Springless Tool Gripper for Machine Tool Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool grippers in machine tools face issues with secure holding of tool holders due to reliance on springs, which can fail, and complex designs that slow down tool changes, leading to potential damage and inefficiencies in machining processes.
Innovation Solution
A tool gripper design with jaws that grip the hollow shank taper of the tool holder, featuring fingers and mold surfaces for a form-fitting hold, eliminating the need for springs and complex mechanisms, allowing for quick and secure transfer of tool holders between magazine locations and machine spindles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spring-loaded pivoting jaws are used to hold the tool holder, then the tool holder can be securely held, but the springs can fail and the design becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring-loaded mechanism entirely from the tool gripper design. Instead of using springs to actuate the jaws, the system uses a simple pneumatic cylinder that directly moves the jaws between open and closed positions without any spring elements, thereby eliminating the reliability issues and complexity associated with spring failure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical spring-loaded system with a pneumatic actuation system. The pneumatic cylinder provides the force needed to open and close the jaws, substituting the unreliable mechanical spring mechanism with a more reliable pneumatic system that has no wear-prone moving parts
2Reliability
If complex mechanisms are used in the tool gripper, then the tool holder can be securely held, but the tool change speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the complex spring-loaded pivoting mechanism, the patent significantly reduces the number of moving parts and potential failure points. The simplified jaw actuation system allows for faster opening and closing actions, directly improving tool change speed while maintaining secure holding through the pneumatic actuation and finger engagement design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic finger elements that can rapidly engage and disengage from the tool holder's hollow shank taper. The fingers are designed to flex and snap into position quickly, enabling fast tool changes while maintaining a secure form-fitting hold during the machining operation
3Productivity
If form-fitting holding is used for quick tool changes, then the tool change speed increases, but the risk of tool holder misalignment or loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gripping function into multiple independent fingers that can engage with different features of the tool holder simultaneously. The fingers engage with the hollow shank taper while the jaw body engages with the collar, creating multiple contact points that prevent misalignment and secure the tool holder against loss even during high-speed operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces guide surfaces and alignment features as intermediary elements between the jaw and the tool holder. These guide surfaces ensure that the tool holder is properly aligned as it is gripped by the fingers, preventing misalignment during the rapid tool change process while maintaining the form-fitting hold
Data Source
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AI summary
There is described a tool gripper (22) for a tool holder (14) having a longitudinal axis (30), said tool holder (14) having a collar (32), on a bottom side of which along the longitudinal axis a machining tool is fastenable, and on an upper side of which along the longitudinal axis a hollow shank taper (31) for clamping the tool holder in a tool receptacle is provided, wherein the tool gripper (22) has holding means (61, 62; 65, 66; 69, 72) which grasp the hollow shank taper (31) of a tool holder (14) inserted into the tool gripper (22).