Tool replacing device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to rotate a tool pot without a driving source dedicated for rotation movement of the tool pot. This tool replacing device comprises a magazine, an arm, and a pot interlocking mechanism. The magazine has a magazine body, and a plurality of tool pots attached to the magazine body. One of the plurality of tool pots is disposed at a replacing position through rotation of the magazine body. The tool pot is disposed at a replacing angle and a housing angle through rotation of the tool pot at the replacing position. The arm has first and second gripping members. The arm removes a next-use tool from the tool pot at the replacing angle and attaches the same to a main shaft by means of one of the gripping members, and removes a former-used tool from the main shaft and attaches the same to the tool pot at the replacing angle by means of the other gripping member. The pot interlocking mechanism rotates the tool pot at the replacing position by interlocking the same with relative movement of the arm relative to the magazine.

Description

tool changer

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tool changer that changes a tool attached to a spindle of a machine tool.

[0002] Some tool changers remove a previously used tool, which is one of a plurality of tools, from the spindle and attach a next-to-use tool, which is a tool different from the previously used tool, to the spindle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-132555

[0004] More specifically, the tool changer may include a magazine and an arm. The magazine has a plurality of tool pots to which tools can be attached, and the magazine is rotated to place one of the plurality of tool pots at the change position. The tool pot is rotatable between a change angle and a storage angle at the change position. The arm removes the next tool to be used from the tool pot at the change angle and attaches it to the spindle, and also removes the previously used tool from the spindle and attaches it to the tool pot at the change angle.

[0005] The present inventors have noticed the following problem with such a configuration: A separate drive source such as an air cylinder is required to rotate the tool pot at the tool change position, which makes the structure of the tool changer complex.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to rotate a tool pot without a drive source dedicated to the rotational operation of the tool pot.

[0007] a tool changer that removes a previously-used tool, which is one of a plurality of tools, from a spindle of a machine tool and attaches a next-use tool, which is different from the previously-used tool, to the spindle; the tool changer comprises: a magazine having a rotatable magazine body and a plurality of tool pots, each rotatably attached to the magazine body, wherein a tool can be attached to each of the tool pots, and wherein rotation of the magazine body positions one of the plurality of tool pots at an exchange position, and rotation of the tool pot at the exchange position positions the tool pot at an exchange angle and a storage angle; an arm having first and second gripping members, which uses one of the gripping members to remove the next-use tool from the tool pot at the exchange angle and attach it to the spindle, and which uses the other gripping member to remove the previously-used tool from the spindle and attach it to the tool pot at the exchange angle; and a pot interlocking mechanism that rotates the tool pot at the exchange position in conjunction with relative movement of the arm with respect to the magazine.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the tool pot can be rotated without a drive source dedicated to the rotational movement of the tool pot.

[0009] 1 is a perspective view showing a tool changer of a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the tool changer; FIG. 3 is a front view showing an arm and a pot interlocking mechanism; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a tool pot and a tool at a storage angle; FIG. 5 is a front view showing a tool pot and a tool at an exchange angle; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tool pot; FIG. 7 is a side view showing a holding portion of the tool pot; FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an arm, an arm lifting device, and an arm rotating device; FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view showing a gripping portion of a gripping member; FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an arm; FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing an arm; FIG. 12 is a front view schematically showing an arm; FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the gripping members have been rotated to a release angle; FIG. 14 is a front view schematically showing two gripping members shifted in a second direction; FIG. 15 is a front view schematically showing an initial state of a rotational operation of the spindle-side gripping member; FIG. 16 is a front view schematically showing a subsequent rotational operation; FIG. 17 is a front view schematically showing a subsequent rotational operation; FIG. 18 is a front view schematically showing a subsequent rotational operation; 1 is a front view showing an initial state of a tool changing operation; FIG. 2 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 3 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 5 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 6 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 7 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 8 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 9 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 10 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 11 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 12 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 13 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; FIG. 14 is a front view showing a subsequent operation; 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for controlling the moving speed of the arm.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0011] First Embodiment A tool changer 100 shown in Fig. 1 is installed relative to a machine tool 200 as shown in Fig. 2. Hereinafter, three predetermined directions that are orthogonal to one another will be referred to as the "left-right direction X," the "front-rear direction Y," and the "up-down direction Z."

[0012] 2, machine tool 200 has a spindle assembly 210. Spindle assembly 210 has a spindle 215 installed with its axial length oriented in the vertical direction Z, and a housing 211 that covers spindle 215, and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z.

