Tool holder

Abstract

The present invention provides a tool holder to which a tool other than a rotary tool is mounted and which is capable of turning. The tool holder is attachable to a turret surface to which a turnable tool holder that has a rotary tool mounted thereto can be attached, and can maintain precision of the position of the blade edge of a fixed tool.　A fixed tool holder (70) is attachable to a second turret surface to which a rotary tool holder can be attached. The fixed tool holder (70) comprises a second base part (73a), a second turning part (73c) to which a fixed tool (71a) is mounted, a second turning driving force transmission mechanism (75), and a positioning mechanism (80). The positioning mechanism (80) is provided with a coupling part (86) that has a first coupling piece (90), a second coupling piece (91), and a third coupling piece (92) which, with a rotation driving force by a drive mechanism (40), is moved in the direction of engagement with the first coupling piece (90) and the second coupling piece (91) and the direction in which said engagement is released.

Description

Tool Holder

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tool holder.

[0002] There is known a turret tool rest provided with a turret that is rotatably supported by a tool rest body and has a turret surface on its circumferential surface to which a tool is attached (see Patent Document 1). The turret has a turret surface around which a rotatable tool holder for mounting a rotary tool such as a drill is attached.

[0003] The turret tool rest includes a rotation driving means for rotationally driving a rotary tool and a tool holder rotation driving means for rotationally driving the tool holder so that the tool rotates when the turret surface to which a rotatable tool holder for mounting a rotary tool is attached is indexed to a machining position.

[0004] When a fixed tool is mounted on a rotatable tool holder and rotationally driven instead of a rotary tool, high machining accuracy is required for the fixed tool to perform turning on the outer diameter of a workpiece or the like, and the position of the cutting edge with respect to the workpiece needs to be maintained with high precision. Therefore, high precision is also required for the tool holder rotation driving means.

[0005] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique related to the positioning of indexing means for rotating a turret to index the turret surface, but there is no disclosure regarding the positioning of the cutting edge of the tool. Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose a turning mechanism for turning a tool rest on which a fixed tool is mounted and slides for positioning and tool change, but it is not a technique related to a turret tool rest.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6632970, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 52 - 52316, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002 - 273602, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3966972

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a rotatable tool holder to which a tool other than a rotary tool such as a fixed tool is attached, which can be attached to a turret surface to which a rotatable tool holder for mounting a rotary tool is attached and can maintain the accuracy of the position of the cutting edge of the fixed tool.

[0008] The tool holder of this disclosure is a tool holder attached to the turret surface and fitted with a fixed tool, which is mounted on the turret surface of a turret tool post that is rotatably supported on a tool post body and has a turret surface on which a tool holder fitted with a rotary tool is attached, a drive mechanism for rotationally driving the rotary tool, and a swivel drive mechanism for swivel driving the tool holder fitted with the rotary tool. The tool holder fitted with the fixed tool comprises a base portion fixed to the turret surface, a swivel portion on which the fixed tool is mounted and which is rotatably positioned relative to the base portion about a swivel axis intersecting the turret surface, a swivel mechanism for swiveling the swivel portion by the swivel driving force of the swivel drive mechanism, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the swivel portion about the swivel axis. The positioning mechanism includes a coupling portion having a first member and a second member that move relative to each other in a direction in which they are connected or released by a rotational driving force from the drive mechanism, wherein the rotation of the swivel portion is permitted when the connection between the first member and the second member is released, and the rotation of the swivel portion is restricted when the first member and the second member are connected, thereby positioning the swivel portion.

[0009] The tool holder relating to this disclosure is a tool holder on which a tool other than a rotary tool is mounted, and can be mounted on a turret surface on which a tool holder for a rotary tool is mounted, and can maintain the accuracy of the position of the cutting edge of a fixed tool.

[0010] Figure 2A is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a turret tool post to which a tool holder, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure, is mounted. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the turret tool post, and is a horizontal cross-sectional view including the first axis C1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part enclosed by the dashed line in the turret tool post shown in Figure 2A. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a fixed tool holder, showing the state in which the first coupling piece of the positioning mechanism is engaged with the second and third coupling pieces. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fixed tool holder, showing the state in which the engagement between the first coupling piece of the positioning mechanism and the second and third coupling pieces is released. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the positioning mechanism shown in Figure 3. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the positioning mechanism shown in Figure 4. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary tool holder.

