Chip conveyor and machine tool

Abstract

This chip conveyor comprises: a housing in which used coolant is stored; and a drum filter that is provided inside the housing and is configured to remove foreign matter from a coolant that has passed from the outside to the inside of the drum filter. The drum filter includes: an outer peripheral surface part on which a filter part is formed; a filter unit having at least one end surface part which supports the outer peripheral surface part and is rotationally driven; and a cleaning unit which is provided inside the filter unit and which injects cleaning coolant into the filter part. The cleaning unit has: a box body which is provided along the axial direction of the drum filter and in which is formed a filling chamber filled that is filled with a cleaning coolant; and a nozzle which is provided so as to communicate with the filling chamber on the upper surface part of the box body.

Description

Chip conveyors and machine tools

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a chip conveyor and a machine tool.

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-145390 (Patent Document 1) discloses a machine tool equipped with a chip conveyor. The chip conveyor is a transport mechanism for discharging chips generated from the workpiece during machining outside the machine tool. The chips are carried from the machining area to the chip conveyor by coolant.

[0003] A drum filter is provided inside the chip conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1. The drum filter is configured to remove chips from workpieces from the coolant that flows from the outside to the inside of the drum filter.

[0004] The drum filter is also provided with a spray nozzle inside. The spray nozzle sprays cleaning coolant from the inside to the outside of the drum filter, blowing away chips that have clogged the drum filter. This backwashes the drum filter and prevents it from clogging with chips.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-145390

[0006] The spray nozzle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided on the side of a center pipe that is installed along the rotation axis of the drum filter. The cleaning coolant is pumped from the end face of the center pipe to the interior and then supplied to the spray nozzle from the side of the center pipe. Attaching the spray nozzle to the center pipe requires processing such as drilling holes in the side of the center pipe with a predetermined precision, which is time-consuming and costly.

[0007] Furthermore, the spray nozzle shown in Patent Document 1 is arranged to extend in the radial direction of the center pipe. This shortens the distance from the spray nozzle's outlet to the back surface of the drum filter, improving the cleaning performance of the drum filter. However, extending the spray nozzle in the radial direction of the center pipe requires the installation of an extension joint or piping on the spray nozzle, which requires extra components. Furthermore, the installation of such joints or piping creates discontinuous surfaces or steps on the interior wall surface, which can cause fine chips and other particles contained in the cleaning coolant to get caught in these areas, increasing the likelihood of clogging the flow path to the spray nozzle.

[0008] In view of the above, it is desirable to simplify the structure of a drum filter while maintaining the cleaning ability of the drum filter.

[0009] In one example of the present disclosure, a chip conveyor is provided. The chip conveyor includes a housing for storing used coolant and a drum filter disposed inside the housing and configured to remove foreign matter from the coolant passing through from the outside to the inside. The drum filter includes a filter unit having an outer peripheral surface on which a filter portion is formed and at least one end surface that supports the outer peripheral surface and is driven to rotate, and a cleaning unit disposed inside the filter unit and sprays cleaning coolant toward the inside of the filter portion. The cleaning unit includes a box disposed along the axial direction of the drum filter and having a filling chamber formed therein into which the cleaning coolant is filled, and a nozzle disposed on the upper surface of the box so as to communicate with the filling chamber.

[0010] In one example of the present disclosure, the rotation axis of the drum filter is parallel to the horizontal direction, and the filling chamber is provided offset upward with respect to the rotation axis.

[0011] In one example of the present disclosure, the top surface of the box is located above a standard level of used coolant in the housing.

[0012] In one example of the present disclosure, the drum filter further includes first and second shafts configured to rotatably support the filter unit and to support the box body from both sides in the axial direction.

[0013] In one example of the present disclosure, the first shaft is hollow. The drum filter further includes a pipe that connects the first shaft and the filling chamber and supplies the cleaning coolant to the filling chamber.

[0014] In one example of the present disclosure, the piping communicates with the filling chamber at a central portion of the filling chamber in the axial direction.

[0015] In one example of the present disclosure, the bolts for the first and second shafts are fixed from inside the filter unit.

[0016] In one example of the present disclosure, a plurality of the nozzles are arranged in a row on the top surface of the box along the axial direction.