[0013] 2, one of a plurality of tools T is attached to the lower end of the spindle 215. Hereinafter, the tool T of the plurality of tools T that has been attached to the spindle 215 so far will be referred to as the "previously used tool Tp," and the tool T of the plurality of tools T that will be next attached to the spindle 215 will be referred to as the "next used tool Tn."

[0014] The tool changer 100 automatically removes the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215 and attaches the next used tool Tn to the spindle 215. The tool changer 100 has a magazine 30, an arm 50, a pot interlocking mechanism 40, and a gripping interlocking mechanism 60.

[0015] First, a description will be given of the magazine 30. As shown in FIG.

[0016] The magazine body 39 is configured to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction X. A plurality of tool pots 33 are attached to the magazine body 39. By rotating the magazine body 39, one of the plurality of tool pots 33 is disposed at the lowest "exchange position P," which serves as a standby position for tool exchange.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 7 , each tool pot 33 has a holding portion 34 to which a tool T can be attached. The tool pot 33 is connected to the magazine body 39 by the holding portion 34 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the front-rear direction Y. In other words, the holding portion 34 for attaching the tool T also serves as the rotation 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 FIG. 5 at an exchange position P shown in FIG. 4 . The storage angle Pa is the angle at which the tool pot 33 is tilted in the left-right direction X, as shown in FIG. 4 . The exchange angle Pb is the angle at which the tool pot 33 is erected in the up-down direction Z, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0018] As shown in FIG. 6 , each tool pot 33 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens downward when at the tool exchange angle Pb. A tool T is attached to each tool pot 33 by inserting the upper end of the tool T into the holding portion 34 from below. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the upper end of each tool T is provided with an annular upper engagement groove Ga extending in the up-down direction Z. The holding portion 34 has a pair of clamping members 34 a, 34 a that can engage with the upper engagement groove Ga from both sides in the front-rear direction Y, and clamping springs 34 b, 34 b that bias the clamping members 34 a, 34 a toward each other. With this structure, the holding portion 34 is configured to be able to attach a tool T.

[0019] Each holding portion 34 also has a pair of cylindrical storage members 34c, 34c that store the clamping springs 34b, 34b, respectively. At least the outer periphery of each storage member 34c is axially symmetrical. The tool pot 33 is rotatably attached to the magazine body 39 by this pair of storage members 34c, 34c. As shown in FIG. 6, a notch 38 is formed in the outer periphery of the tool pot 33 on the side facing the replacement angle Pb from the storage angle Pa. The function of this notch 38 will be described later.

[0020] Hereinafter, the tool pot 33 arranged at the exchange angle Pb in the exchange position P as shown in Figure 5 will be simply referred to as the "tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb." Furthermore, removing the next-to-use tool Tn from the "holding portion 34 of the tool pot 33" will be simply referred to as removing the next-to-use tool Tn from the "tool pot 33." Furthermore, attaching the previously-used tool Tp to the "holding portion 34 of the tool pot 33" will be simply referred to as attaching the previously-used tool Tp to the "tool pot 33."

[0021] Next, the arm 50 shown in Fig. 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.

[0022] As shown schematically in Fig. 15, the arm 50 has an arm main 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, hereinafter, as shown schematically in Fig. 12, a predetermined horizontal direction based on the arm main body 59 will be referred to as the "first direction Ya," and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction Ya 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.

[0023] As shown schematically in Fig. 12, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are offset from each other in the first direction Ya when viewed in the vertical direction Z. As shown schematically in Fig. 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 toward one side in the second direction Xa, and the second gripping member 52 has an L-shape extending downward and then toward the other side in the second direction Xa. The upper ends of the gripping members 51, 52 are attached to an arm body 59 by respective shaft members 55 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the first direction Ya. A gripping portion 54 is provided at the tip end, which is the end of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 in the second direction Xa.

[0024] 12, when viewed in the up-down direction Z, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are supported so as to be rotatable about an axis in the first direction Ya, with their gripping portions 54 facing opposite sides in the second direction Xa. This rotation causes the gripping members 51, 52 to be displaced to a gripping angle Qb shown in Fig. 13 for gripping the tool T and a release angle Qa shown in Fig. 14 for releasing the grip of the tool T. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 partially overlap each other when viewed in the first direction Ya.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 9 , the gripping portion 54 has a U-shape that opens toward the tip, i.e., toward one side in the second direction Xa, and is configured to allow the upper part of the tool T to be inserted therein. Specifically, an engagement recess Gc and a lower engagement groove Gb are provided below the upper engagement groove Ga on the upper part of the tool T. The gripping portion 54 has an engagement protrusion 54c, a pair of engagement members 54a, 54a, and a pair of engagement springs 54b, 54b. The engagement protrusion 54c is provided on the side of the gripping portion 54 opposite the tip side and protrudes toward the tip side so as to be engageable with the engagement recess Gc. The pair of engagement members 54a, 54a are configured to be engageable with the lower engagement groove Gb from both sides in the first direction Ya, on the tip side of the center line of the tool T. The pair of engagement springs 54b, 54b urge the pair of engagement members 54a, 54a toward each other. With the above configuration, each gripping portion 54 is configured to be able to grip the tool T at three points.