[0011] Embodiments of the tool holder and the turret tool post to which the tool holder is attached relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] A turret tool post 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1, 2A, and 2B. The turret tool post 100 of this embodiment is arranged in parallel with a spindle (not shown). The turret tool post 100 performs machining on a workpiece (object to be machined) held on the spindle using a tool. The operation of the turret tool post 100 is controlled by computer numerical control (CNC) of the automatic lathe.

[0013] In this specification, the central axis of the turret tool post 100 is defined as the first axis C1, the rotation axis of the rotary tool body 61 (described later) is defined as the second axis C2, and the rotation axis of the swivel portion 63c of the rotary tool holder 60 and the second swivel portion 73c of the fixed tool holder 70 is defined as the third axis C3.

[0014] The turret tool post 100 is positioned on a first bed 1, as shown in Figure 1. The first bed 1 is positioned along a fourth axis C4 that is inclined with respect to the horizontal. The turret tool post 100 moves along the fourth axis C4 on the first bed 1 by a known moving mechanism 2. The fourth axis C4 intersects with the first axis C1, which is the central axis of the turret tool post 100, and extends in a direction inclined, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal in a vertical plane. The first bed 1 is positioned on a second bed 3. The second bed 3 is positioned along a fifth axis C5 that is parallel to the first axis C1. The first bed 1 moves along the fifth axis C5 on the second bed 3 together with the turret tool post 100 by a known second moving mechanism 4.

[0015] The turret tool post 100 comprises a main body 10 which is the tool post body, a turret 20, a turret rotation mechanism 30, a drive mechanism 40, and a tool holder rotation mechanism 50. The main body 10 moves together with the turret tool post 100 along the fourth axis C4 on the first bed 1. Inside the main body 10, as shown in Figure 2A, a turret fixing shaft 11 is fixed along the first axis C1.

[0016] The turret 20 is mounted on the main body 10 so as to be able to pivot (rotate) around a first axis C1 (see Figure 1) passing through the center of the turret 20. The turret 20 is formed in a polygonal shape when viewed in the direction of the first axis C1. The circumferential surface of the turret 20 around the first axis C1 forms a first turret surface 21 and a second turret surface 22 that extend parallel to the first axis C1. The first turret surface 21 consists of multiple surfaces of the same size, while the second turret surface 22 is formed to be wider than the first turret surface 21, for example, as a single surface.

[0017] The first turret surface 21 is fitted with a non-swivel tool holder to which a rotary tool such as a drill or a non-swivel fixed tool such as a cutting tool is mounted. In Figure 1, the tool holder fitted to the first turret surface 21 and the rotary tool or fixed tool fitted to the tool holder are not shown. The second turret surface 22 is fitted with a swivel tool holder 60 (hereinafter referred to as "rotary tool holder 60") to which a rotary tool 61a is mounted, as shown in Figure 7. The rotary tool 61a rotates around the second axis C2, which is the axis of the rotary tool 61a. The rotary tool 61a is, for example, a tool such as a drill used for milling or drilling.

[0018] The second turret surface 22 can also be fitted with a swivelable tool holder 70 (hereinafter referred to as "fixed tool holder 70") to which a non-rotating fixed tool 71a is attached, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fixed tool 71a is, for example, a cutting tool used for cutting the outer diameter, inner diameter, end face, etc. of a workpiece.

[0019] When the turret 20 rotates around the first axis C1 and the first turret surface 21, to which a rotating tool or fixed tool (not shown) is attached, is positioned at a predetermined machining location, the rotating tool or fixed tool is brought into contact with the workpiece held on the spindle of the automatic lathe. This allows the workpiece to be cut using the rotating tool or fixed tool.

[0020] When the second turret surface 22, to which the rotary tool holder 60 is attached, is positioned at the machining position, the rotary tool 61a, which rotates around the second axis C2, can be brought into contact with the workpiece held on the spindle, thereby machining the workpiece with the rotary tool 61a. Rotary tools or fixed tools, fixed tools 71a or rotary tools 61a attached to other first turret surfaces 21 or second turret surfaces 22 that are positioned at non-machining positions other than the machining position cannot machine the workpiece.

