Automatic tool changers and machine tools

Abstract

To prevent or suppress a storage magazine from protruding rearward from a rear end surface of a body of a machine tool in a tool automatic exchange device.SOLUTION: A tool automatic exchange device includes: a tool spindle 30 which detachably holds a holder 85 with a cutting tool and moves the holder 85 with the cutting tool in the cutting direction (X-axis direction) toward a workpiece gripped by a spindle 60; and a storage magazine 80 which is arranged in a space around the spindle 60 between the workpiece and the tool spindle 30, and stores the multiple holders 85 with the cutting tool for replacement. The storage magazine 80 stores the multiple holders 85 with the cutting tool side by side along the spindle 60 in such a posture that an axis C3 of the holder 85 with the cutting tool aligns along the cutting direction (X-axis direction).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool automatic changer and a machine tool.

Background Art

[0002] Some machine tools such as automatic lathes are equipped with a tool automatic changer that automatically exchanges a tooling holding a turning tool (tool) such as a tool bit or a drill (for example, see Patent Document 1). )

[0003] The tool automatic changer shown in Patent Document 1 exchanges a holder (holder with cutting tool) with a cutting tool such as a drill or milling attached to a so-called tool spindle by utilizing the operation of the tool spindle. The machine tool performs machining on the workpiece by combining the relative movement of the machining tool with respect to the workpiece held by the spindle in the axial direction (z-axis direction) of the spindle and the relative movement in the plane (x-y plane: the x-axis and y-axis are perpendicular to each other) perpendicular to the z-axis.

[0004] Here, the tool spindle is set to be able to rotate the holder with cutting tool around the axis of the holder with cutting tool and turn (B-axis turning) around the y-axis. Thereby, the axis of the holder with cutting tool held by the tool spindle can be brought into contact with the workpiece held by the spindle at an intersection angle other than a right angle, and machining can be performed at an angle inclined with respect to the axis of the workpiece. Also, when the machine tool changes the turning angle of the tool spindle during machining with the holder with cutting tool, curved surface machining can be performed on the workpiece.

[0005] Here, the tool automatic changer shown in Patent Document 1 includes a storage magazine behind a back plate provided on the back side in the depth direction of the machine tool, which is in the opposite direction to the spindle with the tool spindle interposed therebetween. A plurality of exchangeable holders with cutting tools are arranged in the storage magazine. When exchanging the holder with cutting tool, the shutter provided on the back plate opens, the storage magazine protrudes into the machining chamber, and the exchangeable holder with cutting tool arranged in the storage magazine is exposed.

[0006] In this state, the machine tool's programming rotates the tool spindle along the B axis to orient the cutting tool holder held on the tool spindle away from the spindle. By moving the tool spindle in the xy plane, the cutting tool holder held on the tool spindle is set into an empty slot in the storage magazine. The cutting tool holder is then removed, and another cutting tool holder located in a different slot in the storage magazine is held in place, thereby replacing the cutting tool holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 124560 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the automatic tool changer described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the storage magazine is located behind the back plate except when changing the cutting tool holder, and therefore may protrude behind the rear end surface of the machine tool body.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an automatic tool changing device and a machine tool that prevent or suppress the storage magazine from protruding rearward from the rear end surface of the machine tool body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The first aspect of the present invention is an automatic tool changer comprising: a tool spindle that holds a cutting tool holder and moves the cutting tool holder in a direction that cuts into a workpiece gripped by the spindle; and a storage magazine that houses a plurality of interchangeable cutting tool holders, which is arranged in the space around the spindle between the workpiece and the tool spindle, wherein the storage magazine houses the plurality of cutting tool holders in a position where the axis of the cutting tool holder is aligned with the cutting direction, and the cutting tool holders are arranged in a line along the spindle.

