Tool holders and tool posts for machine tools

Abstract

To increase degrees of freedom of processing on a work while suppressing costs from rising.SOLUTION: A cutter holder (3) for machine tool comprises a bite holder 31 which has a plurality of parallel bite fixation grooves 33 capable of fixing a shank 41 of a bite 40 and a tool holder 5 which holds a tool 60 processing a work W1 gripped on a main spindle 11 rotatable on a main spindle center line AX0. The tool holder 5 comprises a handle part 50 fixed to the bite fixation groove 33 and a holding part 54. The holding part 54 holds at least one of a rotary tool and a non-rotary tool having a processing axis AX4 along the main spindle center line AX0 as a tool 60 for processing with the processing axis AX4 in center.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool holder that holds a tool for machining a workpiece gripped by a spindle, and a tool rest for a machine tool.

Background Art

[0002] As a machine tool, an NC (numerical control) lathe is known that includes a comb-shaped tool rest on which a plurality of inserts for cutting a workpiece gripped by a spindle rotatable about a spindle center line are mounted in parallel. The above-mentioned comb-shaped tool rest includes a tool rest body and a tool holder having a plurality of parallel insert fixing grooves capable of fixing the shanks of the inserts. The direction of the central axis of each insert fixing groove is a direction orthogonal to the spindle center line, for example, a direction along the X axis. The plurality of insert fixing grooves are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the spindle center line and the central axis of each insert fixing groove, for example, a direction along the Y axis. Patent Document 1 discloses an NC lathe equipped with a comb-shaped tool rest as described above.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a rotary tool, a drilling tool, or a tap is used for machining a workpiece gripped by a spindle, it is conceivable to attach a rotary tool or the like to a sleeve holder or a swivel unit attached to the tool rest body separately from the tool holder. However, attaching a sleeve holder or a swivel unit to the tool rest body leads to an increase in the size of the tool rest and also an increase in the cost of the tool rest. In addition, the above problems exist not only in lathes but also in various machine tools such as machining centers.

[0005] This invention discloses a technology that can improve the degree of freedom in processing a workpiece while suppressing cost increases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The tool holder of the present invention is used in a machine tool equipped with a tool holder having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves capable of fixing the shank of a tool, and is a tool holder for holding a tool for machining a workpiece held on a spindle that is rotatable about the spindle centerline, The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The device comprises a holding part for holding a rotary tool as the tool used for machining, with the machining axis as the center. 、 The holding portion holds the rotary tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the tool fixing groove. It has the characteristics of having such characteristics. Furthermore, the tool holder of the present invention is used in a machine tool equipped with a tool holder having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves capable of fixing the shank of a cutting tool, and is a tool holder for holding a tool for machining a workpiece held by a spindle that is rotatable about the spindle centerline, The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The tool used for machining around the machining axis comprises a rotating tool and a non-rotating tool whose machining axis is aligned with the spindle centerline, and a holding portion that holds at least one of these. The holding portion holds the tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the tool fixing groove, The tool holder mentioned above is A connecting portion that moves the holding portion further away from a position on the machining axis that overlaps with the extension of the tool fixing groove, with the workpiece before machining held on the main spindle as the starting point, and further comprising a connecting portion that connects the handle portion to the holding portion, The holding portion has an configuration in which it holds the tool such that the tip of the tool is closer to the holding portion than the workpiece before machining is gripped by the main spindle, with the workpiece being held as the base point.

[0007] Furthermore, the tool post for machine tools of the present invention is A tool holder having multiple parallel tool fixing grooves capable of securing the shank of a tool, It comprises a tool holder that holds a tool for machining a workpiece gripped by a spindle that is rotatable about the center line of the spindle, The tool holder mentioned above is The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The device comprises a holding part for holding a rotary tool as the tool used for machining, with the machining axis as the center. 、 The holding portion holds the rotary tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the tool fixing groove. It has the characteristics of having such characteristics. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that improves the degree of freedom in processing a workpiece while suppressing cost increases. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view showing an example of a machine tool configuration. [Figure 2] This is a schematic right side view illustrating the main components of a tool post for a machine tool. [Figure 3] This is a schematic right-side view illustrating an example of attaching a tool holder to a tool holder. [Figure 4] This is a schematic rear view illustrating the essential parts of a tool post for a machine tool. [Figure 5] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the main components of a machine tool. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Of course, the following embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention, and not all of the features shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0011] (1) Summary of the technology included in the present invention: First, the outline of the technology included in the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. It should be noted that the drawings of the present application are schematic diagrams showing examples, and the magnification ratios in each direction shown in these drawings may be different, and the drawings may not be consistent. Of course, each element of this technology is not limited to the specific examples indicated by the reference numerals.