[0021] The turret rotation mechanism 30 comprises a turret rotation motor (not shown), a turret rotation shaft 31, and a turret rotation gear 32. The turret rotation shaft 31 is rotatably positioned on the outer circumference of the turret fixed shaft 11. The turret rotation gear 32 is fixed to the outer circumference of the turret rotation shaft 31. The turret 20 is fixed to one end of the turret rotation shaft 31. When driving force is transmitted from the turret rotation motor to the turret rotation gear 32, the turret rotation shaft 31 rotates together with the turret rotation gear 32 around the first axis C1. By rotating the turret rotation shaft 31 around the first axis C1, the turret rotation shaft 31 rotates the turret 20 around the first axis C1.

[0022] The drive mechanism 40 rotates the rotary tool 61a mounted on the rotary tool holder 60 around the second axis C2 only when the second turret surface 22, to which the rotary tool holder 60 is attached, is positioned at the machining location.

[0023] The drive mechanism 40 comprises a drive motor 41, a drive shaft 42, a transmission unit 43, and a drive shaft 44. The drive shaft 42 is positioned within the turret fixing shaft 11 of the main body 10 along the first axis C1. The drive motor 41 is provided at one end of the drive shaft 42 and rotates the drive shaft 42 around the first axis C1. The drive shaft 44 extends from immediately adjacent to the first axis C1 toward the second turret surface 22, in a position along the third axis C3 which is perpendicular to the first axis C1.

[0024] The drive shaft 44 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A mortise groove 44a (keyway) is formed at the end of the drive shaft 44 on the side facing the second turret surface 22 (see Figure 2B). The mortise groove 44a is formed along the diameter of the drive shaft 44. The transmission unit 43 is composed of a combination of a first bevel gear 43a formed at the end of the drive shaft 42 on the turret 20 side and a second bevel gear 43b formed at the end of the drive shaft 44 on the first axis C1 side. By meshing the first bevel gear 43a and the second bevel gear 43b with each other, the transmission unit 43 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 42 to the drive shaft 44 and converts the direction of rotation from around the first axis C1 to around the third axis C3.

[0025] When the second turret surface 22, to which the rotary tool holder 60 is attached, is positioned in the machining position, the tenon groove 44a engages with the second tenon 66b (key member) formed at one end of the second driven shaft 66a of the rotary tool holder 60, which extends in the diametrical direction of the second driven shaft 66a (see Figure 7). In this state, the second driven shaft 66a is connected to the drive shaft 44. The rotation of the drive shaft 44 is transmitted to the second driven shaft 66a, and the rotation of the second driven shaft 66a causes the rotary tool 61a to rotate around the second axis C2. When the second turret surface 22 is positioned in a non-machining position other than the machining position, the second tenon 66b disengages from the tenon groove 44a, and the rotary tool 61a does not rotate.

[0026] In other words, the turret tool post 100 is a so-called single-drive system in which the drive mechanism 40 rotates the rotary tool 61a only when the second turret surface 22, to which the rotary tool holder 60 is attached, is positioned in the machining location. Since the single-drive turret tool post 100 rotates only when the rotary tool 61a is used for machining, it can contribute to energy saving.

[0027] The drive mechanism 40 also functions as a drive mechanism for the cutting edge positioning mechanism of the fixed tool 71a, which is mounted on the fixed tool holder 70, as described later. With the second turret surface 22, to which the fixed tool holder 70 is attached, positioned at the machining location, the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 40 is used to move the third coupling piece 92, described later, forward and backward along the third axis C3. This causes the third coupling piece 92 to engage with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, and to disengage from them.

[0028] The tool holder swivel mechanism 50 includes a swivel motor 51. The swivel motor 51 swivels (rotates) the swivel portion 63c (tool swivel portion, see Figure 7) of the rotary tool holder 60 or the second swivel portion 73c (tool swivel portion, see Figure 3, etc.) of the fixed tool holder 70 around a third axis C3 perpendicular to the second turret surface 22. The swivel motor 51 has a swivel shaft 52 that rotates around a sixth axis C6 parallel to the third axis C3. The swivel shaft 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A second mortise groove 52a (keyway, see Figure 2B) is formed at the end of the swivel shaft 52 on the side facing the second turret surface 22. The second mortise groove 52a is formed along the diametrical direction of the swivel shaft 52.