[0026] 13 is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction Z and to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction Z. 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 "grip member 51 on the magazine 30 side" or the "grip member 52 on the magazine 30 side" as appropriate for the drawings to be referenced. Furthermore, of the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52, the gripping member whose gripping portion 54 is on the spindle 215 side will be referred to as the "grip member 52 on the spindle 215 side" or the "grip member 51 on the spindle 215 side" as appropriate for the drawings to be referenced.

[0027] Next, the pot interlocking mechanism 40 shown in Fig. 3 will be described. The pot interlocking mechanism 40 rotates the tool pot 33 at the changing position P from the storage angle Pa to the changing angle Pb and then rotates it back to the storage angle Pa in conjunction with the relative lowering of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30. Furthermore, the pot interlocking mechanism 40 rotates the tool pot 33 at the changing position P from the storage angle Pa to the changing angle Pb and then rotates it back to the storage angle Pa in conjunction with the relative ascent of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30.

[0028] The pot interlocking mechanism 40 has 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 abuts against the link roller 45. The link roller 45 is urged toward the arm-side cam 41 by the weight of the link mechanism 46, a return spring (not shown) of the tool pot 33 (described later), other return springs, weights, etc.

[0029] The pot rollers 48 are attached to each tool pot 33 at a location spaced from the holder 34, i.e., at a location spaced from the rotation axis. When the lower end of the link mechanism 46 rises, the pot rollers 48 are pushed up by the lower end. This causes the tool pot 33 to rotate toward the exchange angle Pb. The aforementioned return spring (not shown) is attached to each tool pot 33, and the tool pot 33 is biased toward the storage angle Pa by the biasing force of the return spring.

[0030] 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 .

[0031] 22, when the arm 50 descends relative to the magazine 30, the lower part of the arm-side cam 41 displaces the link roller 45 toward the magazine 30, thereby raising the lower end of the link mechanism 46, thereby rotating the tool pot 33 toward the replacement angle Pb. Also, as shown in FIG. 24, when the arm 50 further descends relative to the magazine 30, the upper part of the arm-side cam 41 displaces the link roller 45 toward the arm 50, thereby lowering the lower end of the link mechanism 46, thereby returning the tool pot 33 to the storage angle Pa.

[0032] 29, when the arm 50 rises relative to the magazine 30, the upper part of the arm-side cam 41 displaces the link roller 45 toward the magazine 30, thereby raising the lower end of the link mechanism 46, thereby rotating the tool pot 33 toward the replacement angle Pb. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 31, when the arm 50 further rises relative to the magazine 30, the lower part of the arm-side cam 41 displaces the link roller 45 toward the arm 50, thereby lowering the lower end of the link mechanism 46, thereby returning the tool pot 33 to the storage angle Pa.

[0033] Next, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 shown in FIG. 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 descent of the arm 50 with respect 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 descent of the arm 50 with respect 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 ascent of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30. 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 ascent of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30.

[0034] As shown schematically in Fig. 15, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a magazine-side cam 61, a spindle-side cam 62, and an arm roller 64. For ease of visibility, Fig. 15 shows the two gripping members 51, 52 as being offset in the second direction Xa. However, in reality, as described above, the two gripping members 51, 52 partially overlap each other when viewed in the first direction Ya. However, if there is sufficient space in the second direction Xa, the two gripping members 51, 52 may actually be installed offset in the second direction Xa, as shown in Fig. 15.

[0035] 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 of the gripping members 51, 52. Therefore, the arm roller 64 moves together with the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine-side cam 61 and the spindle-side cam 62. The gripping members 51, 52 are biased toward the release angle Qa by a return spring, a weight, their own weight, etc. Therefore, 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.

[0036] 16, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 further has a release cam 63 and a release roller 65. The release cam 63 is provided at a position farther 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, 52. The release roller 65 moves together with the arm 50 relative to the release cam 63 in the vertical direction Z.

[0037] 23, in conjunction with the relative downward movement of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the magazine 30 in accordance with 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 FIG. 31, in conjunction with the relative upward movement of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the arm 50 in accordance with 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.

