Tool exchange device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to prevent an external force from being exerted on a spindle during machining by the spindle. This tool replacement apparatus comprises an arm and a grip interlocking mechanism. The arm has a gripping member, and, by using said gripping member, removes a previously used tool from a spindle, and then attaches a tool to be used next to the spindle. The grip interlocking mechanism has: a spindle-side cam; an arm roller; a disengagement cam disposed at a position separated from the spindle farther than the spindle-side cam; and a release roller. While the arm is moved in a prescribed direction to a prescribed position relative to the spindle, the arm roller is displaced in accordance with the profile of the spindle-side cam and rotates the gripping member toward a release angle side. While the arm is further moved from the prescribed position in the prescribed direction relative to the spindle, a disengagement roller is displaced in accordance with the profile of the disengagement cam, rotates the gripping member further toward the release angle side, and causes the arm roller to separate from the spindle-side cam.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0005] ,

[0007] ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tool changing device for changing a tool attached to a spindle of a machine tool.

Background Art

[0002] Among tool changing devices, there is one that removes a previously used tool as one of a plurality of tools from the spindle and attaches a next used tool as a tool different from the previously used tool to the spindle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventors of the present invention considered a structure including an arm having a gripping member and a gripping interlocking mechanism that rotates the gripping member in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm with respect to the spindle. The gripping member is rotatable between a gripping angle for gripping the tool and a release angle for releasing the gripping of the tool. The arm removes the previously used tool from the spindle and attaches the next used tool to the spindle using the gripping member.

[0005] The gripping interlocking mechanism includes a cam and a roller that relatively moves with respect to the cam together with the arm. The roller abuts against the cam and is displaced according to the profile of the cam. Based on the displacement, the gripping member rotates.

[0006] The present inventors focused on the following problem in such a configuration. Since the roller is displaced according to the profile of the cam, the roller needs to be biased against the cam by the weight of the gripping member, a spring, a weight, etc. and always abut against the cam.

[0007] As a result, even when the gripping member is at the release angle, force is constantly applied from the roller to the cam during workpiece machining by the spindle. Some of this force is transmitted to the spindle as an external force, which may adversely affect the machining accuracy and surface finish of the spindle.

[0008] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to suppress the application of external forces to the spindle during machining by the spindle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The tool changing device of this disclosure is A tool changing device that removes a previously used tool, as one of several tools, from the spindle of a machine tool, and attaches a next-to-use tool, which is a different tool from the previously used tool, to the spindle, The gripping member has a gripping angle that can rotate to a gripping angle for gripping the tool and a release angle for releasing the tool, and the gripping member is used to remove the previously used tool from the spindle and attach the next tool to the spindle, The system includes a gripping interlocking mechanism that rotates the gripping member in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm with respect to the main shaft, The gripping interlocking mechanism comprises a spindle-side cam, an arm roller attached to the gripping member and moving relative to the spindle-side cam together with the arm, a release cam provided at a position further away from the spindle than the spindle-side cam, and a release roller attached to the gripping member and moving relative to the release cam together with the arm. When the arm moves relative to the main shaft to a predetermined position in a predetermined direction, the arm roller is displaced according to the profile of the main shaft side cam, causing the gripping member to rotate toward the release angle. When the arm moves further relative to the main shaft from the predetermined position in the predetermined direction, the release roller is displaced according to the profile of the release cam, causing the gripping member to rotate further toward the release angle, thereby separating the arm roller from the main shaft side cam.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress an external force from being applied to the main shaft during machining by the main shaft.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a tool changing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a front view showing a tool changing device. [Figure 3] It is a front view showing an arm and a pot interlocking mechanism. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing a tool pot and a tool at a storage angle. [Figure 5] It is a front view showing a tool pot and a tool at an exchange angle. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing a tool pot. [Figure 7] It is a side view showing a holding part of a tool pot. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing an arm, an arm lifting device, and an arm turning device. [Figure 9] It is a plan sectional view showing a gripping part of a gripping member. [Figure 10] It is a front view showing an arm. [Figure 11] It is a bottom view showing an arm. [Figure 12] It is a plan view schematically showing an arm. [Figure 13] It is a front view schematically showing an arm. [Figure 14] It is a front view schematically showing a state where a gripping member is rotated to a release angle. [Figure 15] It is a front view schematically showing two gripping members shifted in a second direction. [Figure 16] It is a front view schematically showing an initial state of a rotation operation of a gripping member on the main shaft side. [Figure 17] It is a front view schematically showing a subsequent rotation operation. <关于专利文本的翻译,需要注意的是,专利文本的翻译要求准确性和专业性,以确保专利的有效性和可实施性。在翻译过程中,要严格按照给定的规则进行,保留所有的文本标签和特殊占位符,确保翻译后的文本与原文在结构和内容上保持一致。]] [Figure 18]It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 19] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 20] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 21] It is a front view showing the initial state of the tool changing operation. [Figure 22] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 23] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 24] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 25] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 26] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 27] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 28] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 29] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. <00ed0116> [Figure 30] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 31] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 32] It is a front view showing the subsequent operation. [Figure 33] It is a front view schematically showing the initial state of the rotation operation of the second embodiment. [Figure 34] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 35] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 36] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 37] It is a front view schematically showing the subsequent rotation operation. [Figure 38] It is a plan view schematically showing the tool changing device of the third embodiment. [Figure 39] It is a plan view schematically showing the state where the arm has swung to the access angle. [Figure 40]This is a diagram showing the control system for a tool changing device. [Figure 41] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for changing tools. [Figure 42] This is a configuration diagram showing the control system of the tool changing device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 43] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for controlling the arm's movement speed. [Figure 44] This flowchart shows another example of the procedure for controlling the arm's movement speed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described below, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The second embodiment is a reference form of this disclosure.