[0012] [Aspect 1] A tool holder 5 according to one aspect of the present technology is used in a machine tool (for example, a lathe 1) including a tool holder 31 having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves 33 capable of fixing the shank 41 of a tool bit 40, and holds a tool 60 for machining a workpiece W1 gripped by a spindle 11 rotatable about a spindle center line AX0. The tool holder 5 includes a shank portion 50 fixed to the tool fixing groove 33 and a holding portion 54. The holding portion 54 holds at least one of a rotary tool and a non-rotary tool with the machining axis AX4 along the spindle center line AX0 as the tool 60 for machining about the machining axis AX4.

[0013] When the above-described tool holder 5 is used in a machine tool (1), in addition to the tool bit 40 fixed to the tool holder 31, the workpiece W1 can be machined with the tool 60 (at least one of a rotary tool and a non-rotary tool with the machining axis AX4 along the spindle center line AX0) held by the tool holder 5 fixed to the tool holder 31. Therefore, the above Aspect ① can provide a tool holder that improves the degree of freedom in machining a workpiece while suppressing cost increase.

[0014] Here, the workpiece gripped by the spindle may be held by a guide bush. The tool includes what is called a tool unit that can be easily attached to and detached from the holder. A rotary tool means a tool that rotates itself about a machining axis by a power source. The rotary tool includes a rotary drill, an end mill, a polygon cutter, and the like. The non-rotary tools with the machining axis along the spindle center line include drills, reamers, taps, and the like. The machining axis refers to the center of rotation of the rotating tool if the tool is a rotary tool, and to the center of rotation of the machining process caused by the rotation of the workpiece around the spindle centerline if the tool is a non-rotating tool. The machining axis of a non-rotating tool may or may not coincide with the spindle centerline. The above-mentioned supplementary statement also applies in the following embodiments.

[0015] [Aspect 2] As illustrated in Figures 2-5, the holding portion 54 may hold the tool 60 having the machining axis AX4 oriented in a direction different from that of the tool fixing groove 33 (for example, the direction of the center line AX3). This allows machining of the workpiece W1 to be performed with the machining axis AX4 oriented in a direction different from that of the tool fixing groove 33. Therefore, this embodiment can further improve the degree of freedom in machining the workpiece.

[0016] [Aspect 3] As illustrated in Figure 5, the tool holder 5 is a connecting portion 53 that moves the holding portion 54 further away from the intersection point P1 that coincides with the extension portion 34 of the cutting tool fixing groove 33 on the machining axis AX4, with the workpiece W1 before machining, gripped by the spindle 11, as the starting point. The holding portion 54 may further include a connecting portion 53 that connects the handle portion 50 to the holding portion 54. The holding portion 54 may hold the tool 60 such that the tip 63 of the tool 60 is closer to the holding portion 54 than the workpiece W1 before machining, gripped by the spindle 11, as the starting point. With the workpiece W1 before machining as the reference point, the holding portion 54 is located further away from the intersection point P1, and with the workpiece W1 before machining as the reference point, the tip 63 of the tool 60 is located closer to the holding portion 54. As a result, the moment applied to the tip 63 of the tool 60 with respect to the handle portion 50 fixed to the tool fixing groove 33 can be reduced. Therefore, the above embodiment 3 can provide a suitable example for machining a workpiece with high precision.

[0017] [Aspect 4] The orientation of the machining axis AX4 may be perpendicular to the arrangement surface 31a having the plurality of tool fixing grooves 33 in the tool holder 31. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the tool fixing groove 33 may have a bottom surface 33a that is narrower than the opening 33o in the cross-section of the tool fixing groove 33, a first inner surface 33b that is in contact with the handle portion 50, and a second inner surface 33c opposite to the first inner surface 33b. The tool holder 31 may include a tool holder body 32 having the plurality of tool fixing grooves 33, and a clamp piece 35 that fixes the handle portion 50 to the tool fixing groove 33 by being attached to the tool holder body 32 with a part (e.g., a wedge portion 36) inserted between the second inner surface 33c and the handle portion 50. The handle portion 50 may have a first outer surface 51 that is in contact with the first inner surface 33b, and a second outer surface 52 opposite to the first outer surface 51. When the tool holder 5 attached to the tool fixing groove 33 is projected onto a virtual plane PL1 along the arrangement surface 31a, the machining axis AX4 may be positioned closer to the extension line 52a of the second outer surface 52 than to the extension line 51a of the first outer surface 51.

[0018] As described above, the space SP1 which becomes the extension portion 34 of the clamp piece 35 in the virtual plane PL1 is effectively utilized. Therefore, embodiment 4 can provide a suitable example of fixing a tool holder to a tool fixing groove. Here, "first," "second," ... in this application are terms used to identify each component included in a group of similar components, and do not imply any order. This supplementary statement also applies to the following embodiments.