[0011] The second aspect of the present invention is a machine tool equipped with an automatic tool changer according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The automatic tool changing device and machine tool according to the present invention prevent or suppress the storage magazine from protruding rearward from the rear end surface of the machine tool body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic lathe. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the inside of an automatic lathe, seen from the machining chamber side. [Figure 3] This diagram omits the description of the storage magazine case (front panel) in Figure 2 and shows the storage magazine located in the main shaft chamber on the rear side of the guide bush support base through a transparent view. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the inside of an automatic lathe, seen from the spindle chamber side. [Figure 5A] This is a perspective view showing a portion of the stored magazine protruding into the processing chamber. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A shows the case (front panel) with the labeling omitted and the view through it. [Figure 5C] Figures 5A and 5B show a perspective view from the spindle chamber side. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing a storage magazine with a tooling support member, which supports a cutting tool holder, fixed to a conveyor belt. [Figure 7] It is a plan view as viewed from arrow A in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a diagram (Part 1) for explaining the operations of a tool automatic changer and a lathe. [Figure 9] It is a diagram (Part 2) for explaining the operations of a tool automatic changer and a lathe. [Figure 10] It is a diagram (Part 3) for explaining the operations of a tool automatic changer and a lathe. [Figure 11] It is a diagram (Part 4) for explaining the operations of a tool automatic changer and a lathe. [Figure 12] It is a diagram (Part 5) for explaining the operations of a tool automatic changer and a lathe.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Embodiments of the tool automatic changer and the machine tool according to the present invention will be described as follows with reference to the drawings.

[0015] <Configuration of the Lathe> FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a lathe 100. The illustrated lathe 100 operates by numerical control (NC). The lathe 100 is an embodiment of the machine tool according to the present invention.

[0016] As shown in FIG. . 1, the lathe 100 includes an operation input unit 10 including a control unit that controls the operation of the lathe 100, at the upper part on the right side in the longitudinal direction L of the lathe 100. Further, the lathe 100 includes a machining chamber 90 and a spindle chamber 95 inside.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the lathe 100 as viewed from the machining chamber 90 side, FIG. 3 is a view showing through the storage magazine 80 disposed in the spindle chamber 95 on the back side of the guide bush support base 50 with the description of the case 81 (front panel 81a) of the storage magazine 80 in FIG. 2 omitted, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inside of the lathe 100 as viewed from the spindle chamber 95 side.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2-4, the automatic lathe 100 has an internal space that is divided in the longitudinal direction L into a machining chamber 90 and a spindle chamber 95. The machining chamber 90 and the spindle chamber 95 are separated by a guide bush support base 50 and two movable wall plates 58 and 59 that are formed rising in the height direction H.

[0019] The spindle chamber 95 is located on the right side of the longitudinal direction L shown in Figure 1, and the machining chamber 90 is located on the left side of the longitudinal direction L shown in Figure 1. The spindle chamber 95 houses the spindle 60 and the storage magazine 80 for the automatic tool changer 200.

[0020] The spindle 60 extends along the z-axis, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the automatic lathe 100. Under the control of the control unit of the automatic lathe 100, the spindle 60 chucks and grips a workpiece such as a bar stock extending along the z-axis, rotates the workpiece around the z-axis, and displaces the workpiece in the z-axis direction. In addition, the spindle 60 itself can be displaced in the z-axis direction under the control of the control unit.

[0021] The guide bush support base 50 has a through hole that extends from the spindle 60 and connects the spindle chamber 95 and the machining chamber 90. A guide bush 55 is fitted into the through hole. The guide bush 55 is detachably attached to the guide bush support base 50 in relation to the through hole.

[0022] With the guide bush 55 attached to the guide bush support base 50, the guide bush 55 rotatably supports the portion of the workpiece that is chucked by the spindle 60 and protruding from the spindle 60, around the z-axis. A portion of the workpiece supported by the guide bush 55 protrudes into the machining chamber 90, and the portion protruding into the machining chamber 90 is machined by a tool provided in the machining chamber 90, as described later.

[0023] The guide bush 55 may be a rotary guide bush in which the part that contacts the workpiece rotates in sync with the rotation of the spindle 60 around the z-axis, or it may be a fixed guide bush in which the part that contacts the workpiece does not rotate and supports the workpiece.

[0024] When the guide bush 55 is not attached to the guide bush support base 50, the spindle 60 advances along the z-axis toward the through hole, the tip of the spindle 60 is fitted into the through hole, the workpiece protruding from the tip of the spindle 60 is projected into the machining chamber 90, and machining can be performed on the workpiece without using the guide bush 55.

[0025] The machining chamber 90 is equipped with a comb-tooth tool post 20 and a tool spindle 30. The comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 can be moved along the x-axis, which is parallel to the depth direction W of the automatic lathe 100, and the y-axis, which is parallel to the height direction H, respectively, by a moving part 40, which will be described later. In other words, the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 can move within the xy plane (a two-dimensional plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis). In addition to moving within the xy plane as described above, the tool spindle 30 can also rotate around the y-axis (B-axis rotation).