[0013] [First Embodiment] The tool changer 100 shown in Figure 1 is installed on the machine tool 200 as shown in Figure 2. Hereinafter, the three predetermined directions that are orthogonal to each other will be referred to as the "left-right direction X," the "front-back direction Y," and the "up-down direction Z."

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the machine tool 200 has a spindle assembly 210. The spindle assembly 210 has a spindle 215 installed with its axial length direction oriented in the vertical direction Z, and a housing 211 that covers the spindle 215, and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, one of several tools T is attached to the lower end of the spindle 215. Hereinafter, the tool T that has been attached to the spindle 215 so far will be called the "previously used tool Tp," and the tool T that will be attached to the spindle 215 next will be called the "next used tool Tn."

[0016] The tool changer 100 automatically removes the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215 and attaches the next tool Tn to the spindle 215. The tool changer 100 includes a magazine 30, an arm 50, a pot interlocking mechanism 40, and a gripping interlocking mechanism 60.

[0017] First, let's describe the magazine 30. As shown in Figure 1, the magazine 30 has a magazine body 39 and a plurality of tool pots 33.

[0018] The magazine body 39 is configured to rotate around the left-right axis X. Multiple tool pots 33 are attached to the magazine body 39. By rotating the magazine body 39, one of the multiple tool pots 33 is positioned at the lowest "exchange position P," which serves as a standby position for tool changes.

[0019] Each tool pot 33 has a holding portion 34 to which a tool T can be attached, as shown in Figure 7. The tool pot 33 is connected to the magazine body 39 by its holding portion 34 so as to be rotatable around the front-rear direction Y. In other words, the holding portion 34 for attaching the tool T also serves as the pivot axis of the tool pot 33. The holding portion 34 allows the tool pot 33 to rotate between a storage angle Pa and an exchange angle Pb shown in Figure 5 at the exchange position P shown in Figure 4. The storage angle Pa is the angle at which the tool pot 33 tilts in the left-right direction X, as shown in Figure 4. The exchange angle Pb is the angle at which the tool pot 33 stands upright in the up-down direction Z, as shown in Figure 5.

[0020] As shown in Figure 6, each tool pot 33 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an opening at the bottom when at the exchange angle Pb. The tool T is attached to each tool pot 33 by inserting the upper end of the tool T into the holding part 34 from below. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the upper end of each tool T is provided with an annular upper engagement groove Ga extending around the vertical direction Z. The holding part 34 has a pair of clamping members 34a, 34a that can engage with the upper engagement groove Ga from both sides in the front-rear direction Y, and clamping springs 34b, 34b that bias the clamping members 34a, 34a toward each other. With these structures, the holding part 34 is configured to be able to attach the tool T.

[0021] Furthermore, each holding portion 34 has a pair of cylindrical storage members 34c, 34c that house the clamping springs 34b, 34b, respectively. Each storage member 34c is axially symmetrical at least on its outer circumference. The tool pot 33 is rotatably attached to the magazine body 39 by these pairs of storage members 34c, 34c. As shown in Figure 6, a notch 38 is formed on the outer circumference of the tool pot 33 on the side in the direction from the storage angle Pa to the exchange angle Pb. The function of this notch 38 will be described later.

[0022] Hereinafter, as shown in Figure 5, the tool pot 33 positioned at the exchange angle Pb at the exchange position P will simply be referred to as the "tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb". Also, removing the next tool Tn from the "holding part 34 of the tool pot 33" will simply be referred to as removing the next tool Tn from the "tool pot 33". Furthermore, attaching the previously used tool Tp to the "holding part 34 of the tool pot 33" will simply be referred to as attaching the previously used tool Tp to the "tool pot 33".

[0023] Next, the arm 50 shown in Figure 2 will be described. The arm 50 removes the next tool Tn from the tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb and attaches it to the spindle 215, and also removes the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215 and attaches it to the tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb.

[0024] As schematically shown in Figure 15, the arm 50 has an arm body 59, a first gripping member 51, and a second gripping member 52. Hereinafter, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 will be collectively referred to as "gripping members 51, 52". Also, as schematically shown in Figure 12, a predetermined horizontal direction relative to the arm body 59 will be referred to as the "first direction Ya", and the horizontal direction perpendicular to it will be referred to as the "second direction Xa". In the basic state of the arm 50, the first direction Ya is the front-to-back direction Y, and the second direction Xa is the left-to-right direction X.

[0025] As schematically shown in Figure 12, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are positioned offset from each other in the first direction Ya when viewed in the vertical direction Z. As schematically shown in Figure 13, when viewed from one side in the first direction Ya, the first gripping member 51 has an inverted L-shape extending downward and then extending to one side in the second direction Xa, and the second gripping member 52 has an L-shape extending downward and then extending to the other side in the second direction Xa. The upper ends of each gripping member 51 and 52 are rotatably attached to the arm body 59 by their respective shaft members 55, with the first direction Ya as the axis. A gripping portion 54 is provided at the tip of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52, which are the ends in the second direction Xa.