[0017] In one example of the present disclosure, the box is configured so that a plate having a plurality of first through holes formed therein can be fixed to an upper surface of the box, and a plurality of second through holes into which the plurality of nozzles are inserted are formed in the upper surface of the box, and the plate is fixed to the upper surface of the box with each of the plurality of nozzles inserted into one of the plurality of first through holes.

[0018] In one example of the present disclosure, the nozzle has an injection portion that injects the cleaning coolant, and a guide portion that changes the direction of the cleaning coolant injected from the injection portion and widens the spray angle of the cleaning coolant.

[0019] In one example embodiment of the present disclosure, the chip conveyor is further configured to transport foreign matter in the used coolant to a discharge port, and the nozzle is configured to spray the cleaning coolant in a direction opposite to the discharge port.

[0020] In one example of the present disclosure, a machine tool including the above chip conveyor is provided.

[0021] The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0022] 11 is a diagram showing the appearance of a machine tool; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the machining area within the machine tool; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a sludge separation mechanism; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a drum filter viewed from an oblique direction; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a drum filter on a vertical plane; FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the rear side of a box body viewed from one side in the Z-axis direction; FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a plate from above; FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the box body from above before a nozzle is attached; FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the process of using a plate to hold the nozzle to the box body; FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the box body from above after a nozzle is attached; FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the nozzle from the Z-axis direction; FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG.

[0023] Hereinafter, each embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts and components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. Note that each embodiment and each modified example described below may be selectively combined as appropriate.

[0024] <A. Appearance of Machine Tool 100> First, a machine tool 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of machine tool 100.

[0025] The term "machine tool" as used herein is a concept that encompasses various devices that have the function of machining a workpiece. Machine tool 100 may be a horizontal machining center or a vertical machining center. Alternatively, machine tool 100 may be a lathe, or other cutting machine, grinding machine, multi-tasking machine, five-axis machine, or the like. Furthermore, machine tool 100 is not limited to one that performs only subtractive machining, but may also perform additive machining in addition to subtractive machining.

[0026] Machine tool 100 includes, for example, a cover body 130, a chip conveyor 150, and an operation panel 300. Cover body 130, which is also called a splash guard, forms the external appearance of machine tool 100 and defines a workpiece machining area.

[0027] Machine tool 100 machines a workpiece while discharging coolant into a machining area within the machine. The coolant used for machining carries workpiece chips from the machining area to chip conveyor 150. Chip conveyor 150 separates the workpiece chips from the coolant and discharges the chips from discharge port 151 to the outside of machine tool 100. The coolant from which the workpiece chips have been removed is reused for machining the workpiece. Details of chip conveyor 150 will be described later.

[0028] Control panel 300 is a general-purpose computer and has display 306 for displaying various pieces of information related to machining. Display 306 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or other display device. Display 206 also has a touch panel and accepts various operations for machine tool 100 by touch operation.

[0029] <B. Chip Discharge Mechanism> Next, a mechanism for discharging chips generated by machining a workpiece to the outside of machine tool 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the state of machining area AR within machine tool 100.

[0030] As described above, machine tool 100 includes cover body 130. Cover body 130 defines the exterior of machine tool 100 and defines machining area AR for machining a workpiece. Machining area AR is provided with, for example, spindle 132, coolant discharge mechanisms 134 and 136, and chip conveyor 150.

[0031] The spindle 132 is provided inside the housing and rotatably supported by the housing. A tool T for machining a workpiece is attached to the spindle 132. The spindle 132 machines the workpiece by rotating the tool T about its axial direction and bringing the tool T into contact with the workpiece.

[0032] The discharge mechanism 134 is a mechanism for discharging the clean coolant pressure-fed from the outflow pipe R1 toward the entire machining area AR. By discharging the coolant into the machining area AR, chips from the workpiece within the machining area AR are discharged onto the chip conveyor 150.

[0033] The discharge mechanism 136 discharges the clean coolant pressure-fed from the outflow pipe R1 onto the bed BD. By the discharge mechanism 136 discharging the coolant onto the bed BD, chips accumulated on the bed BD are discharged onto the chip conveyor 150.

[0034] The chip conveyor 150 includes a housing 152 , a drum filter 154 , and a tank 156 .

[0035] The housing 152 forms the exterior of the chip conveyor 150. The housing 152 is also configured to allow coolant used in machining the workpiece to flow into it.