[0026] The comb-tooth tool post 20 is positioned above the workpiece protruding into the machining chamber 90 in the height direction H. The comb-tooth tool post 20 supports multiple cutting tools 21, 22, ..., 25. Each cutting tool 21, 22, ..., 25 has a cutting tip fixed to one end of its shank.

[0027] Each cutting tool 21, 22, ..., 25 is supported on the comb-tooth tool post 20 in a position where the cutting tip is at the lower end of the shank and aligned along the height direction H, and the cutting tools 21, 22, ..., 25 are arranged in the depth direction W of the automatic lathe 100. The comb-tooth tool post 20 is moved along the x-axis by the movable part 40 to select one of the cutting tools 21, ..., 25 to be used for machining, and the comb-tooth tool post 20 is moved along the y-axis by the movable part 40 to adjust the depth of cut into the workpiece by the selected cutting tool 21, ..., 25.

[0028] Generally, in an automatic lathe, the direction for adjusting the depth of cut of the machining tool is set as the x-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the x-axis and z-axis is set as the y-axis. However, in the automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment, the cutting direction of the cutting tools 21, ..., 25 fixed to the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the cutting direction of the cutting tool holder 85 (with axis C3 positioned parallel to the depth direction W) supported by the tool spindle 30, which will be described later, are perpendicular to each other.

[0029] Therefore, the x-axis of the cutting tools 21, ..., 25 fixed to the comb-tooth tool post 20 corresponds to the y-axis of the cutting tool holder 85 supported on the tool spindle 30, and the y-axis of the cutting tools 21, ..., 25 fixed to the comb-tooth tool post 20 corresponds to the x-axis of the cutting tool holder 85 supported on the tool spindle 30. However, if the x-axis and y-axis are interchanged when explaining the operation of the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the operation of the tool spindle 30, the explanation becomes complicated and may lead to confusion.

[0030] Therefore, in the automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment, the direction parallel to the depth direction W is set as the x-axis, and the direction parallel to the height direction H is set as the y-axis.

[0031] The tool spindle 30 detachably holds the cutting tool holder 85. The tool spindle 30 is positioned at the back of the depth direction W relative to the workpiece protruding into the machining chamber 90 (in Figure 1, the operation input unit 10 is located at the front of the depth direction W, and in Figure 1, the back side is the rear side which cannot be seen). The tool spindle 30 is equipped with a cutting tool holder 85 and a cutting tool 86 arranged vertically in the height direction H.

[0032] Here, of the cutting tool holders 85 and cutting tools 86 arranged vertically, the lower cutting tool holder 85 is detachably mounted in a support hole 31 (Figure 2) formed in the tool spindle 30, and can be replaced with other cutting tool holders 85 by an automatic tool changer 200, which will be described later.

[0033] On the other hand, the upper cutting tool 86 is rotatably held on the tool spindle 30 and cannot be replaced by the automatic tool changer 200. However, this does not prevent the operator from manually replacing it with another cutting tool 86 when the automatic lathe 100 is stopped.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7, which will be described later, the cutting tool holder 85 comprises a cutting tool 85b and a holder 85a along the axis C3. The cutting tool 85b is a rotary tool such as a drill or milling tool that processes a workpiece by rotating around the axis C3. The holder 85a holds the cutting tool 85b and attaches to and detaches from the tool spindle 30. The holder 85a is formed in a tapered shape, with the side closer to the tool spindle 30 being narrower. This tapered portion of the holder 85a is inserted into the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30.

[0035] The tool spindle 30 holds the cutting tool holder 85 by inserting it into the support hole 31, with the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85 parallel to the depth direction W, and the cutting tool 85b facing towards the front in the depth direction W (closer to the workpiece protruding into the machining chamber 90), and the holder 85a facing towards the back in the depth direction W (farther from the workpiece protruding into the machining chamber 90).

[0036] The tool spindle 30 moves along the y-axis by the moving part 40 to select one of the cutting tool holders 85 to be used for machining the workpiece. While the cutting tool holder 85 rotates around axis C3, the tool spindle 30 moves along the x-axis by the moving part 40 (moving in the direction of cutting into the workpiece) to adjust the amount of cutting made into the workpiece by the selected cutting tool holder 85.

[0037] Furthermore, by rotating the cutting tool holder 85 on the tool spindle 30 around the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85 while simultaneously pivoting it around the y-axis (B-axis pivot), the cutting tool holder 85 held on the tool spindle 30 can be brought into contact with the workpiece held on the spindle 60 at an intersection angle other than a right angle, enabling machining of the workpiece at an angle inclined with respect to the workpiece's axis (z-axis) or at an angle parallel to the z-axis.

