Feed and Load Unit with Diagonal Guide Path Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feed and load units in machine tools require multiple drives and power supplies for work piece carriers, leading to inefficiency, increased costs, and wasted space, as each carrier needs separate drives for unloading and loading, and power supplies are necessary for each carrier.
Innovation Solution
A guide path section that can move angularly or diagonally to the conveying direction, allowing a single drive to be used for both loading and unloading, and incorporating a press-on device for precise work piece positioning, reducing the need for multiple drives and power supplies, and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If each work piece carrier is equipped with a separate drive for loading and unloading, then the work piece can be fed and removed efficiently, but the number of drives increases leading to higher costs and more space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the driving functions by using a single drive unit that can drive multiple work piece carriers sequentially. The drive unit is shared among several carriers, eliminating the need for separate drives on each carrier. This reduces the total number of drives and power supplies while maintaining the ability to feed and remove work pieces efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The single drive unit is designed to perform multiple functions by serving different work piece carriers at different times. It can drive any carrier that needs to be moved for loading or unloading operations, making it a universal driving mechanism that replaces multiple specialized drives.
2Adaptability or versatility
If work piece carriers are equipped with separate power supplies, then each carrier can operate independently, but the cost and space requirements for power supply increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the power supply requirements by using a single power source that can supply energy to multiple work piece carriers through the shared drive unit. Instead of each carrier having its own power supply, the centralized power supply serves all carriers sequentially when they are being driven.
3Ease of operation
If drives are arranged on each work piece carrier, then loading and unloading can be performed independently, but the space on carriers required for conveying work piece increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drive unit from the work piece carriers and places it externally on the guide path. This removes the bulky drive mechanisms from the carriers themselves, freeing up space on the carriers for work piece conveying while maintaining the ability to perform independent loading and unloading operations through the externally located drive.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to a feed and load unit serving for feeding or removing one or more work pieces in the machining chamber of a machine tool for machining purposes. For this the feed and load unit comprises at least two work piece carriers movably on a guide path. The work piece carrier serves for picking up at least one work piece. In the guide path a guide path section, angularly or diagonally to the direction of conveying of the work pieces on the guide path, movably by a drive is, provided. The guide path section is able to pick up at least one work piece carrier. The guide path section is shifted for loading and unloading purposes in the direction of the machining chamber.