[0036] The drum filter 154 is rotatably supported relative to the housing 152 and is configured to collect foreign matter such as workpiece chips from the coolant. The coolant that passes through the drum filter 154 is discharged into a tank 156 of the chip conveyor 150. Note that, for ease of understanding, the tank 156 is shown extending left to right on the page in FIG. 2, but in reality it extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the drum filter 154, i.e., toward the depth of the page in FIG. 2. The coolant that passes through the side portion of the drum filter 154 from the outside to the inside flows into the tank 156 from the end surface of the drum filter 154 on the depth side of the page.

[0037] A pump P0 is provided in the tank 156. The pump P0 draws up the coolant that has passed through the drum filter 154 and accumulated in the tank 156, and pressure-feeds the coolant to the flow path RA.

[0038] <C. Sludge Separation Mechanism> Sludge is contained in the coolant from which chips have been separated by the drum filter 154. Sludge is fine chips generated during the machining of a workpiece.

[0039] The sludge separation mechanism will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the sludge separation mechanism.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, machine tool 100 includes a storage unit SU1 and a cyclone filter 400 as a sludge separation mechanism.

[0041] The coolant pumped from the flow path RA (see FIG. 2) is stored in the storage unit SU1. The coolant stored in the storage unit SU1 contains sludge.

[0042] The cyclone filter 400 is a mechanism for separating the coolant supplied from the storage unit SU1 into clean coolant and dirty coolant by centrifugal force. The sludge content in the clean coolant is less than the sludge content in the dirty coolant. Typically, clean coolant does not contain sludge. The sludge content is expressed, for example, by the weight of sludge contained per unit volume.

[0043] More specifically, cyclone filter 400 is connected to inlet pipe R0, outlet pipe R1, and outlet pipe R2.

[0044] One end of the inlet pipe R0 is connected to the storage unit SU1. Meanwhile, the other end of the inlet pipe R0 is connected to the inlet of the cyclone filter 400. A pump P1 is provided on the inlet pipe R0. The pump P1 pressure-feeds the coolant in the storage unit SU1 into the inlet pipe R0, and sends the coolant to the inlet of the cyclone filter 400.

[0045] The coolant sent to the cyclone filter 400 flows in a spiral pattern inside the cyclone filter 400. During this process, the heavy sludge falls in the direction of gravity together with some of the coolant and is discharged from the outlet at the bottom of the cyclone filter 400. As a result, the dirty coolant containing a large amount of sludge is discharged into the outlet pipe R2.

[0046] The cyclone filter 400 is also provided with a throttle mechanism 402. The throttle mechanism 402 is a mechanism for restricting the flow rate of dirty coolant flowing through the outlet pipe R2. The throttle mechanism 402 acts as a resistance, causing the coolant to rise in the direction opposite to the direction of gravity as it flows spirally inside the cyclone filter 400. As a result, clean coolant that does not contain sludge is discharged into the outlet pipe R1.

[0047] A pump P2 is provided on the outflow pipe R1. The pump P2 pressure-feeds the clean coolant from the cyclone filter 400. As a result, the clean coolant is pressure-feed into the outflow pipe R1 and sent to the above-mentioned discharge mechanisms 134, 136, etc. A branch point is formed upstream of the pump P2 on the outflow pipe R1, and a branch pipe BR is provided therein for supplying the clean coolant to the cleaning unit 175 as cleaning coolant. An open / close valve is provided on the branch pipe BR so that the supply of the clean coolant to the cleaning unit 175 can be switched on and off.

[0048] As described above, machine tool 100 separates sludge from the coolant used in machining. The coolant from which sludge has been removed is reused for machining workpieces. The coolant from which sludge has been removed is also used as coolant for cleaning drum filter 154 described above.

[0049] <D. Definition of Directions> For ease of explanation, hereinafter, the direction of the rotation axis of the drum filter 154 described above, which is a direction on a horizontal plane, will also be referred to as the "X-axis direction." Furthermore, the direction on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the X-axis direction will also be referred to as the "Z-axis direction." The direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction will be referred to as the "Y-axis direction." The positive side of the Y-axis direction corresponds to the upper side (i.e., the side opposite to the direction of gravity). The negative side of the Y-axis direction corresponds to the lower side (i.e., the direction of gravity).