[0038] 17, in conjunction with the relative descent of the arm 50 with respect to the spindle 215, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the spindle 215 in accordance with the profile of the spindle-side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side to rotate toward the gripping angle Qb. Also, as shown schematically in FIG. 19, in conjunction with the relative ascent of the arm 50 with respect to the spindle 215 to a predetermined position, the arm roller 64 is displaced toward the arm 50 in accordance with the profile of the spindle-side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side to rotate toward the release angle Qa.

[0039] 20 , in conjunction with further relative elevation of the arm 50 from the aforementioned predetermined position with respect to the main shaft 215, the release roller 65 is displaced toward the arm 50 in accordance with the profile of the release cam 63, causing the gripping member 52 on the main shaft 215 side to further rotate toward the release angle Qa. This rotation causes the arm roller 64 to move away from the main shaft-side cam 62.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2 , the tool changer 100 further includes a magazine rotation device 73, an arm lifting device 75, an arm rotating device 76, and a control device 80. The magazine rotation device 73 rotates the magazine 30 about an axis in the left-right direction X. The arm lifting device 75 moves the arm 50 in the up-down direction Z. The arm rotating device 76 rotates the arm 50 about an axis in the up-down direction Z. The magazine rotation device 73, the arm lifting device 75, and the arm rotating device 76 are all actuators such as motors. Within the tool changer 100, the control device 80 controls each device, including these actuators.

[0041] 21 to 32, a specific procedure for tool change based on control by the control device 80 will be described. As shown in Fig. 21, in the initial state, the arm 50 is disposed at a "standby position W" which is the uppermost position of the stroke in the vertical direction Z. At this time, the gripping members 51, 52 are disposed at a release angle Qa.

[0042] From this state, the arm 50 descends as shown in Fig. 22. 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 Fig. 23, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P is positioned at the exchange angle Pb, and the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side is positioned at the gripping angle Qb, so that the gripping member 51 grips the upper part of the next-to-be-used tool Tn in the tool pot 33.

[0043] From this state, as shown in Figure 24, the arm 50 further descends, causing the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 to remove the next-to-be-used tool Tn from the tool pot 33 at the exchange angle Pb. Then, as the arm 50 further descends, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P rotates toward the storage angle Pa. At this time, the top of the next-to-be-used tool Tn passes through the notch 38. Then, as shown in Figure 25, when the tool pot 33 rotates to the storage angle Pa, the magazine 30 starts to rotate and starts the operation of moving the desired tool pot 33 storing the previously-used tool Tp to the exchange angle Pb.

[0044] 25, in parallel with these operations, the arm 50 descends and the spindle assembly 210 ascends, 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 to grip the upper part of the previously used tool Tp of the spindle 215.

[0045] From this state, as shown in FIG. 26 , the spindle assembly 210 is further raised, that is, the arm 50 is further lowered relative to the spindle 215, causing the spindle-side gripping member 52 to remove the previously used tool Tp from the spindle 215.

[0046] Next, as shown in Figure 27, the arm 50 rotates 180° about an axis in the vertical direction Z. This rotation causes the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side and the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side to switch places with each other. As a result, the previously used tool Tp becomes the magazine 30 side, and the next used tool Tn becomes the spindle 215 side. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 28, the spindle assembly 210 is lowered, that is, the arm 50 is raised relative to the spindle 215, and the gripping member 51 on the spindle 215 side attaches the next used tool Tn to the spindle 215.

[0047] 29, the spindle assembly 210 further descends 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 to release the grip on the next tool to be used Tn.

[0048] 29, the arm 50 rises relative to the magazine 30. In conjunction with this relative rise, the tool pot 33 at the changing position P rotates toward the changing angle Pb. At this time, the operation of moving the desired tool pot 33 to the changing position P has already been completed. Therefore, the desired tool pot 33 is disposed at the changing position P. When the tool pot 33 rotates toward the changing angle Pb, the upper part of the previously used tool Tp passes through the notch 38 of the rotating tool pot 33.

[0049] Then, as shown in FIG. 30, the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P is disposed 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.

[0050] 31, in conjunction with the further elevation of the arm 50, the tool pot 33 at the changing 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 its grip on the previously used tool Tp. Then, as shown in FIG. 32, in conjunction with the arm 50 rising to its original uppermost standby position W, the tool pot 33 at the changing position P returns to the storage angle Pa.

[0051] The configuration and effects of this embodiment will be summarized below.

[0052] 7, the tool pot 33 is rotatably attached to the magazine body 39 by a holder 34 for attaching a tool T, and the holder 34 also serves as the rotation axis of the tool pot 33. Therefore, the structure of the tool pot 33 is simpler than when the holder 34 and the rotation axis are provided separately.