[0019] [Aspect 5] Furthermore, a tool post for a machine tool (for example, tool post 3) according to one aspect of this technology includes a tool holder 31 having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves 33 for fixing the shank 41 of a cutting tool 40, and a tool holder 5 for holding a tool 60 for machining a workpiece W1 held by a spindle 11 that is rotatable about the spindle centerline AX0. The tool holder 5 includes a handle portion 50 fixed to the tool fixing grooves 33 and a holding portion 54. The holding portion 54 holds at least one of the tools 60 for machining about the machining axis AX4, which is a rotary tool and a non-rotating tool whose machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0.

[0020] When the above-described tool post (3) for machine tools is used with the machine tool (1), the workpiece W1 can be machined not only with the cutting tool 40 fixed to the cutting tool holder 31, but also with tools 60 held in the tool holder 5 fixed to the cutting tool holder 31 (at least one of a rotary tool and a non-rotating tool whose machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0). Therefore, the above embodiment 5 can provide a tool post for machine tools that improves the degree of freedom in machining the workpiece while suppressing cost increases.

[0021] (2) Specific examples of machine tool configurations: Figure 1 is a schematic front view illustrating the configuration of a lathe 1 as an example of a machine tool. In Figure 1, the position of the tool post 3 located in front of the workpiece W1 is indicated by a dashed line. Figure 2 is a schematic right side view illustrating the main part of the tool post 3 as an example of a tool post for a machine tool. In Figure 2, the position of the cutting tool 40 attached to the cutting tool holder 31 is indicated by a dashed line. Figure 3 is a schematic right side view illustrating how the tool holder 5 is attached to the cutting tool holder 31. In Figure 3, the mounting position of the clamp piece 35 and the extension lines 51a and 52a are indicated by dashed lines. Figure 4 is a schematic rear view illustrating the main part of the tool post 3. Figure 5 is a schematic top view illustrating the main part of the lathe 1. The upper part of Figure 5 shows a view of the holding part 54 of the tool holder 5 from the left. In Figures 4 and 5, the position of the tool post body 30 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0022] In Figures 1-5, the symbol D81 indicates the upward direction, D82 indicates the downward direction, D83 indicates the left direction, D84 indicates the right direction, D85 indicates the forward direction, and D86 indicates the backward direction. These directions are based on the viewing direction of the lathe 1 shown in Figure 1. The control axes of the lathe 1 include the X-axis, indicated by "X", the Y-axis, indicated by "Y", and the Z-axis, indicated by "Z". The Z-axis direction is the horizontal direction along the spindle centerline AX0, which is the rotation center of the workpiece W1. The X-axis direction is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the Z-axis. The Y-axis direction is the vertical direction perpendicular to the Z-axis. Note that the Z-axis and X-axis do not need to be perpendicular as long as they intersect, the Z-axis and Y-axis do not need to be perpendicular as long as they intersect, and the X-axis and Y-axis do not need to be perpendicular as long as they intersect. Furthermore, the drawings referenced in this specification are merely examples to illustrate this technology and do not limit it. The explanation of the positional relationships of each part is for illustrative purposes only. Therefore, reversing left and right, or reversing the direction of rotation, etc., are also included in this technology. Identicality in direction, position, etc., is not limited to strict agreement, but includes deviations from strict agreement due to errors.

[0023] The lathe 1 shown in Figure 1 is an NC lathe equipped with a headstock 10 with a spindle 11 having a gripping part 12, a headstock drive unit 13, a support base 25 having mounting holes 26 for guide bushes 14, a tool post 3, a tool post drive unit 27, an NC device 90, etc. The NC device 90 controls the machining of the workpiece W1 by interpreting and executing a machining program created by the operator. Here, the headstock 10 is a general term for the front headstock 15 and the rear headstock 20, also called the opposing headstock. The front headstock 15 incorporates a front spindle 16 having a gripping part 17 such as a collet. The rear headstock 20 incorporates a rear spindle 21 having a gripping part 22 such as a collet. The spindle 11 is a general term for the front spindle 16 and the rear spindle 21, also called the opposing spindle. The gripping part 12 is a general term for the gripping part 17 and the gripping part 22. The headstock drive unit 13 collectively refers to the front headstock drive unit 18, which moves the front headstock 15 along the Z-axis, and the rear headstock drive unit 23, which moves the rear headstock 20 along at least the Z-axis. The lathe 1 shown in Figure 1 is a spindle-moving type lathe in which the front spindle 16 moves in the Z-axis direction.