[0050] <E. Mechanism of Drum Filter 154> Next, the drum filter 154 shown in Fig. 2 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the drum filter 154 viewed from an oblique direction. Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the drum filter 154 on the YZ plane (i.e., the vertical plane).

[0051] For ease of explanation, the drum filter 154 shown in FIG. 4 does not include the filter portion 166 from the drum filter 154 shown in FIG.

[0052] The drum filter 154 includes a filter unit 160 , mounting plates 170 A and 170 B, shafts 171 A and 171 B, and a cleaning unit 175 .

[0053] The filter unit 160 has a drum shape and defines a space inside. The filter unit 160 is configured to remove foreign matter from the used coolant CL1 that passes through its outer circumferential surface. Examples of such foreign matter include chips and dust generated during workpiece machining. The coolant CL1 that flows inside the filter unit 160 is sent to the tank 156 (see FIG. 2) through outlets PA and PB formed on the side of the drum filter 154.

[0054] The filter unit 160 is rotatably supported on the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. More specifically, the filter unit 160 includes end surface portions 162A and 162B, an outer circumferential surface portion 164, and a filter portion 166.

[0055] The end surface portion 162A constitutes one end surface of the filter unit 160 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. The end surface portion 162B constitutes the other end surface of the filter unit 160 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. In other words, the end surfaces 162A and 162B face each other.

[0056] The end surface portion 162A is configured to be rotatable relative to the shaft 171A. The end surface portion 162B is configured to be rotatable relative to the shaft 171B. As a result, the end surface portions 162A and 162B are configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX.

[0057] The end surfaces 162A and 162B function as sprockets. More specifically, a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer periphery of each of the end surfaces 162A and 162B. Each of the teeth on the end surfaces 162A and 162B meshes with an endless chain that drives the chip conveyor 150. As a result, the filter unit 160 rotates around the rotation axis AX in conjunction with the endless chain.

[0058] The end surface portions 162A and 162B are configured to support the outer peripheral surface portion 164. The outer peripheral surface portion 164 forms an outer frame on the outer periphery of the filter unit 160. One side of the outer peripheral surface portion 164 in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to the end surface portion 162A. The other side of the outer peripheral surface portion 164 in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to the end surface portion 162B. This allows the outer peripheral surface portion 164 to rotate integrally with the end surface portions 162A and 162B.

[0059] The outer peripheral surface portion 164 is a frame member having a generally hollow, regular octagonal prism shape extending in the axial direction of the rotation shaft, and a filter portion 166 is provided to cover the opening of the face plate portion. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface portion 164 has a plurality of rectangular openings, e.g., rectangular openings whose longitudinal direction is the axial direction. Each filter portion 166 is provided on the outer peripheral surface portion 164 to cover the corresponding opening. The filter portion 166 is configured to allow the used coolant CL1 to pass through while capturing foreign matter such as workpiece chips. For example, the filter portion 166 has a rectangular shape that is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the opening formed in the outer peripheral surface portion 164. Because the filter portion 166 acts as a fluid resistance against the flowing used coolant CL1, for example, under normal operating conditions, the coolant level outside the filter unit 160 is higher than the coolant level inside the filter unit 160.

[0060] A cleaning unit 175 is disposed between both end faces of the filter unit 160 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. The cleaning unit 175 is configured to extend along the rotation axis AX. The cleaning unit 175 is fixed to the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150 (see FIG. 2).

[0061] The cleaning unit 175 includes a box 180 and a nozzle 182. A filling chamber 188 filled with cleaning coolant CL2 is formed inside the box 180. The cleaning coolant CL2 is, for example, clean coolant that has passed through the above-mentioned cyclone filter 400. The cleaning coolant CL2 is pressure-fed to the filling chamber 188 via a pump (not shown) or the like.

[0062] A nozzle 182 communicating with a filling chamber 188 is provided on the upper surface of the box body 180. The "upper surface" may be a part of the upper surface of the box body 180, or the entire upper surface of the box body 180. The "upper surface" may also be a horizontal surface, or a surface that is inclined from the horizontal surface.

[0063] 4 and 5 show an example in which the shape of the box 180 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, but the shape of the box 180 is not limited to this. Any shape having an upper surface may be adopted for the box 180. As an example, the shape of the box 180 may be a hexagonal prism, an octagonal prism, or a semi-cylindrical shape.