[0053] 3 rotates the tool pot 33 at the exchange position P in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30. Therefore, the tool pot 33 can be rotated between the exchange angle Pb and the storage angle Pa without a dedicated drive source for rotating the tool pot 33.

[0054] 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 with respect to the magazine 30. Thereafter, 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 predetermined position with respect to the magazine 30. Therefore, a series of operations can be performed in conjunction with the relative descent of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30, in which the tool pot 33 is rotated from the storage angle Pa to the exchange angle Pb and then returned to the storage angle Pa. Similarly, the series of operations can be performed in conjunction with the relative ascent of the arm 50 with respect to the magazine 30.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6 , a notch 38 is formed on the outer periphery of the tool pot 33 in the direction from the storage angle Pa toward the exchange angle Pb. Then, while the arm 50 is moving relative to the magazine 30, the tool pot 33 rotates, and the upper part of the tool T passes through the notch 38. This allows the relative movement of the arm 50 relative to the magazine 30 and the rotation of the tool pot 33 to overlap significantly, thereby shortening the cycle time for tool exchange. Furthermore, when the tool pot 33 is rotated in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine 30, even if the stroke of the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z is small, this large overlap ensures a sufficiently large stroke for the rotation of the tool pot 33. Therefore, the required stroke of the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine 30 can be reduced.

[0056] 13 and 14 , the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52 are configured to be rotatable independently of each other in the front-to-rear direction Y, and rotate independently of each other to grip and release the tool T. Therefore, it is easier to perform other operations in parallel with the work performed by the arm 50, compared to a case where the tool T can only be gripped and released at the same time.

[0057] 24 , the control device 80 removes the next-to-use tool Tn from the tool pot 33 at the changing 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 of removing the previously-used tool Tp, the control device 80 rotates the magazine 30 to arrange the desired tool pot 33 that stores the previously-used tool Tp at the changing position P. This allows the previously-used tool Tp to be quickly stored in the desired tool pot 33.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 12, the first and second gripping members 51, 52 are offset from each other in the first direction Ya when viewed in the vertical direction Z, and the gripping portions 54 are arranged facing opposite sides in the second direction Xa. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 13, the first and second gripping members 51, 52 can be arranged so that they partially overlap each other when viewed in the first direction Ya. This allows the arm 50 to be compactly arranged in the second direction Xa while avoiding interference between the first gripping member 51 and the second gripping member 52.

[0059] 2 is slightly rotated around the vertical direction Z to press the gripping portion 54 against the tool T to grip the tool T, or to pull it away from the tool T to release the grip of the tool T, the following problem occurs. That is, the arm 50 needs to be firmly stopped from pivoting before it can be moved in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine 30 and the spindle 215. Therefore, it is difficult to overlap other operations, such as raising and lowering the arm 50, with the acceleration and deceleration operations for gripping and releasing the tool T. This makes it difficult to shorten the cycle time for tool change.

[0060] In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the gripping members 51, 52 are configured to be rotatable about a first direction Ya perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle 215. In addition, a gripping interlocking mechanism 60, schematically shown in FIG. 15 , is provided. 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 with respect to the magazine 30, thereby gripping and releasing the tool T. The gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also rotates the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z with respect to the spindle 215, thereby gripping and releasing the tool T. Therefore, there is no need to pivot the arm 50 about the vertical direction Z to grip or release the tool T. Naturally, therefore, there is no need to stop the arm 50 from pivoting completely before moving the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the magazine 30 or the spindle 215. Therefore, other operations of the arm 50, such as raising and lowering of the arm 50, can be overlapped with the rotational operations of the gripping members 51 and 52, i.e., the acceleration and deceleration operations for gripping and releasing the grip of the tool T. This allows the cycle time for tool change to be shortened.

[0061] As shown schematically in FIG. 16 , the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 includes a spindle-side cam 62, an arm roller 64, a release cam 63, and a release roller 65. As shown schematically in FIG. 19 , when the arm 50 rises relative to the spindle 215 to a predetermined position, the arm roller 64 displaces in accordance with the profile of the spindle-side cam 62, causing the gripping member 52 to rotate toward the release angle Qa. As shown schematically in FIG. 20 , when the arm 50 further rises relative to the spindle 215 from the predetermined position, the release roller 65 displaces in accordance with the profile of the release cam 63, causing the gripping member 52 to further rotate 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 force from the arm roller 64. At this time, the release roller 65 abuts against the release cam 63, but because the release cam 63 is farther away from the main shaft 215 than the main shaft-side cam 62, external force is less likely to be applied to the main shaft 215 than when the arm roller 64 abuts against the main shaft-side cam 62. Therefore, the external force applied to the main shaft 215 during machining of the main shaft 215 can be suppressed, and the adverse effects of external force on machining accuracy and machined surface quality can be suppressed.