[0029] When the second turret surface 22 is positioned in the machining location, the second mortise groove 52a engages with a tenon 65b (key member, see Figure 7) formed at one end of the driven shaft 65a of the rotary tool holder 60 or a third tenon 75b (key member, see Figure 3, etc.) formed at one end of the third driven shaft 75a of the fixed tool holder 70. In this state, the driven shaft 65a or the third driven shaft 75a is connected to the swivel shaft 52. The rotation of the swivel shaft 52 is transmitted to the driven shaft 65a or the third driven shaft 75a, and when the driven shaft 65a or the third driven shaft 75a is rotated, the swivel section 63c or the second swivel section 73c is rotated around the third axis C3. When the second turret surface 22 is positioned in a non-machining position other than the machining position, the tenon 65b or the third tenon 75b disengages from the second tenon groove 52a, and therefore the swivel section 63c or the second swivel section 73c does not swivel.

[0030] The detailed configuration of the rotary tool holder 60 attached to the second turret surface 22 is described below with reference to Figure 7. The rotary tool holder 60 comprises a rotary tool body (tool shank) 61 and a rotary tool holding part (tool holder body) 62. The rotary tool holding part 62 mainly comprises a rotary tool holding part body 63, a sleeve 64, a swivel drive force transmission mechanism 65, and a rotational drive force transmission mechanism 66.

[0031] The rotary tool holder body 63 comprises a base portion 63a, a holding portion 63b, and a swivel portion 63c. The base portion 63a is fixed to the second turret surface 22 by a fixing member 63d such as a screw. The swivel drive force transmission mechanism 65 is provided inside the base portion 63a and the holding portion 63b, respectively. The swivel drive force transmission mechanism 65 mainly comprises a driven shaft 65a with a tenon 65b at one end, a spur gear 65c, a second spur gear 65d, a reduction gear 65e, and a swivel cylinder 65f. The spur gear 65c is fixed to the outer circumference of the driven shaft 65a. The second spur gear 65d and the reduction gear 65e are arranged vertically along the third axis C3 on the outer circumference of the second driven shaft 66a of the rotary drive force transmission mechanism 66. The slewing cylinder 65f is positioned inside the second spur gear 65d and the reduction gear 65e, and is connected to the slewing section 63c.

[0032] As the slewing motor 51 located inside the turret 20 rotates, the slewing shaft 52 rotates, and the rotation of the slewing shaft 52 is transmitted to the driven shaft 65a, causing the spur gear 65c to rotate together with the driven shaft 65a. The rotation of the spur gear 65c is transmitted to the second spur gear 65d, and the rotational force is reduced by the reduction gear 65e and transmitted to the slewing cylinder 65f. As the slewing cylinder 65f rotates due to this rotational force, the slewing section 63c connected to the slewing cylinder 65f rotates around the third axis C3. As a result, the turret tool post 100 can be positioned so that the second axis C2 of the rotary tool body 61 held by the slewing section 63c is tilted with respect to the first axis C1.

[0033] The swivel section 63c is equipped with a sleeve 64 inside. The sleeve 64 extends along the second axis C2 which is perpendicular to the third axis C3. The sleeve 64 holds the rotary tool body 61. The sleeve 64 is rotatably mounted around the second axis C2. A third bevel gear 64a is formed on the sleeve 64 around the second axis C2. The third bevel gear 64a meshes with a bevel gear member 66c located at the end of the second driven axis 66a that is closer to the swivel section 63c.

[0034] The rotary tool body 61 consists of a rotary tool 61a, such as a drill, and a shank 61b that holds the rotary tool 61a. The rotary tool body 61 is held in the sleeve 64 via the shank 61b.

[0035] The rotational drive force transmission mechanism 66 comprises a second driven shaft 66a and a bevel gear member 66c. The second driven shaft 66a has a second tenon 66b (key member) extending in the diametrical direction of the second driven shaft 66a at one end furthest from the swivel section 63c. As described above, the second driven shaft 66a is connected to the drive shaft 44 when the second turret surface 22 is positioned in the machining position. When the drive shaft 42 is rotated by the drive motor 41, the second driven shaft 66a rotates around the third axis C3 via the transmission section 43 and the drive shaft 44, and the sleeve 64 rotates around the second axis C2. The rotation of the sleeve 64 causes the rotary tool body 61 to rotate around the second axis C2. This rotation enables machining of the workpiece by the rotary tool 61a.

[0036] Here, we consider whether the rotary tool holder 60 can be mounted on the second turret surface 22 with a fixed tool 71a instead of the rotary tool 61a. In this state, without driving the drive mechanism 40, the tool holder swivel mechanism 50 can be driven to swivel the swivel section 63c around the third axis C3, thereby positioning the cutting edge of the fixed tool in a desired direction. However, since the rotary tool holder 60 is equipped with a reduction gear 65e, there are issues with the positioning accuracy of the tool around the third axis C3. For this reason, the rotary tool holder 60 equipped with a reduction gear 65e is difficult to apply to fixed tools 71a, such as cutting tools, which require high precision in the position of the cutting edge relative to the workpiece. Furthermore, the fixed tool mounted on the first turret surface 21 is not swivelable and is not configured to arbitrarily set the angle of the cutting edge around the third axis C3.