[0026] In other words, as schematically shown in Figure 12, when viewed in the vertical direction Z, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are supported so as to be rotatable about the first direction Ya as an axis, with their gripping portions 54 facing opposite directions in the second direction Xa. This rotation causes each gripping member 51, 52 to be displaced to a gripping angle Qb shown in Figure 13 for gripping the tool T, and a release angle Qa shown in Figure 14 for releasing the grip of the tool T. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, when viewed in the first direction Ya, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 partially overlap.

[0027] As shown in Figure 9, the gripping portion 54 has a U-shape that opens toward the tip side, that is, toward one side in the second direction Xa, and is configured to allow insertion of the upper part of the tool T. Specifically, below the upper engagement groove Ga on the upper part of the tool T, there is an engagement recess Gc and a lower engagement groove Gb. The gripping portion 54 has an engagement projection 54c, a pair of engagement members 54a, 54a, and a pair of engagement springs 54b, 54b. The engagement projection 54c is provided on the part of the gripping portion 54 opposite to the tip side, and is configured to protrude toward the tip side and be able to engage with the engagement recess Gc. The pair of engagement members 54a, 54a are configured to be able to engage with the lower engagement groove Gb from both sides in the first direction Ya, toward the tip side of the centerline of the tool T. The pair of engagement springs 54b, 54b bias the pair of engagement members 54a, 54a toward each other. With the above configuration, each gripping part 54 is configured to grip the tool T at three points.

[0028] The arm body 59, schematically shown in Figure 13, is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction Z and to be rotatable about the vertical direction Z as an axis. Hereinafter, of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52, the gripping member whose gripping portion 54 is on the magazine 30 side will be referred to as the "magazine 30 side gripping member 51" or the "magazine 30 side gripping member 52" as appropriate in the reference drawing. Also, of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52, the gripping member whose gripping portion 54 is on the main shaft 215 side will be referred to as the "main shaft 215 side gripping member 52" or the "main shaft 215 side gripping member 51" as appropriate in the reference drawing.

[0029] Next, the pot interlocking mechanism 40 shown in Figure 3 will be described. The pot interlocking mechanism 40 rotates the tool pot 33 at the replacement position P from the storage angle Pa to the replacement angle Pb, and then back to the storage angle Pa, in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30. The pot interlocking mechanism 40 also rotates the tool pot 33 at the replacement position P from the storage angle Pa to the replacement angle Pb, and then back to the storage angle Pa, in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30.

[0030] The pot interlocking mechanism 40 includes an arm-side cam 41, a link roller 45, a link mechanism 46, and a pot roller 48. The link roller 45 is attached to the upper end of the link mechanism 46. When the link roller 45 is displaced toward the magazine 30, the lower end of the link mechanism 46 rises, and when the link roller 45 is displaced toward the arm 50, the lower end of the link mechanism 46 descends. The arm-side cam 41 is provided on the arm body 59 and contacts the link roller 45. The link roller 45 is biased toward the arm-side cam 41 by the weight of the link mechanism 46, the return spring of the tool pot 33 (not shown), other return springs, weights, etc.

[0031] The pot roller 48 is attached to a portion of each tool pot 33 that is spaced apart from the holding portion 34, that is, spaced apart from the pivot axis. The pot roller 48 is pushed up by the lower end of the link mechanism 46 when the lower end of the link mechanism 46 rises. This causes the tool pot 33 to rotate toward the replacement angle Pb. Each tool pot 33 is fitted with the aforementioned return spring (not shown), and is biased toward the storage angle Pa by the biasing force of the return spring.

[0032] The arm-side cam 41, together with the arm 50, is displaced in the vertical direction Z relative to the link roller 45, thereby rotating the tool pot 33 via the link roller 45, the link mechanism 46, and the pot roller 48.

[0033] Specifically, as shown in Figure 22, the lower part of the arm-side cam 41 rotates the tool pot 33 to the exchange angle Pb by displacing the link roller 45 toward the magazine 30 when the arm 50 is lowered relative to the magazine 30, thereby raising the lower end of the link mechanism 46. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 24, the upper part of the arm-side cam 41 rotates the link roller 45 toward the arm 50 when the arm 50 is lowered further relative to the magazine 30, thereby lowering the lower end of the link mechanism 46 and returning the tool pot 33 to the storage angle Pa.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 29, the upper part of the arm-side cam 41 rotates the tool pot 33 to the exchange angle Pb by displacing the link roller 45 toward the magazine 30 when the arm 50 rises relative to the magazine 30, thereby raising the lower end of the link mechanism 46. Also, as shown in Figure 31, the lower part of the arm-side cam 41 rotates the link roller 45 toward the arm 50 when the arm 50 rises further relative to the magazine 30, thereby lowering the lower end of the link mechanism 46 and returning the tool pot 33 to the storage angle Pa.

[0035] Next, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 shown in Figure 3 will be described. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 rotates the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side toward the gripping angle Qb in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also rotates the gripping member 52 on the spindle side toward the gripping angle Qb in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 relative to the spindle 215. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also rotates the gripping member 51 on the spindle side toward the release angle Qa in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the spindle 215. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also rotates the gripping member 52 on the magazine 30 side toward the release angle Qa in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30.