[0038] Furthermore, the automatic lathe 100 can also perform curved surface machining on a workpiece by changing the rotation angle of the tool spindle 30, moving it in the x-axis direction or y-axis direction, or by combining the movement of the workpiece in the z-axis direction with the movement of the workpiece spindle (c-axis) while the workpiece is being machined with the cutting tool holder 85.

[0039] The holder 85a of the cutting tool holder 85 (see Figure 7, described later) has a conical slope whose diameter decreases towards the axial end opposite to the cutting tool 85b. The tool spindle 30 and the cutting tool holder 85 are displaced in a direction that moves them apart relative to each other along the axis C3 direction of the cutting tool holder 85, thereby releasing the support of the cutting tool holder 85 from the tool spindle 30 and removing the cutting tool holder 85 from the tool spindle 30.

[0040] On the other hand, the cutting tool holder 85, which has been removed from the tool spindle 30, is displaced along the axis C3 direction of the cutting tool holder 85 in a direction that brings the two closer together, thereby mounting the cutting tool holder 85 to the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30 (see Figures 8 and 9 described later), and supporting the cutting tool holder 85 on the tool spindle 30.

[0041] The moving unit 40 moves the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 together in the depth direction W (x-axis direction) and the height direction H (y-axis direction) according to the control of the control unit of the automatic lathe 100. In other words, the moving unit 40 can move the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 in the xy plane.

[0042] The movable wall plates 58 and 59 are each formed by overlapping portions of multiple plate-like bodies in the depth direction W. When the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 move in the depth direction W, the length of the overlap between the plate-like bodies is changed, thereby preventing a gap in the depth direction W from forming in the partition between the machining chamber 90 and the spindle chamber 95.

[0043] Furthermore, the movable wall plates 58 and 59 are formed by overlapping portions of multiple plate-like bodies in the height direction H, similar to the depth direction W described above. When the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 move in the height direction H, the length of the overlap between the plate-like bodies is changed, so that no gap in the height direction H is created in the partition between the machining chamber 90 and the spindle chamber 95.

[0044] <Configuration of an automatic tool changer> Figure 5A is a perspective view showing a portion of the storage magazine 80 protruding into the machining chamber 90, Figure 5B is a view showing the case 81 (front plate 81a) in Figure 5A with the description omitted and transparent, and Figure 5C is a perspective view from the spindle chamber 95 side in the state shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0045] The automatic lathe 100 is equipped with an automatic tool changer 200. The automatic tool changer 200 consists of at least a moving part 40, a tool spindle 30, and a storage magazine 80.

[0046] As mentioned above, the storage magazine 80 is located in the spindle chamber 95. Specifically, the storage magazine 80 is located in the spindle chamber 95 between the spindle 60 or the workpiece held by the spindle 60 and the tool spindle 30 when it is moved to the innermost position within its range of motion in the depth direction W.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the storage magazine 80 comprises a case 81, a conveyor belt 83, a number of tooling support members 82, and a number of cutting tool holders 85. The guide bush support base 50 has through holes that allow the storage magazine 80 to pass through. The storage magazine 80 is positioned such that the axis C3 of the cutting tool holders 85 is aligned with the cutting direction (x-axis direction) of the tool spindle 60. The storage magazine 80 also stores a number of cutting tool holders 85 lined up along the spindle 60.

[0048] Here, the direction in which the numerous cutting tool holders 85 are arranged includes not only the direction that perfectly coincides with the axis C1 (z-axis direction) of the spindle 60, but also directions that are slightly inclined with respect to axis C1 in the x-axis and y-axis directions. For example, directions that are slightly inclined with respect to axis C1 in the x-axis and y-axis directions include directions with an angle of inclination of 30[°] or less relative to axis C1, preferably directions with an angle of inclination of 20[°] or less relative to axis C1, and even more preferably directions with an angle of inclination of 10[°] or less relative to axis C1. It is most preferable that the direction in which the numerous cutting tool holders 85 are arranged perfectly coincides with axis C1 (direction with an angle of inclination of 0[°] relative to axis C1).