[0024] The front spindle 16 grips a rod-shaped workpiece W1 inserted from the rear by a material feeder (not shown) with a gripping part 17 so as to be able to release it, and is rotatable together with the workpiece W1 around the spindle centerline AX1. The front end 16a of the front spindle 16 faces the rear spindle 21, and the rear end 16b of the front spindle 16 faces the material feeder. The front spindle 16 has a through hole 16h that penetrates along the spindle centerline AX1. The workpiece W1 is inserted into the through hole 16h from the rear. If the workpiece W1 before processing is a short material, the workpiece W1 may be supplied to the gripping part 17 from the front end 16a of the front spindle 16. The NC device 90 controls the rotation of the front spindle 16 around the spindle centerline AX1 and the gripping state of the gripping part 17. The gripping part 17 can be made of, for example, a collet. The front headstock drive unit 18 moves the front headstock 15 in the Z-axis direction according to commands from the NC device 90. Consequently, the workpiece W1 held by the front spindle 16 moves in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the rod-shaped workpiece W1 is not limited to solid materials such as long cylindrical materials, but may also be hollow materials such as long cylindrical materials.

[0025] The front end 21a of the rear spindle 21 faces the front end 16a of the front spindle 16. The rear spindle 21 grips the workpiece W1, which is being machined and extends forward from the front end 16a of the front spindle 16, in a way that allows it to be released by the gripping part 22, and is rotatable together with the workpiece W1 around the spindle centerline AX2. The NC device 90 controls the rotation of the rear spindle 21 around the spindle centerline AX2 and the gripping state of the gripping part 22. The gripping part 22 can be made up of, for example, a collet. The rear headstock drive unit 23 moves the rear headstock 20 in the Z-axis direction, and further in the X-axis direction or Y-axis direction, according to commands from the NC device 90. When both the front spindle 16 and the rear spindle 21 grip the workpiece W1, the spindle centerline AX2 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX1. Here, the spindle centerline AX0 refers collectively to the spindle centerlines AX1 and AX2. Furthermore, for the front spindle 16, "forward" means the direction in which the workpiece W1 is pushed out from the front spindle 16, which in the example shown in Figure 1 is the rightward direction D84. For the rear spindle 21, "forward" means the direction in which the rear spindle 21 moves toward the front spindle 16, which in the example shown in Figure 1 is the leftward direction D83.

[0026] The support base 25 is located between the front headstock 15 and the rear headstock 20 in the Z-axis direction and has a mounting hole 26 that penetrates in the Z-axis direction. When using a guide bush as shown in Figure 1, the guide bush 14 is inserted into the mounting hole 26 and removably attached to the support base 25. The guide bush 14 supports the workpiece W1 that protrudes forward from the through hole 16h of the front spindle 16 so that it can slide in the Z-axis direction. The portion of the workpiece W1 that protrudes from the guide bush 14 toward the rear spindle 21 (to the right, D84) is machined by a tool, for example, the cutting tool 40 or tool 60 shown in Figure 2. When the guide bush is not used, the front part of the front spindle 16 is inserted into the mounting hole 26. The portion of the workpiece W1 that protrudes forward (to the right, D84) from the front spindle 16 is machined by a tool.

[0027] (3) Specific examples of tool posts for machine tools: As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the tool post 3 includes a tool post body 30, a tool holder 31, and a tool holder 5. The tool post body 30 moves in the X-axis and Y-axis directions by the tool post drive unit 27 shown in Figure 1. The tool post drive unit 27 includes an X-axis drive unit that moves the tool post 3 along the X-axis according to a command from the NC device 90, and a Y-axis drive unit that moves the tool post 3 along the Y-axis according to a command from the NC device 90. The tool post 3 performs front machining of the workpiece W1 held on the front spindle 16 using at least one of the tool bit 40 and the tool 60, and cuts the workpiece W1 after front machining, which is held on both the front spindle 16 and the rear spindle 21, using a parting tool. The parting tool may be mounted on the tool holder 31. The tool post 3 may also perform back machining of the workpiece W1 after parting, which is held on the rear spindle 21, using at least one of the tool bit 40 and the tool 60. This allows the product to be formed from the workpiece W1. Although not shown in the diagram, the lathe 1 may be equipped with a tool post other than the tool post 3 shown in Figure 1, such as a tool post specifically for back machining.