[0036] As schematically shown in Figure 15, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 includes a magazine-side cam 61, a spindle-side cam 62, and an arm roller 64. In Figure 15, for the sake of visibility, the two gripping members 51 and 52 are schematically shown shifted in the second direction Xa. However, as mentioned above, when viewed in the first direction Ya, the two gripping members 51 and 52 partially overlap each other. However, if there is sufficient space in the second direction Xa, the two gripping members 51 and 52 may actually be installed shifted in the second direction Xa as shown in Figure 15.

[0037] The magazine-side cam 61 is attached to the frame or housing of the tool changer 100. The spindle-side cam 62 is attached to the frame or housing 211 of the spindle assembly 210. One arm roller 64 is attached to each gripping member 51 and 52. Therefore, the arm roller 64 moves relative to the magazine-side cam 61 and the spindle-side cam 62 in the vertical direction Z together with the arm 50. Each gripping member 51 and 52 is biased toward the release angle Qa by a return spring, weight, or its own weight. As a result, the arm roller 64 of the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side is biased toward the magazine-side cam 61, and the arm roller 64 of the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side is biased toward the spindle-side cam 62.

[0038] As schematically shown in Figure 16, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 further includes a release cam 63 and a release roller 65. The release cam 63 is positioned further away from the spindle 215 than the spindle-side cam 62, and is specifically attached to the frame or housing of the tool changer 100. One release roller 65 is attached to each of the gripping members 51 and 52. The release roller 65 moves relative to the release cam 63 in the vertical Z direction together with the arm 50.

[0039] As shown in Figure 23, in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the magazine 30 according to the profile of the magazine-side cam 61, causing the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side to rotate toward the gripping angle Qb. Also, as shown in Figure 31, in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the arm 50 according to the profile of the magazine-side cam 61, causing the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side to rotate toward the release angle Qa.

[0040] Furthermore, as schematically shown in Figure 17, in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 relative to the main shaft 215, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the main shaft 215 according to the profile of the main shaft side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 on the main shaft 215 side to rotate toward the gripping angle Qb. Also, as schematically shown in Figure 19, in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the main shaft 215 to a predetermined position, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the arm 50 according to the profile of the main shaft side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 on the main shaft 215 side to rotate toward the release angle Qa.

[0041] As shown in Figure 20, in conjunction with the further relative upward movement of the arm 50 from the predetermined position relative to the main shaft 215, the release roller 65 is displaced toward the arm 50 according to the profile of the release cam 63, causing the gripping member 52 on the main shaft 215 side to rotate further toward the release angle Qa. This rotation causes the arm roller 64 to move away from the main shaft side cam 62.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, the tool changer 100 further comprises a magazine rotating device 73, an arm lifting device 75, an arm swivel device 76, and a control device 80. The magazine rotating device 73 rotates the magazine 30 around the left-right direction X. The arm lifting device 75 moves the arm 50 in the up-down direction Z. The arm swivel device 76 swivels the arm 50 around the up-down direction Z. These magazine rotating device 73, arm lifting device 75, and arm swivel device 76 are all actuators such as motors. Within the tool changer 100, the control device 80 controls each of these devices, including these actuators.

[0043] Next, with reference to Figures 21 to 32, the specific procedure for tool replacement based on control by the control device 80 will be described. As shown in Figure 21, in the initial state, the arm 50 is positioned at the uppermost position W in the vertical stroke Z. At this time, each gripping member 51, 52 is positioned at the release angle Qa.

[0044] From this state, as shown in Figure 22, the arm 50 descends. In conjunction with this descent, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P rotates toward the exchange angle Pb, and the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side rotates toward the gripping angle Qb. Then, as shown in Figure 23, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P is positioned toward the exchange angle Pb, and the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side is positioned toward the gripping angle Qb, and the gripping member 51 grips the upper part of the next tool Tn in the tool pot 33.

[0045] From that state, as shown in Figure 24, the arm 50 descends further, causing the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side to remove the next tool Tn from the tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb. Subsequently, in conjunction with the further descent of the arm 50, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P rotates toward the storage angle Pa. At this time, the top of the next tool Tn passes through the notch 38. Then, as shown in Figure 25, once the tool pot 33 has rotated to the storage angle Pa, the magazine 30 begins to rotate and starts moving the desired tool pot 33 that stores the previously used tool Tp to the exchange angle Pb.

[0046] In parallel with these movements, as shown in Figure 25, the arm 50 descends and the spindle assembly 210 rises, causing the arm 50 to descend relative to the spindle 215. In conjunction with this relative descent, the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side rotates toward the gripping angle Qb, gripping the upper part of the previously used tool Tp on the spindle 215.

[0047] From that state, as shown in Figure 26, the spindle assembly 210 rises further, that is, the arm 50 descends further relative to the spindle 215, causing the spindle-side gripping member 52 to remove the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215.

[0048] Next, as shown in Figure 27, the arm 50 rotates 180° around the vertical Z axis. This rotation causes the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side and the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side to swap places with each other. As a result, the previously used tool Tp becomes the magazine 30 side, and the next tool Tn becomes the spindle 215 side. Then, as shown in Figure 28, the spindle assembly 210 descends, that is, the arm 50 rises relative to the spindle 215, causing the gripping member 51 on the spindle 215 side to attach the next tool Tn to the spindle 215.