[0049] The storage magazine 80 is configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction L (the direction of the axis C1 of the main spindle 60) under the control of the control unit, and as shown in Figure 5, a part of the storage magazine 80 is configured to protrude into the machining chamber 90 through an opening 51 formed in the guide bush support base 50.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5A, the case 81 is formed to cover at least the portion of the storage magazine 80's transport conveyor 83, tooling support member 82, and cutting tool holder 85 that protrudes into the processing chamber 90. The case 81 is formed in the shape of a bottomed rectangular tube with a bottom formed at one end.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5A, the case 81 is positioned such that the bottom surface of the bottomed rectangular tube is the front plate 81a facing the processing chamber 90, and as shown in Figure 4, the upper surface of the circumferential surface of the bottomed rectangular tube is the top plate 81b, the front surface in the depth direction W (rear side in Figure 5A) is the side plate 81c, the lower surface is the bottom plate 81d, and the rear surface in the depth direction W (front side in Figure 5A) is the side plate 81e.

[0052] The front panel 81a of the case 81 is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening 51 of the guide bush support base 50, as shown in Figure 2. When the storage magazine 80 does not protrude into the processing chamber 90, the front panel 81a closes the opening 51 and is formed to be flush with the surface of the guide bush support base 50 facing the processing chamber 90. The state in which the storage magazine 80 does not protrude into the processing chamber 90 is called the storage position of the storage magazine 80.

[0053] The top panel 81b and the rear side panel 81c of the case 81 have notches 81f and 81g formed in them, respectively. Notches 81f and 81g are connected to form a single, integrated notch.

[0054] When a portion of the storage magazine 80 protrudes into the machining chamber 90 as shown in Figure 5A, the notches 81f and 81g protrude into the machining chamber 90, and the tool spindle 30 accesses the case 81 through these notches 81f and 81g. In other words, when replacing the cutting tool holder 85 held by the tool spindle 30 with the cutting tool holder 85 located in the storage magazine 80, the tool spindle 30 and the cutting tool holder 85 supported by the tool spindle 30 pass through the notches 81f and 81g, preventing the tool spindle 30 and the cutting tool holder 85 from interfering with the case 81.

[0055] Thus, the state in which the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81 of the storage magazine 80 protrude to a position facing the processing chamber 90 is called the protruding position of the storage magazine 80.

[0056] The conveyor belt 83 moves integrally with the case 81 in the longitudinal direction L, and a portion of it can protrude into the processing chamber 90. The conveyor belt 83 extends along the longitudinal direction L, which is the direction in which the numerous swivel tool holders 85 are lined up, and forms a circulating path having an upper section located above the height direction H, a lower section located below the height direction H, and folded-back sections at both ends of the upper and lower sections that connect the upper and lower sections in a semi-circular arc.

[0057] Figure 6 is a side view showing a storage magazine 80 with a tooling support member 82, which supports a cutting tool holder 85, fixed to a conveyor belt 83, and Figure 7 is a plan view taken along arrow A in Figure 6.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, a large number (for example, 14) of tooling support members 82 are fixed in a line along the direction of circulation on the conveyor belt 83. The conveyor belt 83 circulates the tooling support members 82 by rotating pulleys and sprockets provided at the return section with motors controlled by the control unit.

[0059] When the conveyor belt 83 rotates the motor, it moves the tooling support member 82 located in the upper section toward the machining chamber 90, and moves the tooling support member 82 located in the lower section toward the machining chamber 90, and toward the machining chamber 95. Also, when the motor rotates in the reverse direction, the conveyor belt 83 moves the tooling support member 82 located in the upper section toward the machining chamber 90, and moves the tooling support member 82 located in the lower section toward the machining chamber 90.

[0060] Each tooling support member 82 detachably supports a cutting tool holder 85. As the conveyor 83 transports the tooling support members 82, multiple cutting tool holders 85 are sequentially transported in the direction of axis C1 of the spindle 60.

[0061] The tooling support member 82 is a plate-shaped member having a substantially U-shaped notch 82c, as shown, for example, as tooling support member 82a in Figure 6.

[0062] The tooling support member 82 supports the cutting tool holder 85 by fitting a groove 85c, formed in the circumferential direction of the cutting tool holder 85 (around the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85), into the claw portion 82b on the outside of the notch 82c, as shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 7, the tooling support member 82 supports the cutting tool holder 85 in the substantially U-shaped notch 82c of the tooling support member 82 with the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85 aligned with the depth direction W.

[0063] The tooling support member 82 prevents the cutting tool holder 85 from being attached to or detached in the direction of cutting into the workpiece (x-axis direction), but allows attachment and detachment in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction (x-axis direction) and the axis C1 direction of the spindle 60 (z-axis direction) (y-axis direction).

