Tool Magazine Visual Display for Manual Tool Change Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In machine tools, manual tool attachment and detachment operations are not easily and appropriately performed, especially when changing tools or when tools reach the end of their life, due to a lack of intuitive methods for recognizing tool sizes and states.
Innovation Solution
A magazine with a conveyer unit and a cover body that includes a display unit showing an arc or circumference representing the maximum tool diameter, allowing operators to intuitively recognize tool sizes and states, and a light emitting device for variable display modes to indicate tool presence, clamping status, and operation modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If no visual display is provided in the magazine, then the structure remains simple, but operators cannot intuitively recognize tool sizes and states, making manual tool attachment/detachment operations difficult to perform appropriately
Solution Approach 1:
A display unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the tool holder and the operator. The display unit visually presents tool information (diameter, type, status) to the operator, enabling intuitive recognition and appropriate manual tool attachment/detachment operations without requiring complex mechanical or electronic modifications to the conveyer unit itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces potential complex mechanical indication systems (such as physical gauges, mechanical pointers, or tactile indicators) with a visual display system. This substitution uses electronic/optical display technology to present tool information, simplifying the overall structure while improving operational ease.
2Reliability
If the magazine provides detailed information about tool states, then operational appropriateness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit presents only the essential tool information needed for appropriate manual operations (such as tool diameter relative to holder capacity, tool type, and basic status indicators). Rather than displaying all possible tool parameters, the system provides partial information that is sufficient for reliable tool attachment and detachment decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit utilizes visual indicators such as color coding to convey tool status and compatibility information. Different colors or visual patterns indicate whether a tool is suitable for the holder, reducing the need for complex text-based information systems and simplifying the display structure while maintaining high reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and accurate manual tool attachment and detachment operations by providing visual cues for tool sizes and operational states, improving the efficiency and appropriateness of tool handling in machine tools.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting device that emits light from a back side of the plate material toward the light transmitting portion in a plurality of light emitting modes
Data Source
AI summary
A magazine comprises: a conveyer unit that has a plurality of tool pots that each hold a tool detachably and conveys the plurality of tool pots; and a magazine cover that accommodates the conveyer unit. The conveyer unit allows a tool to be manually attached to and detached from a tool pot conveyed to a predetermined position. The magazine further comprises a display unit that is provided inside the magazine cover and displays a first design.The first design represents an arc or circumference for a diameter corresponding to a maximum diameter of a tool which can be held by the tool pot.