[0064] The number of nozzles 182 provided on the top surface of the box body 180 may be one or more. In the example of Figure 4, five nozzles 182 are provided on the top surface of the box body 180.

[0065] The nozzle 182 sprays the cleaning coolant CL2 pressure-fed into the filling chamber 188 toward the inner surface of the filter unit 160. This prevents the filter portion 166 from being clogged with foreign matter such as work chips.

[0066] 5, a box body 180 is provided instead of a center pipe that passes through the center of the drum filter 154. To attach a nozzle 182 to the cylindrical center pipe, it is necessary to process the center pipe and to process the nozzle 182 to fit the shape of the center pipe. On the other hand, the top surface of the box body 180 has a flat portion, making it easy to attach the nozzle 182. In other words, various types of nozzles, including commercially available nozzles, can be attached to the box body 180.

[0067] Furthermore, by providing the nozzle 182 on the upper surface of the box body 180, the distance from the nozzle outlet of the nozzle 182 to the filter part 166 is shortened. This allows the cleaning coolant CL2 to be sprayed at high pressure onto the filter part 166, making it possible to more reliably blow away chips from the workpiece adhering to the filter part 166. Such cleaning ability is obtained with a simple configuration in which the nozzle 182 is provided on the upper surface of the box body 180.

[0068] Preferably, the filling chamber 188 is offset upward with respect to the rotation axis AX, which further shortens the distance from the injection port of the nozzle 182 to the filter unit 166, thereby further improving the cleaning ability of the filter unit 166.

[0069] More preferably, the top surface of the box 180 is positioned above the standard water level in the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150. The "standard water level" here refers to the maximum level of the coolant in the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150. If the top surface of the box 180 is positioned above the maximum water level, the nozzle 182 will not be submerged in the coolant. Therefore, the nozzle 182 can constantly clean the filter portion 166.

[0070] In the above example, the filter unit 160 has two end surfaces 162A and 162B. However, the filter unit 160 may have at least one of the end surfaces 162A and 162B. For example, if the filter unit 160 is configured with a single end surface, the other end of the filter unit 160 is open. While this may result in poor drainage and a reduced amount of coolant being processed, this configuration is effective when space is available only on one side. This configuration is also effective in simplifying the structure of the tank 156 of the chip conveyor 150, and has the advantage of preventing sludge from scattering.

[0071] <F. Shafts 171A, 171B> Next, the shafts 171A, 171B will be further described with reference to Fig. 6, continuing to refer to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the rear side of the box body 180 as viewed from one side in the Z-axis direction.

[0072] The shafts 171A and 171B have the function of supporting the filter unit 160 so that it can rotate.

[0073] More specifically, the shaft 171A is inserted into the mounting plate 170A. The mounting plate 170A is fixed to the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. The insertion hole in the mounting plate 170A is non-circular, and the shaft 171A is inserted into the mounting plate 170A so as to fit into the non-circular insertion hole. This fixes the shaft 171A to the mounting plate 170A so that it cannot rotate.

[0074] A bearing 161A is provided on the shaft 171A. The bearing 161A is, for example, a bushing. The bearing 161A is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX when inserted into the shaft 171A. An end surface portion 162A of the filter unit 160 is fixed to the bearing 161A. The end surface portion 162A is, for example, bolted to the bearing 161A from the inside of the filter unit 160. This allows the end surface portion 162A to rotate together with the bearing 161A.

[0075] The shaft 171B is inserted into the mounting plate 170B. The mounting plate 170B is fixed to the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. The insertion port in the mounting plate 170B is non-circular, and the shaft 171B is inserted into the mounting plate 170B so as to fit into the non-circular insertion port. This fixes the shaft 171B to the mounting plate 170B so that it cannot rotate.

[0076] A bearing 161B is provided on the shaft 171B. The bearing 161B is, for example, a bushing. The bearing 161B is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX when inserted into the shaft 171B. An end surface portion 162B of the filter unit 160 is fixed to the bearing 161B. The end surface portion 162B is, for example, bolted to the bearing 161B from the inside of the filter unit 160. This allows the end surface portion 162B to rotate together with the bearing 161B.