[0064] Since the tooling support members 82 are arranged in a line along the circulation direction of the conveyor belt 83, each tooling support member 82 supports a cutting tool holder 85, allowing a large number of cutting tool holders 85 to be stored in the storage magazine 80 along the longitudinal direction L of the spindle 60.

[0065] The holders 85 with numerous cutting tools stored in the storage magazine 80 are of different types, each with a different diameter and machining method for the cutting tools 85b, but may also include some of the same type for spares.

[0066] Note that all tooling support members 82 are the same as tooling support members 82a, and in Figure 5B, tooling support members 82 that are empty and not supporting the cutting tool holder 85 are indicated by reference numeral 82a.

[0067] When a portion of the storage magazine 80 protrudes into the processing chamber 90 (protruding position of the storage magazine 80), as shown in Figure 5A, the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81 protrude into the processing chamber 90. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the tooling support member 82, which is positioned in the portion of the conveyor belt 83 corresponding to the notches 81f and 81g in the longitudinal direction L, faces the processing chamber 90.

[0068] Therefore, when the storage magazine 80 is in its protruding position, the cutting tool holder 85 supported by the tool spindle 30 can be replaced with the cutting tool holder 85 stored in the storage magazine 80 by the operation of the tool spindle 30 when machining a workpiece held on the spindle 60 (B-axis rotation and movement in the xy plane).

[0069] Furthermore, at the protruding position, the conveyor belt 83 circulates the tooling support member 82, allowing the cutting tool holder 85 facing the machining chamber 90 through the notches 81f and 81g to be replaced, and one cutting tool holder 85 to be attached to the tool spindle 30 can be selected from the numerous cutting tool holders 85 stored in the storage magazine 80.

[0070] <Operation Description> Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 illustrate the operation of the automatic tool changer 200 and the automatic lathe 100. To make the positional relationship of the automatic tool changer 200 easier to see, the case 81 is omitted and shown in a transparent state, similar to Figures 3 and 5B. The automatic tool changer 200 and the automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment operate as follows, referring to Figures 8 to 12.

[0071] In the operation of turning a workpiece as usual, the automatic lathe 100 is in a stored state, with the storage magazine 80 moved towards the spindle chamber 95, as shown in Figure 2. In this stored state, the front plate 81a of the case 81 is flush with the surface of the guide bush support base 50, and the storage magazine 80 does not protrude into the machining chamber 90.

[0072] Therefore, even when the moving unit 40 moves the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 within the machining chamber 90 as part of normal machining operations, the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the tool spindle 30 do not interfere with the storage magazine 80. As a result, the automatic lathe 100 can machine workpieces protruding into the machining chamber 90 using the cutting tools 21-25 held on the comb-tooth tool post 20 and the cutting tool holder 85 held on the tool spindle 30.

[0073] The operation of the automatic lathe 100 when replacing the cutting tool holder 85 held on the tool spindle 30 is as follows:

[0074] First, the moving unit 40 retracts the tool spindle 30 and the comb-tooth tool post 20, including the two cutting tool holders 85 and cutting tools 21-25 that they hold, from the range in which the storage magazine 80 protrudes into the machining chamber 90.

[0075] The range in which the storage magazine 80 protrudes into the machining chamber 90 is specifically the range of the trajectory of the front plate 81a of the case 81 of the storage magazine 80 as it moves between the storage position shown in Figure 2 and the protruding position shown in Figure 5B. Therefore, the tool spindle 30 and the comb-tooth tool post 20, including the two cutting tool holders 85 and cutting tools 21-25 that they hold, move to a reference position that is outside the range of the trajectory of the front plate 81a between the storage position and the protruding position (Figures 2, 3).

[0076] Next, the automatic tool changer 200 moves the storage magazine 80 along the longitudinal direction L, as indicated by the white arrows in Figures 5A and 5C, to a protruding position where a portion of the storage magazine 80 protrudes into the machining chamber 90 (Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C). At the protruding position of the storage magazine 80, as described above, the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81 protrude into the machining chamber 90, so the tool spindle 30 can access the cutting tool holder 85 located inside the storage magazine 80 through the notches 81f and 81g.