[0062] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 33 to 37. Note that the following embodiments, including this embodiment, will be described based on a specific embodiment that precedes it, focusing on differences from that embodiment, and descriptions of aspects that are the same as or similar to the embodiment on which they are based will be omitted as appropriate. This embodiment will be described based on the first embodiment.

[0063] 33, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a spring 67, a gripping side stopper 68a, a release side stopper 68b, and a rotation mechanism 69. Note that in this embodiment, only one gripping member 52 will be described, but the same applies to the other gripping member 51.

[0064] One end of the spring 67 is attached to the arm body 59 and the other end is attached to the gripping member 52. 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 FIG. 35 , when the gripping member 52 is at the gripping angle Qb side of the midpoint, the spring 67 biases the gripping member 52 toward the gripping angle Qb. The gripping side stopper 68b prevents the gripping member 52 from rotating further once it has reached the gripping angle Qb. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 37 , when the gripping member 52 is at the release angle Qa side of the midpoint, the spring 67 biases the gripping member 52 toward the release angle Qa. The release side stopper 68a prevents the gripping member 52 from rotating further once it has reached the release angle Qa.

[0065] Specifically, in this embodiment, the spring 67 is a tension spring whose length is greatest at the midpoint, although, for example, the spring 67 may alternatively be a compression spring whose length is least at the midpoint.

[0066] 33, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a gripping cam 62b and a release cam 62a aligned in the first direction Ya, instead of the spindle-side cam 62 of the first embodiment. Also, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 has a gripping roller 64b and a release roller 64a aligned in the front-to-rear direction Y, instead of the arm roller 64 and release roller 65 of the first embodiment. The rotation mechanism 69 includes the gripping cam 62b, the release cam 62a, the gripping roller 64b, and the release roller 64a.

[0067] The gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a are attached to the gripping member 52, and move together with the arm 50 in the vertical direction Z relative to the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a.

[0068] As shown in Figure 34, when the arm 50 descends relative to the main shaft 215, the gripping roller 64b comes into contact with the gripping cam 62b, thereby rotating the gripping member 52 toward the gripping angle Qb from the midpoint described above. 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, and the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a move away from the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a, respectively.

[0069] As shown in Figure 36, when the arm 50 rises relative to the main shaft 215, the release roller 64a comes into contact with the release cam 62a, thereby rotating the gripping member 52 toward the release angle Qa from the 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, and the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a move away from the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a, respectively.

[0070] Note that the gripping interlocking mechanism 60 also has a gripping cam and a release cam similar to the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a described above on the magazine 30 side, 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." Furthermore, the gripping roller may be read as the "arm roller." In other words, in this embodiment, as in the case schematically shown in FIG. 15 , a configuration is established in which the "arm roller" of the gripping member 51 on the magazine 30 side abuts against the "magazine-side cam," and the "arm roller" of the gripping member 52 on the spindle 215 side abuts against the "spindle-side cam."

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the gripping member 52 is disposed at the release angle Qa, as shown in Fig. 37, the gripping member 52 is biased toward the release-side stopper 68b. Therefore, the gripping cam 62b and the release cam 62a are not subjected to force from the gripping roller 64b and the release roller 64a. This reduces the external force applied to the spindle 215 during machining of the spindle 215, thereby suppressing the adverse effects of the external force on machining accuracy and machined surface quality.

[0072] Third Embodiment Next, a 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. As shown schematically in Figure 38, the tool changer 100 of this embodiment includes a housing 90 having an opening 95 formed in the front. The housing 90 contains the magazine 30, the pot interlocking mechanism 40, the arm 50, the gripping interlocking mechanism 60, the spindle assembly 210, and the like. A door 96 is attached to the opening 95.

[0073] Hereinafter, the operation of taking in a tool T other than 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." Also, the operation of removing one of the tools from the tool changer 100 will be referred to as "removing." Note that, although the following describes the case where "taking in" and "removing" are performed using the gripping member 52, "taking in" and "removing" may also be performed using the gripping member 51.

[0074] 39 , during "taking in," the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to a predetermined access angle A, and positions the gripping member 52 that is not holding any tool T closer to the opening 95 than before the rotation. On the other hand, during "removing," the control device 80 causes one of the gripping members 52 to grip the tool T to be removed from the tool changer 100. Thereafter, the arm 50 is rotated to the predetermined access angle A, and the tool T is positioned closer to the opening 95 than before the rotation.