[0037] In contrast, the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment can be attached to the second turret surface 22, and the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 40 can be used for purposes other than rotating the rotating tool 61a, specifically for positioning the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a. Moreover, the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment can maintain high precision in the position of the cutting edge.

[0038] The detailed configuration of the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The fixed tool holder 70 comprises a fixed tool body (tool shank) 71 and a fixed tool holding part (tool holder body) 72. The fixed tool holding part 72 comprises a fixed tool holding part body 73, a second sleeve 74, a second swivel drive force transmission mechanism 75 which is a swivel mechanism, and a positioning mechanism 80.

[0039] The fixed tool holder body 73 comprises a second base portion 73a, a second holding portion 73b, and a second swivel portion 73c. ​​The second base portion 73a is fixed to the second turret surface 22 by a second fixing member 73d such as a screw. The second holding portion 73b is integrally formed with the second base portion 73a.

[0040] The second slewing drive force transmission mechanism 75 is provided inside the second base portion 73a and the second holding portion 73b, respectively. The second slewing drive force transmission mechanism 75 mainly comprises a third driven shaft 75a with a third tenon 75b at one end, a third spur gear 75c, a fourth spur gear 75d, and a second slewing cylinder 75e. The third spur gear 75c is fixed to the outer circumference of the third driven shaft 75a. The fourth spur gear 75d is positioned on the outer circumference of the fourth driven shaft 81 of the positioning mechanism 80. The second slewing cylinder 75e is positioned coaxially with the fourth driven shaft 81 and the fourth spur gear 75d and is fixed to the fourth spur gear 75d. The second slewing cylinder 75e is connected to the second slewing portion 73c.

[0041] The second rotating section 73c is equipped with a second sleeve 74 inside. The second sleeve 74 extends along the second axis C2, which is perpendicular to the third axis C3. The second sleeve 74 holds the fixed tool body 71. As a result, the fixed tool body 71 is positioned along the second axis C2.

[0042] The fixed tool body 71 consists of a fixed tool 71a, such as a cutting tool, and a second shank 71b that holds the fixed tool 71a. The fixed tool body 71 is held by the second sleeve 74 via the second shank 71b.

[0043] When the swivel motor 51 is driven, the swivel shaft 52 rotates, and the rotation of the swivel shaft 52 is transmitted to the third driven shaft 75a, causing the third spur gear 75c to rotate together with the third driven shaft 75a. The rotation of the third spur gear 75c is transmitted to the fourth spur gear 75d, causing the second swivel cylinder 75e to rotate together with the fourth spur gear 75d. This rotation causes the second swivel section 73c, which is connected to the second swivel cylinder 75e, to swivel around the third axis C3. As a result, the turret tool post 100 can position the second axis C2 of the fixed tool body 71, which is held by the second swivel section 73c, at a desired angle around the third axis C3. That is, the position of the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a is positioned at a desired angle around the third axis C3. The swivel of the second swivel cylinder 75e is controlled by the positioning mechanism 80, as will be described later.

[0044] The positioning mechanism 80 mainly includes a fourth driven shaft 81, a conversion mechanism 82, a collar member 83, a spherical body 84, a fixed ring 85, a coupling portion 86 which is a regulating mechanism, and a biasing member 87. The fourth driven shaft 81 has a fourth keyway 81a (key member) extending in the diameter direction of the fourth driven shaft 81 at one end far from the second swivel portion 73c. In a state where the second turret surface 22 is disposed at the machining position, the fourth keyway 81a engages with the keyway groove 44a of the drive shaft 44, and the fourth driven shaft 81 is connected to the drive shaft 44. Then, when the drive shaft 42 rotates by the drive motor 41, the fourth driven shaft 81 rotates forward and backward about the third axis C3 via the transmission portion 43 and the drive shaft 44.