[0028] The tool holder 31 has a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves 33 on its mounting surface 31a that can secure the shank 41 of the tool 40, and includes a tool holder body 32 and a plurality of clamp pieces 35. The tool post 3 equipped with the tool holder 31 can be described as a comb-shaped tool post. The tool holder body 32 has the aforementioned multiple tool fixing grooves 33 and is attached to the tool post body 30 with multiple screws SC1. The tool holder body 32 has screw insertion holes that connect the bottom surface 33a to the back surface 32b of the tool fixing groove 33, corresponding to the position of each screw SC1. The tool post body 30 has screw holes corresponding to the position of each screw insertion hole. The operator can attach the tool holder body 32, with its back surface 32b facing the tool post body 30, to the tool post body 30 by passing each screw SC1 through the aforementioned screw insertion holes and screwing them into the aforementioned screw holes. The placement surface 31a of the tool holder 31 is on the opposite side from the back surface 32b of the tool holder body 32 and can be said to be the surface of the tool holder body 32.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the center of the tool fixing groove 33 line AX3 is aligned with the X-axis. Here, the center line AX3 is the center position of the bottom surface 33a of the tool fixing groove 33. Multiple tool fixing grooves 33 are arranged in the Y-axis direction. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each tool fixing groove 33 has a bottom surface 33a that is narrower than the opening 33o in its cross-section, a first inner surface 33b perpendicular to the bottom surface 33a, and a second inner surface 33c opposite to the first inner surface 33b. Here, the shape of the cross-section of the tool fixing groove 33 corresponds to the shape of the tool fixing groove 33 shown in Figure 4. The first inner surface 33b contacts the shank 41 of the tool 40 or the handle portion 50 of the tool holder 5. The second inner surface 33c has an inclined surface that moves away from the first inner surface 33b as it approaches the opening 33o, and contacts the wedge-shaped clamp piece 35.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the clamp piece 35 is equipped with a wedge portion 36 that is inserted into the tool fixing groove 33. The wedge portion 36 is a wedge-shaped part of the clamp piece 35 that narrows as it approaches the bottom surface 33a of the tool fixing groove 33. When the shank 41 of the tool 40 is fixed in the tool fixing groove 33, the clamp piece 35 is attached to the tool holder body 32 with multiple screws SC2 with the wedge portion 36 positioned between the second inner surface 33c and the shank 41, thereby fixing the shank 41 to the tool fixing groove 33. In this state, the shank 41 is separated from the second inner surface 33c and is pressed against the first inner surface 33b by the clamp piece 35. As shown in Figure 2, the cutting edge 42 of the tool 40 is at the tip of the surface of the tool 40 that is in contact with the clamp piece 35. When the handle portion 50 of the tool holder 5 is fixed to the tool fixing groove 33, the clamp piece 35 is attached to the tool holder body 32 with multiple screws SC2, with the wedge portion 36 positioned between the second inner surface 33c and the handle portion 50, thereby fixing the handle portion 50 to the tool fixing groove 33. The clamp piece 35 has screw insertion holes 35a that connect from the front to the back side, corresponding to the position of each screw SC2. The tool holder body 32 has screw holes 32a that correspond to the position of each screw insertion hole 35a. When the operator passes each screw SC2 through the screw insertion hole 35a and screws it into the screw hole 32a, the clamp piece 35 with the wedge portion 36 inserted into the tool fixing groove 33 can be attached to the tool holder body 32.

