and the procedure for stabilizing the air pressure of the booster valve 90 ends with an error (END). If the predetermined time-out time has not been exceeded in S16, it is checked whether the air bleeding operation has been performed (S18).

[0112] If the air bleeding operation has not been performed in S18, the CPU 85 closes the spindle chuck (S19), waits for a predetermined waiting time (S20), opens the chuck (S21), and waits for a predetermined waiting time (S22), and repeats S19 to S22 a predetermined number of times. As a result, when air leaks little by little on the output side of the booster valve 90 and the pressure difference between the input and output sides of the booster valve 90 is small, the air pressure on the output side of the booster valve 90 can be reduced, and the pressure difference between the input and output sides of the booster valve 90 becomes large, the booster valve 90 can be started again, and the air pressure on the output side can be made to reach a predetermined air pressure.

[0113] After the chuck opening and closing process, the process returns to S13 and the elapsed time is measured again. If the air bleeding operation has already been performed in S18, the process returns to S13 and the elapsed time is measured again.

[0114] Fig. 27 shows a control flowchart for selecting a tool. This is a processing device that processes a workpiece by replacing multiple processing tools, and when selecting and using one of the multiple processing tools, the processing tool to be used is determined based on the tool breakage detection of the multiple processing tools and the usage time. A processing device configured in this way can use the tools in a state more suitable for processing.

[0115] In detail, the tool to be used may be determined according to the flowcharts of S101 to S118. In FIG. 27, one tool is selected from five tools, but any number of tools may be selected as long as one tool is selected from a plurality of tools. Furthermore, by determining the tool to be used that is not broken and has been used for the shortest period of time, it becomes easier to finish the workpiece with higher precision. Each operation such as selection is performed by the CPU 85 as a control means, which loads a program into the memory 86m and performs calculations. The CPU 85 may function as a control means. Each operation may be performed in response to an instruction from an external PC or the like.

[0116] The procedure for selecting a tool will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 27. In this embodiment, four spare tools are prepared for one master tool in the tool selection. In Fig. 27, the master tool is T0, the spare tool 1 is T1, the spare tool 2 is T2, the spare tool 3 is T3, and the spare tool 4 is T4.

[0117] When the tool selection process is started (START), the value of the T code is stored as the tool number specified in the NC file (S101). Then, it is confirmed whether the value of the T code is a master tool or not (S102).

[0118] If the specified tool number matches that of the master tool in S102, the tool number in the master tool group is obtained (S103). This corresponds to T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4 mentioned above. Then, to check for available tools in turn from the total of five tools, the repeat variable i is initialized (S104).

[0119] In the subsequent processing, selectable tools are investigated. First, it is confirmed whether Ti is not a broken tool (S105). If Ti is not a broken tool in S105, it is confirmed whether the usage time of Ti is less than the allowable time (less than a specified time) (S106). If Ti's usage time is less than the allowable time in S106, it is confirmed whether Ti is a tool that has been detected (stored) in the tool magazine (ATC magazine) 70 (see FIG. 1, etc.) (S107). If Ti is a tool that has been detected in S107, Ti is selected as the tool to be used (S108), and the tool selection processing ends (end).

[0120] Furthermore, if the result is NO in S105, S106, and S107, the following processing is executed. If Ti is a broken tool in S105, 1 is added to the repetition variable i (S109). If the usage time of Ti is equal to or longer than the allowable time in S106, 1 is added to the repetition variable i (S109). If the tool is not detected in S107, 1 is added to the repetition variable i (S109). After these processing, if the repetition variable i is 4 or less in S110, the process moves to S105 to check for the next tool. If the repetition variable i is greater than 4 in S110, the repetition variable j is initialized (S111).

[0121] From this point onwards, the processing after S111 will be explained. If it has reached this point, it means that the originally sought tool in a normal state (not broken, usage time is less than the allowable time, and already stored in the ATC magazine) was not found. Therefore, as a second best solution, it is assumed that the usage time is allowable, and a tool that meets the other conditions (not broken, already stored in the ATC magazine) is searched for in order from T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4.

[0122] First, it is confirmed whether Tj is a broken tool or not (S112). If it is determined in S112 that Tj is not a broken tool, it is confirmed whether Tj is a tool that has already been detected (stored) or not (S113). If it is determined in S113 that Tj is a tool that has already been detected, Tj is selected as the tool to be used (S114), and the process ends (END).

[0123] If Tj is a broken tool in S112, or if Tj is an undetected tool in S113, 1 is added to the repetition variable j (S115). If the repetition variable j is 4 or less in S116, the process moves to S112 to search for the next tool. If the repetition variable j is more than 4 in S116, an error process is executed (S117) since a usable tool could not be found, and the tool selection process ends with an error (END).

[0124] Furthermore, if the specified tool number does not match the master tool number in S102, the value of the T code is stored as the tool to be used (S118), and the tool selection process ends (END).

[0125] In addition, when miniaturizing a 5-axis machining center that rotates a workpiece about the a-axis and the b-axis, the following features may be used: The Y-axis movement mechanism and the Z-axis movement mechanism are provided along a frame extending in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and when the a-axis is not tilted in the Z-axis direction, the rotation axis of the b-axis is located below the part of the frame that extends in the Y-axis direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0126] The processing device according to the present invention is suitable for use as a processing device for processing dental prostheses, and as a processing device for performing processing such as cutting on objects to be processed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1···Frame (first frame) / 2···Base (second frame) / 3a···First surface (first surface) / 4a···Second surface (second surface) / 10···First moving mechanism (Z-axis moving mechanism) / 11···Main spindle / 12···Processing tool / 20···Second moving mechanism (X-axis moving mechanism) / 30···Third moving mechanism (Y-axis moving mechanism) / 40, 40A, 40B···Support mechanism / 41, 41A···Holding part / 42, 42A···Support part / 43a, 43b, 43c···Pressing part / 50···First rotating mechanism (A-axis rotating mechanism) / 60···Second rotating mechanism (B-axis rotating mechanism) / 70···Tool magazine (work tool holding portion) / 72···first row / 72a···first tool placement portion / 73···second row / 73a···second tool placement portion / 74···first arm portion (first swing portion) / 75···first detection portion / 76···second arm portion (second swing portion) / 77···second detection portion / 85···CPU (control means) / 100, 100A···processing device / 201, W···workpiece (object to be processed) / 410···main body portion / 411···projection portion / 412···first projection / 420···opening portion / 421···second projection / 422···entrance portion / 423···leaf spring (urging portion) / c···connection position / P···plane

Claims

[Claim 1] A processing apparatus including a first frame having a first surface along a Z-axis direction and a second surface along a Y-axis direction, an X-axis movement mechanism and a Z-axis movement mechanism provided on the first surface side of the first frame; a Y-axis movement mechanism provided on the second surface side of the first frame; a second frame supporting the first frame from the second surface side of the first frame; an A-axis rotation mechanism, a B-axis rotation mechanism, and a support mechanism for supporting a workpiece, which are moved by the Y-axis movement mechanism; the Y-axis moving mechanism is provided below the first frame in the Z-axis direction and in a space formed by the second frame; the first frame supports the X-axis movement mechanism, the Y-axis movement mechanism, and the Z-axis movement mechanism; the Y-axis moving mechanism has a guide shaft that guides the support mechanism in the Y-axis direction, A processing apparatus, characterized in that in the Y-axis direction, the length from one end where the second frame supports the first frame to the other end opposite the one end is longer than the guide shaft.