[0045] The conversion mechanism 82 converts the rotational motion of the fourth driven shaft 81 into a linear motion. The conversion mechanism 82 is, for example, a ball screw mechanism, and includes a ball screw shaft 82a and a ball screw nut 82b. The ball screw shaft 82a is connected to one end of the fourth driven shaft 81 on the side opposite to the fourth keyway 81a. The ball screw nut 82b is disposed on the outer periphery of the ball screw shaft 82a. A cylindrical collar member 83 is fixed to the outer periphery of the ball screw nut 82b. By the rotation of the fourth driven shaft 81, the ball screw shaft 82a connected to the fourth driven shaft 81 rotates forward and backward. By this rotation, the ball screw nut 82b together with the collar member 83 moves along the ball screw shaft 82a, that is, in a direction approaching or moving away from the second swivel portion 73c along the third axis C3.

[0046] The collar member 83 has an engagement groove 83a formed in a V shape in a side view along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface. The engagement groove 83a has a pair of inclined surfaces 83b inclined with respect to the third axis C3. A plurality (two in this embodiment) of spherical bodies 84 are rotatably disposed between the engagement groove 83a and a second engagement groove 92b of a third coupling piece 92 described later. The spherical bodies 84 are held by the pair of inclined surfaces 83b of the engagement groove 83a and move in the first direction or the second direction along the third axis C3 together with the collar member 83.

[0047] The fixed ring 85 is disposed on the outer periphery of the second turning cylinder 75e and is fixed to the inner wall of the second holding portion 73b by a fixing member not shown. The coupling portion 86 is constituted by, for example, a curvic coupling, but is not limited thereto. The coupling portion 86 is disposed inside the second holding portion 73b. The coupling portion 86 includes a first coupling piece 90 and a second coupling piece 91 as the first members, and a third coupling piece 92 as the second member. The first coupling piece 90, the second coupling piece 91, and the third coupling piece 92 are in a ring shape and are arranged coaxially with the third axis C3 as the central axis.

[0048] A plurality of first meshing teeth 90a are formed on the surface of the first coupling piece 90 facing the second turning portion 73c. The first coupling piece 90 is fixed to the fixed ring 85 by a fixing member not shown. With this configuration, the first coupling piece 90 is unable to rotate around the third axis C3 and unable to move along the third axis C3. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an alignment pin 90b is provided on the surface of the first coupling piece 90 facing the fixed ring 85. By engaging the alignment pin 90b with the pin hole 85a of the fixed ring 85, the alignment of the first coupling piece 90 is performed. With the above configuration, the accuracy of the angle of each tooth in the circumferential direction of the first meshing teeth 90a is maintained.

[0049] The second coupling piece 91 is disposed inside the first coupling piece 90 and is integrally provided on the outer periphery of the second turning cylinder 75e. A plurality of second meshing teeth 91a are formed on the surface of the second coupling piece 91 facing the second turning portion 73c. The first meshing teeth 90a and the second meshing teeth 91a are arranged in the same plane in the direction orthogonal to the third axis C3.

[0050] The third coupling piece 92 is positioned on the second pivot portion 73c side of the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91. The third coupling piece 92 has a plurality of third meshing teeth 92a formed on the surface facing the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91. The length of the third meshing teeth 92a in the diametrical direction is formed to mesh with both the first meshing teeth 90a and the second meshing teeth 91a.

[0051] In the coupling portion 86, when the third coupling piece 92 moves toward the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, the third occlusal tooth 92a engages with the first occlusal tooth 90a and the second occlusal tooth 91a and is connected. When the third coupling piece 92 moves toward the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, the engagement of the third occlusal tooth 92a with the first occlusal tooth 90a and the second occlusal tooth 91a is released, and the connection is released. Hereinafter, the direction in which the third coupling piece 92 moves toward the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91 is referred to as the first direction, and the direction toward the second direction is referred to as the second direction.

[0052] The first occlusal tooth 90a, the second occlusal tooth 91a, and the third occlusal tooth 92a have a tapered shape, with the circumferential width being wider at the base than at the tip. Therefore, even if there is some misalignment in the circumferential direction, the third occlusal tooth 92a will mesh with the first occlusal tooth 90a of the fixed-position first coupling piece 90 while adjusting its circumferential position, and the second occlusal tooth 91a will mesh with the third occlusal tooth 92a while adjusting its circumferential position. As a result, the second occlusal tooth 91a and the third occlusal tooth 92a are aligned with high precision using the first occlusal tooth 90a as a reference.