[0077] As described above, shafts 171A and 171B rotatably support filter unit 160. Shafts 171A and 171B not only function to rotatably support filter unit 160, but also function to support box body 180 from both sides in the direction of rotation axis AX.

[0078] More specifically, the box 180 has fixing plates SA and SB extending downward from both end surfaces of the filling chamber 188 in the X-axis direction.

[0079] The fixing plate SA is fixed to a flange FA formed on one end of the shaft 171A via a bolt VA. The bolt VA is inserted from the inside (center side) of the filter unit 160.

[0080] Similarly, the fixing plate SB is fixed to a flange FB formed on one end of the shaft 171B via a bolt VB. The bolt VB is inserted from the inside (center side) of the filter unit 160.

[0081] As described above, the box body 180 is supported from both sides in the direction of the rotation axis AX. By making the shafts 171A and 171B function as support mechanisms for both the filter unit 160 and the box body 180, the configuration of the drum filter 154 can be simplified.

[0082] Furthermore, because the bolts for shafts 171A and 171B are secured from inside filter unit 160, disassembly of drum filter 154 from chip conveyor 150 is facilitated. That is, when an operator removes drum filter 154 from chip conveyor 150, they first remove bolts VA and VB. This allows the operator to remove box 180 from drum filter 154. Next, the operator pulls shaft 171A out from end surface 162A of drum filter 154. Thereafter, the operator pulls shaft 171B out from end surface 162B of drum filter 154. This allows the operator to remove filter unit 160 from chip conveyor 150 and perform work on filter unit 160 (e.g., replacing filter portion 166).

[0083] On the other hand, if the center pipe for sending the cleaning coolant passes through the center of the drum filter 154, it becomes very difficult to disassemble the drum filter 154. In this case, the worker must first remove the center pipe from the drum filter 154. However, the center pipe is often connected to the chip conveyor 150. Therefore, the worker must first disassemble the chip conveyor 150 and then remove the drum filter 154. In this way, if the center pipe for sending the cleaning coolant passes through the center of the drum filter 154, the work of removing the drum filter 154 from the chip conveyor 150 becomes very extensive.

[0084] <G. Piping Mechanism for Cleaning Coolant> Next, the piping mechanism for cleaning coolant will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0085] 4 to 6, the drum filter 154 has a pipe 184. The pipe 184 connects one of the shafts 171A, 171B with the filling chamber 188 and is configured to supply the cleaning coolant CL2 to the filling chamber 188.

[0086] 6, the pipe 184 is connected to the shaft 171A. More specifically, the shaft 171A is hollow, and a flow path for the cleaning coolant CL2 is formed inside the shaft 171A. Note that a flow path for the cleaning coolant CL2 may also be formed inside the shaft 171B.

[0087] One end of the shaft 171A in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to a supply mechanism for the cleaning coolant CL2. The other end of the shaft 171A in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to an inlet E1, which is one end of a pipe 184. Meanwhile, the other end of the pipe 184, an outlet E2, is connected to the filling chamber 188. The outlet E2 is connected to the filling chamber 188 at a portion other than both end faces of the filling chamber 188 in the direction of the rotation axis AX.

[0088] Preferably, the outlet E2 of the pipe 184 is connected to the filling chamber 188 at a central portion of the filling chamber 188 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. This makes the spray pressure of the cleaning coolant CL2 uniform in each of the nozzles 182. As a result, uneven cleaning of the filter portion 166 in the X-axis direction is prevented.

[0089] <H. Piping Mechanism for Cleaning Coolant> Next, the arrangement of the nozzles 182 on the box body 180 will be described with continued reference to FIGS.

[0090] Preferably, the plurality of nozzles 182 are aligned in a row along the direction of the rotation axis AX (i.e., the X-axis direction) on the top surface of the box body 180. By aligning the plurality of nozzles 182 in a row in the X-axis direction, the cleaning range of the filter portion 166 is expanded in the X-axis direction.

[0091] The nozzles 182 may be arranged at regular intervals or at irregular intervals.

[0092] Furthermore, the plurality of nozzles 182 do not necessarily have to be arranged in a single row on the top surface of the box body 180. As an example, the plurality of nozzles 182 may be arranged in two or more rows.