[0077] Furthermore, the automatic tool changer 200 drives the conveyor belt 83 to position an empty tooling support member 82a, which does not support the cutting tool holder 85, in a position facing the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81, as shown in Figure 6. The tooling support member 82a may be moved in parallel with the operation of moving the storage magazine 80 facing the notches 81f and 81g to the protruding position, or it may be moved before or after the operation of moving the storage magazine 80 to the protruding position.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figure 8, the moving unit 40 moves the tool spindle 30 along the x-axis in the direction of the white arrow (towards the front in the depth direction W), and positions the cutting tool holder 85, which is supported by the support hole 31 on the lower side of the tool spindle 30, directly above the empty tooling support member 82a that faces the machining chamber 90 through the notches 81f, 81g of the storage magazine 80 (Figure 8 omits the description of the case 81, so the notches 81f, 81g are also omitted).

[0079] Here, directly above the empty tooling support member 82a is the position along the x-axis where the groove 85c (see Figure 7) of the cutting tool holder 85 supported in the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30 coincides with the claw portion 82b (see Figures 6 and 7) of the tooling support member 82a.

[0080] When the movable part 40 moves the tool spindle 30, the comb-tooth tool post 20 also moves together with the tool spindle 30. However, the movement of the comb-tooth tool post 20 is unnecessary for describing the operation of this embodiment, so unless it is necessary to mention it, the movement of the comb-tooth tool post 20 will be omitted below.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 9, the moving part 40 moves the tool spindle 30 along the y-axis in the direction of the white arrow (downward in the height direction H), and the cutting tool holder 85, which is supported in the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30, is supported by the empty tooling support member 82a through the notches 81f and 81g of the storage magazine 80 (Figure 9 omits the description of the case 81, so the notches 81f and 81g are also omitted).

[0082] Here, the state in which the cutting tool holder 85 is supported by the tooling support member 82a is the state in which the groove 85c of the cutting tool holder 85, which is supported in the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30, is fitted into the claw portion 82b of the tooling support member 82a. In the state in which the cutting tool holder 85 is supported by the tooling support member 82a, the cutting tool holder 85 cannot move along the x-axis.

[0083] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the moving part 40 moves the tool spindle 30 along the x-axis in the direction of the white arrow (towards the back in the depth direction W). At this time, the cutting tool holder 85, which is supported in the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30, is supported by the tooling support member 82a and therefore cannot move in the x-axis direction together with the tool spindle 30. As a result, the cutting tool holder 85 is removed from the tool spindle 30.

[0084] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the automatic tool changer 200 drives the conveyor belt 83 to move the tooling support member 82, which supports the cutting tool holder 85 to be attached to the tool spindle 30, to a position facing the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81.

[0085] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the moving part 40 moves the tool spindle 30 along the x-axis in the direction of the white arrow (towards the front in the depth direction W). In the state shown in Figures 10 and 11, the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30 is positioned on the extension of the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85 to be mounted, which has been moved to a position facing the notches 81f and 81g. Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, when the tool spindle 30 moves along the x-axis towards the front in the depth direction W, the holder 85a of the cutting tool holder 85 to be mounted, which is supported by the tooling support member 82, is inserted into the support hole 31, and the cutting tool holder 85 to be mounted is attached to and held on the tool spindle 30.

[0086] Next, the moving unit 40 moves the tool spindle 30 upward in the height direction H along the y-axis, returning it to the position shown in Figure 8. At this time, the cutting tool holder 85 held in the support hole 31 of the tool spindle 30 is removed from the tooling support member 82, and the tooling support member 82 becomes empty.

[0087] Furthermore, the moving unit 40 moves the tool spindle 30 to the rear in the depth direction W along the x-axis, returning the tool spindle 30 to the reference position shown in Figure 5A, before the cutting tool holder 85 was replaced.

[0088] Next, the automatic tool changer 200 moves the storage magazine 80 to the storage position (spindle chamber 95) shown in Figure 2, and completes the operation of changing the cutting tool holder 85.

[0089] As described above, in this embodiment, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 support the cutting tool holder 85 to be replaced by the tooling support member 82 so that the axis C3 of the cutting tool holder 85 is in a position parallel to the x-axis. Therefore, the cutting tool holder 85 held on the tool spindle 30 can be replaced by the tool spindle 30 using only the normal operation of the tool spindle 30 (movement in the xy plane) when machining a workpiece protruding into the machining chamber 90.

[0090] Furthermore, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment do not use B-axis rotation when changing the cutting tool holder 85, thus shortening the change time compared to when B-axis rotation is involved in changing the cutting tool holder 85.

[0091] Furthermore, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment do not move the storage magazine 80, which houses a large number of cutting tool holders 85, in the depth direction W of the automatic lathe 100. Moreover, when the cutting tool holders 85 are not being changed, the storage magazine 80 is not positioned at the rear end of the depth direction W (the rear side of the automatic lathe 100). Therefore, the storage magazine 80 does not protrude backward from the rear end surface of the automatic lathe 100.