[0053] The third coupling piece 92 has a second engagement groove 92b formed on its inner circumferential surface, in which a sphere 84 is positioned along the circumferential direction. The second engagement groove 92b has a pair of second inclined surfaces 92c that are inclined with respect to the third axis C3, and a connecting surface 92d that connects them. The second engagement groove 92b is formed with a length longer than the engagement groove 83a along the third axis C3 by the connecting surface 92d, thereby providing so-called play. This play suppresses friction between parts, allowing smooth movement of the sphere 84 and the third coupling piece 92. The third coupling piece 92 is biased in the first direction by a biasing member 87 such as a spring member.

[0054] The positioning operation of the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a in the fixed tool holder 70 configured as described above will be explained below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. In Figures 3 and 5, the third coupling piece 92 is biased in the first direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 87 and engages with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91. In this engaged state, the rotation of the second swivel cylinder 75e, to which the second coupling piece 91 is fixed, is restricted.

[0055] In this state, when the drive motor 41 is driven to rotate the drive shaft 42, the ball screw shaft 82a rotates around the third axis C3, for example in the positive direction, together with the fourth driven shaft 81 via the transmission unit 43 and the drive shaft 44. Due to this rotation, as described above, the ball screw nut 82b moves along the third axis C3 in the second direction together with the collar member 83. Due to the action of the sphere 84 moving together with the collar member 83, the third coupling piece 92 moves in the second direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 87. Due to this movement, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the engagement of the third coupling piece 92 with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91 is released. Therefore, the second swivel cylinder 75e connected to the second coupling piece 91 becomes rotatable around the third axis C3.

[0056] Once the coupling portion 86 is disengaged, the next step is to drive the swivel motor 51 of the tool holder swivel mechanism 50, causing the third spur gear 75c to rotate via the swivel shaft 52 and the third driven shaft 75a. This rotation causes the second swivel portion 73c to swivel around the third axis C3 together with the second swivel cylinder 75e via the fourth spur gear 75d. This rotation also causes the fixed tool 71a held by the second swivel portion 73c to swivel around the third axis C3, positioning the cutting edge at the desired angle.

[0057] In this state, when the drive motor 41 is driven to rotate the drive shaft 42 in the reverse direction, the ball screw shaft 82a rotates in the reverse direction around the third axis C3 together with the fourth driven shaft 81 via the transmission unit 43 and the drive shaft 44. Due to this rotation, the ball screw nut 82b moves along the third axis C3 in the first direction together with the collar member 83. Due to this movement, the pushing force of the sphere 84 is released, and the third coupling piece 92 moves in the first direction due to the biasing force of the biasing member 87. Due to this movement, the third coupling piece 92 engages with the first coupling piece 90 while its circumferential position is adjusted by the first coupling piece 90, and also engages with the second coupling piece 91 while its circumferential position is adjusted by the second coupling piece 91. Due to the engagement of the coupling portion 86 as described above, the rotation of the second swivel cylinder 75e around the third axis C3 is restricted, and the cutting edge of the fixing tool 71a is positioned according to the angle of the first meshing teeth 90a.

[0058] As described above, the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment can use the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 40 that rotates the rotary tool 61a for positioning by the positioning mechanism 80. Therefore, it can be mounted on the second turret surface 22 on which the tool holder 60 on which the rotary tool 61a is mounted is attached. In addition, the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment has the positioning mechanism 80 set the angle of the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a around the third axis C3 to a desired angle, and the coupling part 86 maintains the accuracy of the position of the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a. As a result, the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 40 can be used for purposes other than rotating the rotary tool 61a, improving the versatility of the turret tool post 100 and improving the quality of products processed by the turret tool post 100.

[0059] Furthermore, the coupling portion 86 of this embodiment includes a first coupling piece 90 having a plurality of first meshing teeth 90a and fixed to the second base portion 73a, a second coupling piece 91 having a plurality of second meshing teeth 91a arranged in the same plane as the first meshing teeth 90a and fixed to the second swivel cylinder 75e, and a third coupling piece 92 positioned opposite the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91 and having a plurality of third meshing teeth 92a protruding toward the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91. The third coupling piece 92 is configured to be movable by the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 40 in a direction that meshes with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91 or in a direction that disengages them. In this configuration, the rotation of the second pivot section 73c is restricted when the third coupling piece 92 engages with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, and rotation of the second pivot section 73c is permitted when the engagement between the third coupling piece 92 and the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91 is released. With this configuration, the fixed tool holder 70 of this embodiment can maintain the position of the cutting edge of the fixed tool 71a with higher precision.