[0093] <I. Method of Fixing Nozzle 182> Next, a method of fixing the nozzle 182 to the box body 180 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the plate PL from above. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the box body 180 from above before the nozzle 182 is attached. Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the process of using the plate PL to hold the nozzle 182 to the box body 180. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the box body 180 from above after the nozzle 182 has been attached.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 7, a plurality of through holes H1 and HA are formed in the plate PL. Also, as shown in Fig. 8, a plurality of through holes H2 and HB are formed in the upper surface of the box body 180.

[0095] The nozzle 182 is composed of, for example, a guide portion GD, an edge portion RN, and an insertion portion IN. The guide portion GD of the nozzle 182 can be inserted into the through-hole H1 of the plate PL from below. More specifically, the diameter of the guide portion GD is shorter than the diameter of the through-hole H1 of the plate PL, and the diameter of the edge portion RN is longer than the diameter of the through-hole H1 of the plate PL. Therefore, when the guide portion GD is inserted into the through-hole H1 from below, the edge portion RN of the nozzle 182 comes into contact with the edge of the through-hole H1.

[0096] Furthermore, the insertion portion IN of the nozzle 182 can be inserted into the through-hole H2 of the box body 180 from above. More specifically, the diameter of the insertion portion IN is shorter than the diameter of the through-hole H2, and the diameter of the edge portion RN is longer than the diameter of the through-hole H2. Therefore, when the insertion portion IN is inserted into the through-hole H2 from above, the edge portion RN of the nozzle 182 comes into contact with the edge of the through-hole H2. The nozzle 182 communicates with the box body 180 when inserted into the through-hole H2.

[0097] The plate PL holds down the nozzle 182 on the upper surface of the box body 180. More specifically, the plate PL is fixed to the box body 180 with the guide portion GD of the nozzle 182 inserted into the through-hole H1 of the plate PL and with the insertion portion IN of the nozzle 182 inserted into the through-hole H2 of the box body 180.

[0098] Any fixing mechanism may be employed to fix the plate PL to the box body 180. As an example, the plate PL is fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180 by one or more screws SC. In the example of Fig. 10, the plate PL is fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180 by five screws SC. The screws SC are passed through the through holes HA and HB, thereby fixing the plate PL to the upper surface of the box body 180.

[0099] As described above, the box body 180 is configured so that the plate PL, having a plurality of through holes H1 formed therein, can be fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180. A plurality of through holes H2, into which the nozzles 182 are inserted, are formed in the upper surface of the box body 180. The plate PL is fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180 with each of the plurality of nozzles 182 inserted into one of the plurality of through holes H1. As a result, the plurality of nozzles 182 are held down and secured to the upper surface of the box body 180 by the plate PL. Therefore, the nozzles 182 can be fixed to the plate PL without any processing, and any type of nozzles 182 can be fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180.

[0100] Preferably, nozzle 182 is provided on the top surface of box body 180 so that the cleaning coolant does not splash on the operator of machine tool 100. As described above, chip conveyor 150 is configured to transfer foreign matter in used coolant to discharge port 151 (see FIG. 1 ). If cleaning coolant sprays in the direction of discharge port 151, there is a possibility that the cleaning coolant will leak out from discharge port 151. Therefore, nozzle 182 is provided on the top surface of box body 180 so as to spray the cleaning coolant in the direction opposite discharge port 151. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning coolant from splashing on the operator.

[0101] <J. Example of Nozzle 182> Next, an example of the nozzle 182 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the nozzle 182 from the Z-axis direction. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 182 taken along line XI-XI shown in Figure 11.

[0102] The nozzle 182 has, for example, a spray portion JT and a guide portion GD. A flow path for the cleaning coolant is formed inside the spray portion JT. The spray portion JT is in communication with the box body 180, and sprays the cleaning coolant that is pressure-fed through the inside of the box body 180 upward.

[0103] The guide portion GD changes the direction of the cleaning coolant sprayed from the spray portion JT and widens the spray angle θ of the cleaning coolant. The spray angle θ is the angle that indicates the spread of the cleaning coolant at the spray port of the spray portion JT.

[0104] More specifically, the cross section of the guide portion GD on the YZ plane (i.e., the vertical plane) is arched. This allows the spray direction of the cleaning coolant to be changed along the side of the arch. This reduces the fluid resistance of the cleaning coolant against the guide portion GD and suppresses foaming of the cleaning coolant.