[0031] By the way, if it is not possible to attach rotary tools, drilling tools, taps, etc. to the tool holder 31, it is conceivable to attach rotary tools, etc. to a sleeve holder or swivel unit attached separately to the tool post body 30. However, attaching a sleeve holder or swivel unit to the tool post body 30 would lead to an increase in the size of the tool post 3, which would also lead to an increase in the cost of the tool post 3. Therefore, in this specific example, a tool holder 5 is attached to the tool holder 31 to hold at least one of a rotary tool and a non-rotating tool whose machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the tool post 3 and reducing the cost increase of the tool post 3.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2-5, the tool holder 5 includes a handle portion 50 fixed to the cutting tool fixing groove 33, a holding portion 54 that detachably holds the tool 60 used for machining around the machining axis AX4, and a connecting portion 53 that connects the handle portion 50 to the holding portion 54. As shown in Figure 3, the tool holder 5 and the cutting tool 40 can be interchangeably attached to the cutting tool fixing groove 33. This is true for all cutting tool fixing grooves 33 shown in Figure 2. Therefore, it is also possible to attach the tool holder 5 to two or more of the multiple cutting tool fixing grooves 33 provided in the cutting tool holder 31. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide two handle portions 50 to a single tool holder 5 and fix the two handle portions 50 to two cutting tool fixing grooves 33. Furthermore, the holding portion 54 of a single tool holder 5 may detachably hold two or more tools 60. That is, in a single tool holder 5, the holding portion 54 may detachably hold two or more rotary tools, or the machining axis AX4 may detachably hold two or more non-rotary tools aligned with the spindle centerline AX0, or the machining axis AX4 may simultaneously hold one or more rotary tools and one or more non-rotary tools aligned with the spindle centerline AX0.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tool 60 held by the holding unit 54 is a tool unit comprising a body 61 that supports a cutting edge 62 that processes around the machining axis AX4. The tool 60 shown in Figures 4 and 5 is a rotary drill unit comprising a body 61 that supports a cutting edge 62 that can rotate around the machining axis AX4. The body 61 is held by the holding unit 54 and supports a cutting edge 62 that rotates with power from a drive source (not shown), such as an air source or an electric motor. Note that the tool 60 as a rotary tool is not limited to a rotary drill, but may also be an end mill, polygon cutter, etc. The tool unit 5 that holds the rotary tool is positioned as an adapter for attaching a tool unit with milling functionality, such as an electric spindle or an air spindle. The machining axis AX4 of the rotary tool means the rotation center of the rotary tool. In addition, the tool 60 may also be a non-rotating tool such as a drilling tool, tap, boring tool, boring tool, etc., where the machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0. Examples of drilling tools include drills and taps. The machining axis AX4 of a non-rotating tool represents the rotational center of machining caused by the rotation of the workpiece W1 around the spindle centerline AX0. The machining axis AX4 of a non-rotating tool may be aligned with the spindle centerline AX0, or it may be offset from the spindle centerline AX0. For example, by rotating the tool post 3 in accordance with the rotation of the workpiece W1 around the spindle centerline AX0, it is possible to perform eccentric machining where the machining axis AX4 is offset from the spindle centerline AX0.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the handle portion 50 has a first outer surface 51 that contacts the first inner surface 33b of the tool fixing groove 33, and a second outer surface 52 opposite to the first outer surface 51. The first outer surface 51 of the handle portion 50 fixed to the tool fixing groove 33 is perpendicular to the bottom surface 33a of the tool fixing groove 33. The second outer surface 52 is parallel to the first outer surface 51 and contacts the wedge portion 36 of the clamp piece 35. The clamp piece 35 is attached to the tool holder body 32 with the wedge portion 36 positioned between the second inner surface 33c and the handle portion 50, thereby fixing the handle portion 50 to the tool fixing groove 33. In this state, the handle portion 50 is separated from the second inner surface 33c and pressed against the first inner surface 33b by the clamp piece 35.

[0035] The holding part 54 shown in Figures 4 and 5 includes a holding part body 55 and a clamping ring 56. The holding part body 55 has a through hole 55h through which the tool 60 can pass along the machining axis AX4. The clamping ring 56 is fixed to the outer circumference of the body 61 of the tool 60 with a screw SC3 and attached to the holding part body 55 with multiple screws SC4. The operator simply needs to position the clamping ring 56 on the outer circumference of the body 61 so that the cutting edge (tip 63 of the blade 62) of the tool 60 is in the set position, fix it with the screw SC3, pass the rear of the body 61 through the through hole 55h, and attach the clamping ring 56 to the holding part body 55 with multiple screws SC4. This holds the tool 60 in the holding part 54 so that the tip 63 is in the set position.

[0036] The holding part 54 shown in Figures 2-5 holds the tool 60 such that the orientation of the machining axis AX4 is perpendicular to the arrangement surface 31a having multiple tool fixing grooves 33 in the tool holder 31. Therefore, the holding part 54 holds the tool 60 having a machining axis AX4 that is oriented differently from the orientation of the center line AX3 of the tool fixing groove 33. Note that the orientation of the machining axis AX4 in the tool 60 as a rotary tool is not limited to being perpendicular to the center line AX3, but may be oriented differently from the center line AX3 and the spindle center line AX0. In this case, machining can be performed on the workpiece W1 with the machining axis AX4 oriented differently from the orientation of the tool fixing groove 33, thus improving the degree of freedom in machining the workpiece W1. line Orientation aligned with AX3 is also acceptable. In the non-rotating tool 60, the orientation of the machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0. Even in this case, machining can be performed on the workpiece W1 with the machining axis AX4 oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the tool fixing groove 33, thus improving the degree of freedom in machining the workpiece W1.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the connecting portion 53 from the handle portion 50 to the holding portion 54 is positioned so that the holding portion 54 is further away from the intersection point P1, which coincides with the extension portion 34 of the tool fixing groove 33 on the machining axis AX4, with the workpiece W1 before machining, which is gripped by the spindle 11 (see Figure 1), as the starting point. The connecting portion 53 shown in Figure 5 is a plate-like shape that is roughly triangular in plan view, extending to the right D84 from the handle portion 50 which is integrated along the X-axis, and extending towards the front D85 from the holding portion body 55 which is integrated along the Z-axis. Here, the rightward direction D84 is the direction away from the workpiece W1 before machining, which is gripped by the spindle 11, and the frontward direction D85 is the direction away from the spindle centerline AX0.