[0049] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 29, the spindle assembly 210 descends further and the arm 50 rises, causing the arm 50 to rise further relative to the spindle 215. In conjunction with this relative rise, the gripping member 51 on the spindle 215 side rotates toward the release angle Qa, releasing the grip on the next tool to be used Tn.

[0050] Furthermore, as the arm 50 rises at this time, the arm 50 rises relative to the magazine 30, as shown in Figure 29. In conjunction with this relative rise, the tool pot 33 at the replacement position P rotates toward the replacement angle Pb. At this point, the operation to move the desired tool pot 33 to the replacement position P has already been completed. Therefore, the desired tool pot 33 is positioned at the replacement position P. When the tool pot 33 rotates toward the replacement angle Pb, the upper part of the previously used tool Tp passes through the notch 38 of the rotating tool pot 33.

[0051] Then, as shown in Figure 30, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P is positioned at the exchange angle Pb, and the gripping member 52 on the magazine 30 side attaches the previously used tool Tp to the tool pot 33.

[0052] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 31, as the arm 50 rises further, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P rotates toward the storage angle Pa, and the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side rotates toward the release angle Qa. These rotations cause the gripping member 52 on the magazine 30 side to release the grip of the previously used tool Tp. Then, as shown in Figure 32, as the arm 50 rises back to its original uppermost standby position W, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P returns to the storage angle Pa.

[0053] The configuration and effects of this embodiment are summarized below.

[0054] As shown in Figure 7, the tool pot 33 is rotatably attached to the magazine body 39 by a retaining part 34 for attaching the tool T, and the retaining part 34 also serves as the pivot axis of the tool pot 33. Therefore, the structure of the tool pot 33 is simpler compared to the case where the retaining part 34 and the pivot axis are provided separately.

[0055] The pot interlocking mechanism 40 shown in Figure 3 rotates the tool pot 33 at the replacement position P in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30. Therefore, the tool pot 33 can be rotated between the replacement angle Pb and the storage angle Pa without a dedicated drive source for rotating the tool pot 33.

[0056] Furthermore, the pot interlocking mechanism 40 rotates the tool pot 33 from the storage angle Pa to the exchange angle Pb in conjunction with the relative descent of the arm 50 to a predetermined position relative to the magazine 30. Subsequently, the pot interlocking mechanism 40 rotates the tool pot 33 from the exchange angle Pb to the storage angle Pa in conjunction with the further relative descent of the arm 50 from the aforementioned predetermined position relative to the magazine 30. Therefore, a series of operations can be performed in conjunction with the relative descent of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30, rotating the tool pot 33 from the storage angle Pa to the exchange angle Pb and then returning it to the storage angle Pa. Similarly, this series of operations can also be performed in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6, a notch 38 is formed on the outer circumference of the tool pot 33 on the side facing from the storage angle Pa to the exchange angle Pb. As the arm 50 moves relative to the magazine 30, the tool pot 33 rotates, and the top of the tool T passes through the notch 38. This allows for a large overlap between the relative movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30 and the rotation of the tool pot 33, thereby shortening the tool change cycle time. Furthermore, when rotating the tool pot 33 in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical Z direction relative to the magazine 30, even if the stroke of the arm 50's relative movement in the vertical Z direction is small, a sufficiently large stroke of rotation of the tool pot 33 can be secured by this large overlap. Therefore, the requirement for the stroke of the arm 50's relative movement in the vertical Z direction relative to the magazine 30 can be reduced.

[0058] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are configured to rotate independently of each other around the front-rear direction Y, and rotate independently to grip and release the tool T. Therefore, compared to a case where gripping and releasing the tool T can only be done at the same time, it is easier to perform other operations in parallel with the work performed by the arm 50.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in Figure 24, the control device 80 removes the next tool Tn from the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P using the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side, and then removes the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215 using the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side. In parallel with the operation to remove the previously used tool Tp, the control device 80 rotates the magazine 30 to position the desired tool pot 33 for storing the previously used tool Tp at the exchange position P. This allows the previously used tool Tp to be quickly stored in the desired tool pot 33.

[0060] As schematically shown in Figure 12, the first and second gripping members 51 and 52 are offset from each other in the first direction Ya when viewed in the vertical direction Z, and their gripping portions 54 are positioned facing opposite directions in the second direction Xa. Therefore, as shown in Figure 13, the first and second gripping members 51 and 52 can be arranged so that they partially overlap when viewed in the first direction Ya. This allows the arm 50 to be compactly assembled in the second direction Xa while avoiding interference between the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52.

[0061] If the arm 50 shown in Figure 2 is to be rotated slightly around the vertical Z direction to press the gripping part 54 against the tool T to grip it, or to pull it away from the tool T to release it, the following problems arise. That is, it is necessary to firmly stop the rotation of the arm 50 before moving the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30 and spindle 215 in the vertical Z direction. Therefore, it is difficult to overlap the acceleration and deceleration movements for gripping and releasing the tool T with other movements such as raising and lowering the arm 50. As a result, it is difficult to shorten the tool change cycle time.