[0092] Therefore, the size of the space in the depth direction W for which the automatic lathe 100 is installed can be reduced. As a result, the automatic tool changer 200 and the automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment can improve the power consumption efficiency per unit area in which the automatic lathe 100 is installed, and can also contribute to reducing the environmental burden.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 allow the storage magazine 80 to be placed in an existing space formed around the spindle 60, or in a space formed around the spindle 60 by moving auxiliary equipment for rotating the guide bush 55 in synchronization with the spindle 60. This provides a high degree of design freedom for the size and shape of the storage magazine 80, and allows for a compact storage magazine 80. Moreover, the storage magazine 80 can accommodate a large number of cutting tool holders 85.

[0094] Furthermore, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment can have the same or substantially the same external dimensions as an automatic lathe without the automatic tool changer 200, thanks to the high degree of design freedom and compactness of the storage magazine 80, and the storage of a large number of cutting tool holders 85.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 arrange the numerous cutting tool holders 85 to be changed along the longitudinal direction L, which is the direction in which the spindle 60 extends. As a result, a larger number of cutting tool holders 85 can be stored than when the cutting tool holders 85 are arranged along the depth direction W or height direction H. This reduces the frequency of setup work such as changing the cutting tool holders 85 stored in the storage magazine 80, improving work efficiency and contributing to a reduction in environmental impact.

[0096] In this embodiment, the automatic tool changer 200 and automatic lathe 100 perform movement of the tool spindle 30 in the xy plane and rotation along the B axis. However, the tool spindle 30 may also be made capable of moving along the z axis.

[0097] In this case, the notches 81f and 81g of the case 81 in the storage magazine 80 are formed to be elongated in the longitudinal direction L, and two or more cutting tool holders 85 face the machining chamber 90 through the notches 81f and 81g. This allows any one of the two or more cutting tool holders 85 facing the machining chamber 90 through the notches 81f and 81g to be selected by moving the tool spindle 30 along the x-axis.

[0098] Therefore, the automatic lathe 100 and automatic tool changer 200 with this configuration, when combined with the circulating operation of the conveyor belt 83, can reduce the time required to change the cutting tool holder 85.

[0099] The automatic lathe 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a comb-tooth tool post 20 in addition to the tool spindle 30, but the machine tool according to the present invention only needs to be equipped with a tool spindle 30 and does not need to be equipped with a comb-tooth tool post 20. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 30 Tool spindle 40 Mobile Unit 60 spindle 80 Storage Magazines 82,82a Tooling support member 83 Conveyor 85 Cutting tool holder 90 Processing room 95 Spindle room 100 Automatic Lathes (Machine Tools) 200 Automatic tool changer C1,C2,C3 axis H (height direction) L Longitudinal direction W (depth direction)

Claims

1. A cutting tool holder is detachably held, and the cutting tool holder is moved in a direction that cuts into the workpiece gripped by the spindle, It comprises a storage magazine containing a plurality of interchangeable cutting tool holders, which are located in the spindle chamber and can protrude into the machining chamber through an opening formed in the partition wall separating the spindle chamber from the machining chamber, The storage magazine stores the cutting tool holders in a position where the shaft of each cutting tool holder is aligned with the cutting direction, and multiple cutting tool holders are arranged along the main spindle. An automatic tool changer, wherein the storage magazine has a case that, when not protruding into the machining chamber, closes the opening and becomes flush with the surface of the partition wall facing the machining chamber.

2. The automatic tool changing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage magazine moves along the axial direction of the main spindle.

3. The automatic tool changing device according to claim 2, wherein the storage magazine is equipped with a conveying conveyor that sequentially transports a plurality of cutting tool holders in the direction in which the cutting tool holders are arranged.

4. The conveying conveyor has tooling support members that support each of the multiple cutting tool holders, The tooling support member prevents the cutting tool holder from being attached or detached in the cutting direction, and allows it to be attached or detached in directions perpendicular to the cutting direction and the axial direction of the spindle, respectively. The automatic tool changer according to claim 3, wherein the case is formed to cover at least the portion of the transport conveyor and the tooling support member that protrudes into the machining chamber, and a notch is formed in the area through which the tool spindle passes when the cutting tool holder is changed.

5. A machine tool equipped with an automatic tool changer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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