[0038] When the orientation of the machining axis AX4 differs from the orientation of the center line AX3 of the tool fixing groove 33, such as when the machining axis AX4 is perpendicular to the center line AX3 of the tool fixing groove 33, a large moment is applied to the tool holder 5 when the tool 60 machines the workpiece W1. In this specific example, the tool holder 5 is equipped with a connecting portion 53 that is approximately triangular in plan view, so that it exhibits high rigidity against the moment even when the orientation of the machining axis AX4 differs from the orientation of the center line AX3 of the tool fixing groove 33. As a result, the workpiece W1 can be machined with high precision.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the holding portion 54 holds the tool 60 such that the tip 63 of the tool 60 is closer to the holding portion 54 than to the workpiece W1 before machining, which is gripped by the spindle 11, as the base point. As a result, the tip 63 of the tool 60 is located close to the extended portion 34 of the tool fixing groove 33. Preferably, the tip 63 of the tool 60 is located approximately at the intersection of the extended surface of the arrangement surface 31a having multiple tool fixing grooves 33 in the tool holder 31 and the machining axis AX4. This minimizes the moment generated in the tool holder 5 when the tool 60 machines the workpiece W1, allowing the tool holder 5 to exhibit high rigidity while machining the workpiece W1 with high precision.

[0040] Here, as shown in Figure 4, we assume a virtual plane PL1 along the arrangement surface 31a of the tool holder 31, which has multiple tool fixing grooves 33. As shown in Figure 3, when the tool holder 5 attached to the tool fixing grooves 33 is projected onto the virtual plane PL1, the machining axis AX4 is located closer to the extension line 52a of the second outer surface 52 of the handle portion 50 than to the extension line 51a of the first outer surface 51 of the handle portion 50. As a result, in the virtual plane PL1, the arrangement of the holding portion 54 is biased towards the clamp piece 35 that is in contact with the handle portion 50. Therefore, the tool holder 5 in this specific example can effectively utilize the space SP1 which becomes the extension portion 34 of the clamp piece 35 in the virtual plane PL1.

[0041] The tool holder 5, equipped with the holding portion 54 described above, does not interfere with the cutting tool 40 fixed in the adjacent cutting tool fixing groove 33 in the cutting tool holder 31. Furthermore, by design considerations such as changing the cutting tool pitch, it is possible to ensure that the tool holders 5 do not interfere with each other even when a tool holder 5 is fixed to each of multiple adjacent cutting tool fixing grooves 33. In this case, the tool holder 5 can be fixed to each of multiple adjacent cutting tool fixing grooves 33, and the workpiece W1 can be machined using the tools 60 held in the holding portion 54 of each tool holder 5. As illustrated above, the tool post 3 in this specific example allows for a wide variety of machining operations without reducing the number of tools that can be attached.

[0042] Furthermore, the tool holder 31 is designed so that the tool 40 is fixed with its cutting edge 42 aligned approximately with the extension line 52a. Therefore, the tool holder 31 is designed to exhibit the highest rigidity and achieve high-precision machining when the machining point of the workpiece W1 is approximately on the extension line 52a. In the virtual plane PL1, because the machining axis AX4 is located close to the extension line 52a, the tool holder 3 can exhibit high rigidity while the tool 60 can machine the workpiece W1 with high precision. Moreover, since the machining point (tip 63) of the tool 60 can be made to approximately coincide with the machining point (cutting edge 42) of the tool 40 that was fixed in the tool fixing groove 33, the machining conditions can be easily set even when the object to be fixed in the tool fixing groove 33 is changed from the tool 40 to the tool holder 5, or from the tool holder 5 to the tool 40.

[0043] When the tool post 3 equipped with the tool holder 5 described above is used in the lathe 1, the workpiece W1 can be machined not only with the cutting tool 40 fixed to the cutting tool holder 31, but also with tools 60 (rotating tools or non-rotating tools whose machining axis AX4 is aligned with the spindle centerline AX0) held in the tool holder 5 fixed to the cutting tool holder 31. This suppresses the need to increase the size of the tool post 3 and reduces the cost increase of the tool post 3. Furthermore, if the shape of the product is complex, the machining of the workpiece W1 may be limited even if many tools are attached to the sleeve holder or swivel unit. In this case, it becomes easier to manufacture products with complex shapes by having the tool 60 held in the tool holder 5 fixed to the bit holder 31. Based on the above, this specific example can improve the degree of freedom in workpiece processing while suppressing cost increases.