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, each gripping member 51, 52 is configured to be rotatable around a first direction Ya perpendicular to the axial length direction of the main spindle 215, and is also equipped with a gripping interlocking mechanism 60 schematically shown in Figure 15. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 rotates the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine 30 to grip and release the tool T. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also rotates the gripping member 52 on the main spindle 215 side in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the main spindle 215 to grip and release the tool T. Therefore, there is no need to rotate the arm 50 around the vertical direction Z to grip or release the tool T. Consequently, there is no need to precisely stop the rotation before moving the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30 or the main spindle 215 in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, the rotational movement of the gripping members 51 and 52, that is, the acceleration and deceleration movements for gripping and releasing the tool T, can be overlapped with other movements of the arm 50, such as raising and lowering the arm 50. As a result, the tool change cycle time can be shortened.

[0063] As schematically shown in Figure 16, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 comprises a spindle-side cam 62, an arm roller 64, a release cam 63, and a release roller 65. As schematically shown in Figure 19, when the arm 50 rises relative to the spindle 215 to a predetermined position, the arm roller 64 displaces according to the profile of the spindle-side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 to rotate toward the release angle Qa. As schematically shown in Figure 20, when the arm 50 rises further relative to the spindle 215 from the aforementioned predetermined position, the release roller 65 displaces according to the profile of the release cam 63, causing the gripping member 52 to rotate further toward the release angle Qa. This separates the arm roller 64 from the spindle-side cam 62. Therefore, when the gripping member 52 is at the release angle Qa, the spindle-side cam 62 does not receive any force from the arm roller 64. At this time, the release roller 65 contacts the release cam 63, but since the release cam 63 is further away from the spindle 215 than the spindle-side cam 62, less external force is applied to the spindle 215 compared to when the arm roller 64 contacts the spindle-side cam 62. Therefore, the external force applied to the spindle 215 during machining can be suppressed, thereby reducing the adverse effects of external forces on machining accuracy and surface finish.

[0064] [Second Embodiment] Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 33 to 37. Note that the following embodiments, including this embodiment, will be described primarily based on the previously defined embodiments, focusing on the differences, and explanations of aspects that are the same or similar to the base embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. This embodiment will be described based on the first embodiment.

[0065] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 33, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 includes a spring 67, a gripping-side stopper 68a, a release-side stopper 68b, and a rotation mechanism 69. In this embodiment, only one gripping member 52 will be described, but the same applies to the other gripping member 51.

[0066] The spring 67 has one end attached to the arm body 59 and the other end attached to the gripping member 52, and the change from the natural state is greatest at a predetermined midpoint between the release angle Qa and the gripping angle Qb. Therefore, as shown in Figure 35, when the gripping member 52 is in a state where it is on the gripping angle Qb side of the midpoint, the spring 67 biases the gripping member 52 toward the gripping angle Qb side. The gripping-side stopper 68b restricts the gripping member 52 from rotating further once it has rotated to the gripping angle Qb. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 37, when the gripping member 52 is in a state where it is on the release angle Qa side of the midpoint, the spring 67 biases the gripping member 52 toward the release angle Qa side. The release-side stopper 68a restricts the gripping member 52 from rotating further once it has rotated to the release angle Qa side.

[0067] Specifically, in this embodiment, the spring 67 is a tension spring, and its length is maximized at the midpoint. However, instead, for example, the spring 67 may be a compression spring, and its length may be minimized at the midpoint.

[0068] As shown in Figure 33, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a gripping cam 62b and a release cam 62a arranged in the first direction Ya, instead of the spindle-side cam 62 in the first embodiment. Also, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a gripping roller 64b and a release roller 64a arranged in the front-rear direction Y, instead of the arm roller 64 and release roller 65 in the first embodiment. The rotation mechanism 69 includes these gripping cam 62b, release cam 62a, gripping roller 64b, and release roller 64a.

[0069] The gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a are each attached to the gripping member 52 and move relative to the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a in the vertical direction Z together with the arm 50.

[0070] As shown in Figure 34, the gripping roller 64b contacts the gripping cam 62b when the arm 50 descends relative to the main shaft 215, causing the gripping member 52 to rotate toward the gripping angle Qb side from the aforementioned midpoint. Thereafter, the gripping member 52 rotates to the gripping angle Qb due to the biasing force of the spring 67. At this time, as shown in Figure 35, the gripping member 52 is biased by the gripping-side stopper 68b, causing the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a to move away from the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a, respectively.

[0071] As shown in Figure 36, the release roller 64a contacts the release cam 62a when the arm 50 rises relative to the main shaft 215, causing the gripping member 52 to rotate towards the release angle Qa from the aforementioned midpoint. Thereafter, the gripping member 52 rotates to the release angle Qa due to the biasing force of the spring 67. At this time, as shown in Figure 37, the gripping member 52 is biased by the release-side stopper 68a, causing the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a to move away from the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a, respectively.

[0072] Furthermore, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also has a gripping cam 62b and a release cam 62a on the magazine 30 side, similar to those described above, instead of the magazine-side cam 61 in the first embodiment. However, for example, the gripping cam on the magazine 30 side may be read as the "magazine-side cam," and the gripping cam 62b on the spindle 215 side may be read as the "spindle-side cam." Also, the gripping roller may be read as the "arm roller." In other words, in this embodiment as well, similar to the case schematically shown in Figure 15, the "arm roller" of the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side contacts the "magazine-side cam," and the "arm roller" of the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side contacts the "spindle-side cam."