[0105] Furthermore, the cleaning coolant is spread by contacting the guide portion GD, which allows the nozzle 182 to clean a wider area of ​​the filter portion 166.

[0106] Preferably, the flow path for the cleaning coolant inside the jet part JT is made up of only smooth curved surfaces, which reduces piping resistance inside the jet part JT and suppresses foaming of the cleaning coolant.

[0107] It should be noted that the nozzle 182 that can be attached to the box body 180 is not limited to the nozzle 182 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and any type of nozzle 182 can be attached to the box body 180.

[0108] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0109] 100 Machine tool, 130 Cover body, 132 Main shaft, 134 Discharge mechanism, 136 Discharge mechanism, 150 Chip conveyor, 151 Discharge port, 152 Housing, 154 Drum filter, 156 Tank, 160 Filter unit, 161A Bearing, 161B Bearing, 162A End surface portion, 162B End surface portion, 164 Outer circumferential surface portion, 166 Filter portion, 170A Mounting plate, 170B Mounting plate, 171A Shaft, 171B Shaft, 175 Cleaning unit, 180 Box body, 182 Nozzle, 184 Piping, 188 Filling chamber, 206 Display, 300 Operation panel, 306 Display, 400 Cyclone filter, 402 Throttle mechanism, AR Processing area, AX Rotating axis, BD Bed, CL1 Coolant, CL2 cleaning coolant, E1 inlet, E2 outlet, FA flange, FB flange, GD guide portion, H1 through hole, H2 through hole, HA through hole, HB through hole, IN insertion portion, JT injection portion, P0 pump, P1 pump, P2 pump, PA outlet, PB outlet, PL plate, R0 inlet pipe, R1 outlet pipe, R2 outlet pipe, RA flow path, RN edge portion, SA fixing plate, SB fixing plate, SC screw, SU1 storage portion, T tool, VA bolt, VB bolt, θ spray angle.

Claims

1. A chip conveyor comprising: a housing for storing used coolant; and a drum filter provided inside the housing and configured to remove foreign matter from the coolant that has passed from the outside to the inside, wherein the drum filter includes: a filter unit having an outer peripheral surface portion on which a filter portion is formed and at least one end surface portion that supports the outer peripheral surface portion and is driven to rotate; and a cleaning unit provided inside the filter unit for spraying cleaning coolant toward the inside of the filter portion, wherein the cleaning unit has a box body provided along the axial direction of the drum filter, and a filling chamber formed inside which the cleaning coolant is filled, and a nozzle provided on the upper surface of the box body so as to communicate with the filling chamber.

2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the drum filter is parallel to the horizontal direction, and the filling chamber is offset upward from the rotation axis.

3. The chip conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper surface of the box is positioned above a standard water level of used coolant in the housing.

4. A chip conveyor as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the drum filter further includes first and second shafts configured to rotatably support the filter unit and to support the box body from both sides in the axial direction.

5. The chip conveyor of claim 4, wherein the first shaft is hollow, and the drum filter further includes piping that connects the first shaft and the filling chamber and supplies the cleaning coolant to the filling chamber.

6. The chip conveyor according to claim 5, wherein the piping communicates with the filling chamber at a central portion of the filling chamber in the axial direction.

7. The chip conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the bolts for the first and second shafts are fixed from inside the filter unit.

8. A chip conveyor as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the nozzles are arranged in a row along the axial direction on the upper surface of the box body.

9. A chip conveyor as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the box body is configured so that a plate having a plurality of first through holes formed therein can be fixed to the upper surface of the box body, the upper surface of the box body is formed with a plurality of second through holes into which the plurality of nozzles are inserted, and the plate is fixed to the upper surface of the box body with each of the plurality of nozzles inserted into one of the plurality of first through holes.

10. A chip conveyor as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle has a spray portion that sprays the cleaning coolant, and a guide portion that changes the direction of the cleaning coolant sprayed from the spray portion and widens the spray angle of the cleaning coolant.

11. The chip conveyor of claim 1 or 2, further configured to transport foreign matter in the used coolant to a discharge outlet, and the nozzle is configured to spray the cleaning coolant in a direction opposite to the discharge outlet.

12. A machine tool comprising the chip conveyor according to claim 1 or 2.

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