[0044] (4) Variations: This technology can be modified in various ways. For example, the machine tools to which this technology can be applied are not limited to lathes, but may also include machining centers, etc. The lathe 1 may be a spindle-fixed type lathe in which the front spindle 16 does not move in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the present technology is applied by moving the tool post 3 in the Z-axis direction in addition to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The spindle 11 that grips the workpiece W1 is not limited to the front spindle 16, but may also be the rear spindle 21.

[0045] (5) Conclusion: As explained above, according to the present invention, in various embodiments, it is possible to provide technologies that improve the degree of freedom in workpiece processing while suppressing cost increases. Of course, even technologies consisting only of the constituent elements of the independent claims can obtain the basic functions and effects described above. Furthermore, configurations obtained by substituting or changing the combinations of each configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned examples, configurations obtained by substituting or changing the combinations of each configuration disclosed in the prior art and the above-mentioned examples, etc., are also possible. The present invention also includes these configurations, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1... Lathe (example of a machine tool), 3... Tool post (example of a tool post for a machine tool), 5... Tool holder, 10...headstock, 11...main spindle, 12...gripping section, 13...headstock drive section, 14… Guide bush, 15...Front spindle, 16...Front spindle, 20...Rear spindle, 21...Rear spindle, 27...Tool post drive unit, 30...Tool post body, 31...Tool holder, 31a...Placement surface, 32...Tool holder body, 32a...Screw hole, 32b...Back surface, 33...Tool fixing groove, 33a...bottom surface, 33b...first inner surface, 33c...second inner surface, 33o...opening, 34...extension part, 35... Clamp piece, 35a... Screw insertion hole, 36... Wedge part, 40...bite, 41...shank, 42...cutting edge 50...Handle, 51...First outer surface, 51a...Extension line, 52...Second outer surface, 52a...Extension line, 53... Liaison Department, 54...Holding part, 55...Holding part body, 55h...Through hole, 56...Clamping ring, 60...Tool, 61...Body, 62...Blade, 63...Tip AX0...Spindle centerline, AX3...Centerline of the tool fixing groove, AX4...Machining axis, P1...Intersection point, PL1...Virtual plane, SP1…Space, W1...Work.

Claims

1. A tool holder for use in a machine tool equipped with a tool holder having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves capable of fixing the shank of a tool, and which holds a tool for machining a workpiece held by a spindle that is rotatable about the spindle centerline, The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The device comprises a holding part for holding a rotary tool as the tool used for machining, with the machining axis as the center, The holding portion is a tool holder that holds the rotary tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the bit fixing groove.

2. A tool holder for use in a machine tool equipped with a tool holder having a plurality of parallel tool fixing grooves capable of fixing the shank of a tool, and which holds a tool for machining a workpiece held by a spindle that is rotatable about the spindle centerline, The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The tool used for machining around the machining axis comprises a rotating tool and a non-rotating tool whose machining axis is aligned with the spindle centerline, and a holding part that holds at least one of these. The holding portion holds the tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the tool fixing groove, The tool holder mentioned above is A connecting portion that moves the holding portion further away from a position on the machining axis that overlaps with the extension of the tool fixing groove, with the workpiece before machining held on the main spindle as the starting point, and further comprising a connecting portion that connects the handle portion to the holding portion, The holding portion is a tool holder that holds the tool such that the tip of the tool is closer to the holding portion than the workpiece before machining is gripped by the main spindle, with the workpiece being held as the base point.

3. The orientation of the machining axis is perpendicular to the arrangement surface having the plurality of tool fixing grooves in the tool holder. The tool fixing groove has, in its cross-section, a bottom surface narrower than the opening, a first inner surface in contact with the handle portion, and a second inner surface opposite to the first inner surface. The tool holder includes a tool holder body having a plurality of tool fixing grooves, and a clamp piece that is attached to the tool holder body with a portion of it positioned between the second inner surface and the handle portion, thereby fixing the handle portion to the tool fixing grooves. The handle portion has a first outer surface that is in contact with the first inner surface, and a second outer surface that is opposite to the first outer surface. The tool holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the tool holder attached to the bit fixing groove is projected onto a virtual plane along the arrangement surface, the machining axis is located closer to the extension line of the second outer surface than to the extension line of the first outer surface.

4. A tool holder having multiple parallel tool fixing grooves capable of securing the shank of a tool, It comprises a tool holder that holds a tool for machining a workpiece gripped by a spindle that is rotatable about the center line of the spindle, The tool holder mentioned above is The handle portion is fixed to the aforementioned tool fixing groove, The device comprises a holding part for holding a rotary tool as the tool used for machining, with the machining axis as the center, The holding portion is a tool post for a machine tool that holds the rotary tool having the machining axis oriented in a direction different from the orientation of the bit fixing groove.

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