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 37, when the gripping member 52 is positioned at the release angle Qa, the gripping member 52 is biased toward the release-side stopper 68b. Therefore, the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a do not receive force from the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a. As a result, external forces applied to the spindle 215 during machining can be suppressed, thereby reducing the adverse effects of external forces on machining accuracy and surface finish.

[0074] [Third Embodiment] Next, the third embodiment will be described based on the first embodiment with reference to Figures 38 to 41. However, this embodiment may also be implemented based on the second embodiment. The tool changing device 100 of this embodiment includes a housing 90 with an opening 95 formed on the front, as schematically shown in Figure 38. The housing 90 houses a magazine 30, a pot interlocking mechanism 40, an arm 50, a gripping interlocking mechanism 60, a spindle assembly 210, and the like. A door 96 is attached to the opening 95.

[0075] Hereinafter, the operation of taking a tool T, separate from all the tools including the tool T attached to the tool pot 33 and the tool T attached to the spindle 215, into the tool changer 100 will be referred to as "taking in". The operation of taking one of these tools out of the tool changer 100 will be referred to as "taking out". In the following, the case in which "taking in" and "taking out" are performed using the gripping member 52 will be described, but "taking in" and "taking out" may also be performed using the gripping member 51.

[0076] As schematically shown in Figure 39, during "intake," the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to a predetermined access angle A, positioning the gripping member 52 that is not gripping any tool T closer to the opening 95 than before the rotation. On the other hand, during "retrieval," the device has one of the gripping members 52 grip the tool T to be retrieved outside the tool changing device 100. Then, the arm 50 is rotated to a predetermined access angle A, positioning the tool T closer to the opening 95 than before the rotation.

[0077] Specifically, as shown in Figure 40, the tool changer 100 has a display unit 120 and an input unit 130. The input unit 130 has a tool attachment / detachment mode selection key 131, a pot number selection key 132, a take-in / take-out selection key 133, and a work completion key 134. The tool attachment / detachment mode selection key 131 is a key for selecting the tool attachment / detachment mode. The pot number selection key 132 is a key for selecting one of the multiple tool pots 33 in the magazine 30. The attachment / detachment selection key 133 is a key for selecting either "take-in" or "take-out".

[0078] Next, referring to Figure 41, we will explain the procedures for "importing" and "retrieving" data. In the following, the letter S before a number stands for step.

[0079] First, when the user presses the tool attachment / detachment mode selection key 131, in S1, the control device 80 displays the pot number selection key 132 on the display unit 120. The user selects a pot number by operating the pot number selection key 132 and selects one of the multiple tool pots 33. Then, in S2, the control device 80 displays the load / remove selection key 133 on the display unit 120. The user selects either "load" or "remove" by operating the load / remove selection key.

[0080] If the user selects "Take in", in S11 the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to access angle A. This positions the gripping portion 54 of the gripping member 52, which is not gripping any tool T, near the opening 95. Next, in 12 the control device 80 displays the work completion key 134 on the display unit 120. The user then attaches the tool T related to the "Take in" operation to the gripping portion 54 of the gripping member 52 from the opening 95 and presses the work completion key 134. Subsequently, in S13 the control device 80 stores the tool T attached to the arm 50 into the selected tool pot 33. Then, in S14 the control device 80 moves the arm 50 to the standby position W. This completes the "Take in" operation.

[0081] On the other hand, if the user selects "retrieval" in step S2, in step S21, the control device 80 causes the tool T from the selected tool pot 33 to be gripped by one of the gripping members 52. Next, in step S22, the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to access angle A, positioning the tool T near the opening 95. Next, in step 23, the control device 80 displays a "work complete" key on the display unit 120. After that, the user retrieves the tool T from the opening 95 that the gripping member 52 is gripping, and then presses the "work complete" key 134. After that, in step S24, the control device 80 moves the arm 50 to the standby position W. With this, the "retrieval" is completed.

[0082] According to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 38, even if the opening 95 is located at the front of the housing 90 and there is no opening near the magazine 30, it becomes easy for the user to take in the tool T from the opening 95 and to take out the tool T from the opening 95.

[0083] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, the fourth embodiment will be described based on the first embodiment, with reference to Figures 42 to 44. However, this embodiment may also be implemented based on the second or third embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 42, the control device 80 includes a weight acquisition unit 85 and a speed control unit 88. The weight acquisition unit 85 acquires the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next tool Tn. The speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the acquired weights. Specifically, if the acquired weight is less than a predetermined value, the speed control unit 88 increases the movement speed of the arm 50 compared to when the acquired weight is greater.

[0085] The control device 80 further includes a weight storage unit 81. The weight storage unit 81 stores the weight of the tool T and the number of the tool pot 33 in association with each other. The weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next tool Tn based on this storage. In this case, for example, as shown in Figure 43, first, in S51, the weight acquisition unit 85 acquires the weight data of the previously used tool Tp and the next tool Tn and calculates their weights. Next, in S52, the speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the calculated weights.

[0086] In addition to or instead of the weight storage unit 81 described above, the control device 80 may also have a load detection unit 82. The load detection unit 82 monitors the load of at least one of the arm lifting device 75 and the arm swivel device 76. The weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next tool Tn based on the load. In this case, for example, as shown in Figure 44, first, in S61, the load detection unit 82 detects the load of the arm lifting device 75 or the arm swivel device 76. Next, in S62, the weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next tool Tn based on the load. Next, the speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the calculated weight.

