Axial Tool Turret With External Motor Drive and No Internal Gearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tool turrets in machine tools require complex shaft and gearing systems, which are space-consuming, costly, and require significant maintenance, and lack efficient drive mechanisms for axial tools.
Innovation Solution
A tool turret system with an external drive motor attached to the turret body, allowing direct driving of axial tools, eliminating intermediate gears and belts, and incorporating a control system for seamless switching between tool rotation and turret disk rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional shaft and gearing systems are used to drive tools in tool turrets, then tool rotation can be achieved, but the system becomes space-consuming, costly, and requires significant maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drive mechanism from the traditional internal shaft and gearing system and relocates it to an external motor mounted on the turret body. This extraction eliminates the complex internal transmission components while preserving the tool rotation function, directly resolving the contradiction between operational capability and system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical shaft and gearing system with a direct electric motor drive. The motor's rotational output is directly transmitted to the tool through a simplified connection, substituting complex mechanical transmissions with an electric drive system that achieves the same functional result with reduced complexity
2Ease of operation
If traditional gearing systems are used, then tool rotation is possible, but the system becomes space-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the drive mechanism from the turret disk interior and mounting it externally on the turret body, the patent removes the space-consuming internal shaft and gearing components. This extraction significantly reduces the volume occupied by the turret system while maintaining full tool rotation capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the motor inside the turret disk as in traditional designs, the patent inverts the arrangement by mounting the motor externally on the turret body. This inverted configuration eliminates the need for internal space for complex transmissions, thereby reducing overall system volume
3Ease of operation
If complex internal drive systems are used, then tools can be rotated, but maintenance and repairs require disassembling the entire turret unit
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the motor from the internal turret disk structure and mounting it externally on the turret body, the patent makes the drive mechanism externally accessible. This extraction allows maintenance and repairs to be performed on the motor without disassembling the entire turret unit, significantly improving ease of repair while preserving tool rotation functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the turret system into distinct modular components: the motor as a separate external unit, the turret body, and the turret disk with tools. This segmentation allows the motor to be independently accessed, removed, and serviced without affecting the rest of the turret assembly, thereby improving maintenance accessibility
Data Source
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AI summary
Turret unit for a machine tool, in particular a universal turning machine or a lathe, the turret unit comprising: a turret body mounted to a tool carrier of the machine tool; a turret head mounted to the turret body and including a turret disk, wherein the turret disk is configured to be rotatable around a disk axis and has a plurality of slots for receiving tools; and a first driving means attached to the turret head or the turret body; wherein a tool rotation axis of a tool received in a slot of the plurality of slots is substantially parallel to the disk axis; and wherein the first driving means is configured to couple to the tool received in the slot of the turret disk.