[0075] 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 loading / removal 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 held in the magazine 30. The attachment / detachment selection key 133 is a key for selecting either "load" or "remove."

[0076] Next, the procedure for "importing" and "extracting" will be described with reference to Figure 41. In the following, the "S" before the numbers stands for step.

[0077] First, when the user presses the tool attachment / detachment mode selection key 131, in S1 the control device 80 causes the display unit 120 to display the pot number selection key 132. The user operates the pot number selection key 132 to select a pot number and one of the multiple tool pots 33. Thereafter, in S2 the control device 80 causes the display unit 120 to display the import / remove selection key 133. The user operates the import / remove selection key to select "import" or "remove."

[0078] If the user selects "take-in," in S11, the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to the access angle A. As a result, the gripping portion 54 of the gripping member 52 that is not holding any tool T is positioned near the opening 95. Next, in S12, the control device 80 displays the work completion key 134 on the display unit 120. Thereafter, the user attaches the tool T related to the "take-in" to the gripping portion 54 of the gripping member 52 through the opening 95 and then presses the work completion key 134. Thereafter, in S13, the control device 80 stores the tool T attached to the arm 50 in the selected tool pot 33. Thereafter, in S14, the control device 80 moves the arm 50 to the standby position W. This completes the "take-in" operation.

[0079] On the other hand, if the user selects "remove" in step S2, then in step S21, the control device 80 causes one of the gripping members 52 to grip the tool T in the selected tool pot 33. Next, in step S22, the control device 80 rotates the arm 50 to the access angle A to place the tool T near the opening 95. Next, in step S23, the control device 80 causes the display unit 120 to display a work completion key. Thereafter, the user retrieves the tool T gripped by the gripping member 52 from the opening 95 and presses the work completion key 134. Thereafter, in step S24, the control device 80 moves the arm 50 to the standby position W. This completes the "remove" process.

[0080] According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 38, even if the opening 95 is on the front of the housing 90 and there is no opening near the magazine 30, it is easy for the user to take in and remove the tool T from the opening 95.

[0081] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a 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.

[0082] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 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 used tool Tn. The speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the acquired weights. Specifically, when the acquired weight is smaller than a predetermined value, the speed control unit 88 increases the movement speed of the arm 50 compared to when the acquired weight is larger than a predetermined value.

[0083] The control device 80 further includes a weight memory unit 81. The weight memory unit 81 stores the weight of the tool T in association with the number of the tool pot 33. The weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next used tool Tn based on the stored information. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 43 , first, in S51, the weight acquisition unit 85 acquires weight data of the previously used tool Tp and the next used tool Tn and calculates the weights. Next, in S52, the speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the calculated weights.

[0084] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the weight memory unit 81 described above, the control device 80 may have a load detection unit 82. The load detection unit 82 monitors the load on at least one of the arm lifting device 75 and the arm rotating device 76. The weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next used tool Tn based on the load. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 44 , first, in S61, the load detection unit 82 detects the load on the arm lifting device 75 or the arm rotating device 76. Next, in S62, the weight acquisition unit 85 calculates the weights of the previously used tool Tp and the next used tool Tn based on the load. Next, the speed control unit 88 controls the movement speed of the arm 50 based on the calculated weights.

[0085] This embodiment solves the following problem. It is necessary to move the arm 50 within a range that does not impose an excessive load on the arm lifting device 75 or the arm rotating device 76. However, if the movement speed of the arm 50 is set by always assuming the maximum possible weights of the next-to-be-used tool Tn and the previous-to-be-used tool Tp, the movement speed of the arm 50 will be unnecessarily slow, resulting in an unnecessarily long cycle time for tool change. In this regard, this embodiment increases the movement speed of the arm 50 when the weights of the next-to-be-used tool Tn and the previous-to-be-used tool Tp are small compared to when they are large. This allows the movement speed of the arm 50 to be increased within a range that does not impose an excessive load on the arm lifting device 75 or the arm rotating device 76. This allows the cycle time for tool change to be efficiently shortened.

[0086] Other Embodiments The above-described embodiments can be modified, for example, as follows. If the external force acting on the main shaft 215 is not a significant problem, the release cam 63 and release roller 65 may be eliminated in the first, third, and fourth embodiments. Furthermore, if the complexity of the tool pot 33 structure does not pose a significant problem in each embodiment, the tool pot 33 may have a holding portion 34 and a rotating shaft provided separately.

[0087] According to the above embodiment, the tool changer according to the following Supplementary Notes 1 to 4 can be realized.