[0087] This embodiment solves the following problems. It is necessary to move the arm 50 within a range that does not place an excessive load on the arm lifting device 75 and the arm swivel device 76. However, if the movement speed of the arm 50 is set by always assuming the maximum possible weight of the next tool Tn and the previous tool Tp, the movement speed of the arm 50 will be unnecessarily slow, and the tool change cycle time will be unnecessarily long. In this embodiment, when the weight of the next tool Tn and the previous tool Tp is small, the movement speed of the arm 50 is increased compared to when the weight is large. This makes it possible to increase the movement speed of the arm 50 within a range that does not place an excessive load on the arm lifting device 75 and the arm swivel device 76. This makes it possible to efficiently shorten the tool change cycle time.

[0088] [Other embodiments] The embodiments described above can be modified as follows, for example. Also, in each embodiment, if the complexity of the tool pot 33 structure is not a significant problem, the holding portion 34 and the pivot shaft may be provided separately in the tool pot 33.

[0089] Furthermore, in each embodiment, one of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 may be omitted, resulting in only one gripping member 52. In this case, the single gripping member 52 can be used to remove the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215 and attach it to a predetermined tool pot 33, and then remove the next tool Tn from another tool pot 33 and attach it to the spindle 215.

[0090] According to the above embodiments, the tool changing devices described in Appendix 1 and 2 below can be realized.

[0091] [Note 1] A tool changing device (100) that removes a previously used tool (Tp) as one of a plurality of tools (T) from the spindle (215) of a machine tool (200), and attaches a next tool (Tn) as a different tool (T) from the previously used tool (Tp) to the spindle (215), The gripping members (51, 52) are rotatable to a gripping angle (Qb) for gripping the tool (T) and a release angle (Qa) for releasing the gripping of the tool (T), and the gripping members (51, 52) are used to remove the previously used tool (Tp) from the spindle (215) and attach the next tool (Tn) to the spindle (215), The system includes a gripping interlocking mechanism (60) that rotates the gripping members (51, 52) in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm (50) with respect to the main shaft (215), The gripping interlocking mechanism (60) comprises a spindle-side cam (62), an arm roller (64) attached to the gripping members (51, 52) and moving relative to the spindle-side cam (62) together with the arm (50), a release cam (63) provided at a position further away from the spindle (215) than the spindle-side cam (62), and a release roller (65) attached to the gripping members (51, 52) and moving relative to the release cam (63) together with the arm (50), When the arm (50) moves relative to the main shaft (215) to a predetermined position in a predetermined direction, the arm roller (64) is displaced according to the profile of the main shaft side cam (62), causing the gripping members (51, 52) to rotate toward the release angle (Qa). The release roller (65) displaces according to the profile of the release cam (63) when the arm (50) moves further relative to the main shaft (215) from the predetermined position in the predetermined direction, causing the gripping members (51, 52) to rotate further toward the release angle (Qa), thereby separating the arm roller (64) from the main shaft side cam (62). Tool changer (100).

[0092] [Note 2] The arm (50) has first and second gripping members (51, 52) as the gripping members (51, 52), The gripping interlocking mechanism (60) has, for each of the gripping members (51, 52), the arm roller (64) and the release roller (65), The arm roller (64) of the gripping member on the main shaft (215) side contacts the main shaft side cam (62), and the release roller (65) of the gripping member on the main shaft (215) side contacts the release cam (63). Tool changing device (100) as described in Appendix 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 50 Arm 51 First gripping member 52 Second gripping member 59 Arm body 60 Grip interlocking mechanism 62 Spindle side cam 63 Release cam 64 Arm Roller 65 Detachable roller 100 Tool changer 200 Machine tools 215 Main shaft P replacement position Pa storage angle Pb exchange angle T-tool Tn Next tool to use Tp used tool

Claims

1. A tool changing device that removes a previously used tool, as one of several tools, from the spindle of a machine tool, and attaches a next-to-use tool, which is a different tool from the previously used tool, to the spindle, The gripping member has a gripping angle that can rotate to a gripping angle for gripping the tool and a release angle for releasing the tool, and the gripping member is used to remove the previously used tool from the spindle and attach the next tool to the spindle, The system includes a gripping interlocking mechanism that rotates the gripping member in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm with respect to the main shaft, The gripping interlocking mechanism comprises a spindle-side cam, an arm roller attached to the gripping member and moving relative to the spindle-side cam together with the arm, a release cam provided at a position further away from the spindle than the spindle-side cam, and a release roller attached to the gripping member and moving relative to the release cam together with the arm. When the arm moves relative to the main shaft to a predetermined position in a predetermined direction, the arm roller is displaced according to the profile of the main shaft side cam, causing the gripping member to rotate toward the release angle. The release roller, when the arm moves further relative to the main shaft from the predetermined position in the predetermined direction, is displaced according to the profile of the release cam, causing the gripping member to rotate further toward the release angle, thereby separating the arm roller from the main shaft side cam. Tool changer.

2. The arm has a first gripping member and a second gripping member, The gripping interlocking mechanism has, for each gripping member, the arm roller and the release roller. The arm roller of the gripping member on the spindle side contacts the spindle side cam, and the release roller of the gripping member on the spindle side contacts the release cam. The tool changing device according to claim 1.

Images