[0060] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 80 of this embodiment includes a conversion mechanism 82 that converts the rotational motion of the drive mechanism 40 into linear motion that moves the third coupling piece 92 along the third axis C3, which is the pivot axis. With this configuration, the third coupling piece 92 can be moved more smoothly and appropriately in the direction in which it engages with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, and in the direction in which it disengages.

[0061] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 80 of this embodiment includes a biasing member 87 that biases the third coupling piece 92 in a direction that engages with the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91. This configuration enables proper engagement between the third coupling piece 92 and the first coupling piece 90 and the second coupling piece 91, preventing the engagement from easily disengaging and ensuring that the accuracy of the cutting edge position of the fixing tool 71a is properly maintained.

[0062] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings above, these embodiments are merely illustrative examples, and this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0063] The turret 20 in the above embodiment has a first turret surface 21 to which a non-rotating tool holder, on which a rotary tool or a fixed tool is mounted, is attached, and a rotatable second turret surface 22 to which a rotary tool holder 60 or a fixed tool holder 70 is attached. In contrast, as a modification, the turret 20 may have only the second turret surface 22. Even with such a configuration, a rotary tool holder 60 or a fixed tool holder 70 can be attached to each second turret surface 22, or they can be swapped, and the configuration of the turret 20 becomes simpler. [Cross-reference to related applications]

[0064] This application claims priority over Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-225015, filed with the Japan Patent Office on December 20, 2024, all of which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0065] 20: Turret 22: Second turret surface (turret surface) 40: Drive mechanism 50: Tool holder swivel mechanism (swivel drive mechanism) 60: Rotating tool holder (tool holder) 61a: Rotating tool 70: Fixed tool holder (tool holder) 71a: Fixed tool 73a: Second base part (base part) 73b: Second holding part (base part) 73c: Second swivel part (swivel part) 75: Second swivel drive force transmission mechanism (swivel mechanism) 75e: Second swivel cylinder (swivel mechanism) 80: Positioning mechanism 82: Conversion mechanism 86: Coupling part 87: Biasing member 90: First coupling piece (first member) 90a: First meshing teeth 91: Second coupling piece (first member) 91a : Second meshing teeth 92: Third coupling piece (second member) 92a: Third meshing teeth 100: Turret tool post C2: Second axis (rotation axis) C3: Third axis (swivel axis)

Claims

1. A turret tool post comprising: a turret rotatably supported on a tool post body and having a turret surface on its circumferential surface to which a tool holder on which a rotary tool is mounted is attached; a drive mechanism for rotationally driving the rotary tool; and a swivel drive mechanism for swivelly driving the tool holder on which the rotary tool is mounted; a tool holder on which a fixed tool is mounted, attached to the turret surface, wherein the tool holder on which the fixed tool is mounted comprises: a base portion fixed to the turret surface; a swivel portion on which the fixed tool is mounted and which is rotatably positioned relative to the base portion about a swivel axis intersecting the turret surface; a swivel mechanism for swiveling the swivel portion by the swivel driving force of the swivel drive mechanism; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the swivel portion about the swivel axis, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises: a coupling portion having a first member and a second member that move relative to each other in a direction in which they are connected or released by the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism, A tool holder characterized in that the rotation of the swivel portion is permitted when the connection between the first member and the second member is released, and the rotation of the swivel portion is restricted when the connection between the first member and the second member is made, thereby positioning the swivel portion.

2. The tool holder according to claim 1, wherein the coupling portion comprises: a first coupling piece having a plurality of first meshing teeth and fixed to the base portion; a second coupling piece having a plurality of second meshing teeth arranged in the same plane as the first meshing teeth and fixed to the swivel mechanism; and a third coupling piece positioned opposite the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece and having a plurality of third meshing teeth protruding toward the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece, wherein the third coupling piece is configured to be movable by the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism in a direction in which it meshes with the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece or in a direction in which it disengages; the rotation of the swivel portion is restricted when the third coupling piece meshes with the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece, and the rotation of the swivel portion is permitted when the third coupling piece disengages with the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece.

3. The tool holder according to claim 2, characterized in that the positioning mechanism includes a conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion by the drive mechanism into linear motion that moves the third coupling piece along the pivot axis.

4. The tool holder according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the positioning mechanism includes a biasing member that biases the third coupling piece in a direction that engages with the first coupling piece and the second coupling piece.

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