[0088] [Supplementary Note 1] A tool changer (100) that removes a previously used tool (Tp) as one of a plurality of tools (T) from a spindle (215) of a machine tool (200) and attaches a next-use tool (Tn) as a tool (T) different from the previously used tool (Tp) to the spindle (215), comprising: a magazine (30) having a rotatable magazine body (39) and a plurality of tool pots (33) each rotatably attached to the magazine body (39), each of which can attach a tool (T), and in which one of the plurality of tool pots (33) is disposed at an exchange position (P) by rotation of the magazine body (39), and the tool pot (33) is disposed at an exchange angle (Pb) and a storage angle (Pa) by rotation of the tool pot (33) at the exchange position (P); a tool changer (100) having first and second gripping members (51, 52), an arm (50) that uses one of the gripping members to remove the next-to-be-used tool (Tn) from the tool pot (33) at the change angle (Pb) and attach it to the spindle (215), and that uses the other gripping member to remove the previously-used tool (Tp) from the spindle (215) and attach it to the tool pot (33) at the change angle (Pb); and a pot interlocking mechanism (40) that rotates the tool pot (33) at the change position (P) in conjunction with relative movement of the arm (50) with respect to the magazine (30).

[0089] [Appendix 2] The tool changer (100) according to Appendix 1, wherein the pot interlocking mechanism (40) rotates the tool pot (33) from the storage angle (Pa) to the exchange angle (Pb) in conjunction with relative movement of the arm (50) relative to the magazine (30) in a predetermined direction to a predetermined position, and rotates the tool pot (33) from the exchange angle (Pb) to the storage angle (Pa) in conjunction with further relative movement of the arm (50) relative to the magazine (30) from the predetermined position in the predetermined direction.

[0090] [Appendix 3] The tool changer (100) according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the pot interlocking mechanism (40) includes a link mechanism (46), a link roller (45) attached to the link mechanism (46), and an arm-side cam (41) that moves together with the arm (50) relative to the link roller (45), and the arm-side cam (41) abuts against the link roller (45) to rotate the tool pot (33) via the link mechanism (46).

[0091] [Appendix 4] The tool changer (100) according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, wherein a notch (39) is formed on the outer periphery of the tool pot (33) on the side in the direction from the storage angle (Pa) toward the change angle (Pb), and while the arm (50) moves relative to the magazine (30), the tool pot (33) rotates and a part of the tool (T) passes through the notch (39).

[0092] 30 Magazine 33 Tool pot 38 Notch 39 Magazine body 40 Pot interlocking mechanism 41 Arm-side cam 45 Link roller 46 Link mechanism 50 Arm 51 First gripping member 52 Second gripping member 100 Tool changer 200 Machine tool 215 Spindle P Change position Pa Storage angle Pb Change angle T Tool Tn Next tool to be used Tp Previous tool to be used

Claims

1. A tool changing device that removes a previously used tool as one of a plurality of tools from a spindle of a machine tool and attaches a next-to-use tool as a tool different from the previously used tool to the spindle, a magazine having a rotatable magazine body and a plurality of tool pots each rotatably attached to the magazine body, wherein a tool can be attached to each of the tool pots, and one of the plurality of tool pots is disposed at an exchange position by rotation of the magazine body, and the tool pot at the exchange position is disposed at an exchange angle and a storage angle by rotation of the tool pot; an arm having first and second gripping members, the arm using one of the gripping members to remove the next-to-be-used tool from the tool pot at the change angle and attach it to the spindle, and the arm using the other gripping member to remove the previously-used tool from the spindle and attach it to the tool pot at the change angle; a pot interlocking mechanism that rotates the tool pot at the tool changing position in association with the relative movement of the arm with respect to the magazine; A tool changer comprising:

2. The pot interlocking mechanism is the tool pot is rotated from the storage angle to the exchange angle in conjunction with the relative movement of the arm in a predetermined direction to a predetermined position with respect to the magazine; the tool pot is rotated from the exchange angle to the storage angle in conjunction with further relative movement of the arm from the predetermined position in the predetermined direction with respect to the magazine. The tool changer of claim 1 .

3. the pot interlocking mechanism includes a link mechanism, a link roller attached to the link mechanism, and an arm-side cam that moves together with the arm relative to the link roller, the arm-side cam abuts against the link roller to rotate the tool pot via the link mechanism; 3. A tool changer according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a notch is formed in an outer periphery of the tool pot on a side in a direction from the storage angle toward the replacement angle, While the arm is moving relative to the magazine, the tool pot rotates and a part of the tool passes through the notch.

3. A tool changer according to claim 1 or 2.