Toolholder Connector with Side-Activated Quick Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toolholder connector designs require access through a bore to rotate and separate toolholders, making alignment and removal cumbersome, and lack ease in positioning alignment pins relative to alignment slots.
Innovation Solution
A quick-change connector system with a side-activated receiver and rotatable actuating bolt allows for radial alignment and secure locking of toolholders without needing access through the bore, using a male quick-change portion with a lockable segment and a rotatable bolt for secure engagement and release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a differential connector with threads of different pitches is used to secure the first toolholder to the second toolholder, then the radial relationship and alignment between toolholders is ensured, but access through the bore is required to rotate the connector for attachment and removal, making the operation cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is redesigned with a lateral release mechanism that operates perpendicular to the toolholder axis, moving the activation dimension from the longitudinal bore to the lateral direction. This allows operation without accessing through the bore, resolving the contradiction between precision alignment and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating the connector longitudinally through the bore for attachment and removal, the invention inverts the operation by using a lateral release mechanism that activates perpendicular to the axis, reversing the direction of operation and eliminating the need for bore access.
2Manufacturing precision
If the alignment pin must be precisely aligned with the alignment slot before mating the toolholders, then precise radial relationship is achieved, but the positioning becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment features are designed to automatically engage and pre-position the toolholders relative to each other before final tightening. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for manual positioning and reduces alignment time while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment pin and slot are designed to self-align and self-position the toolholders through their geometric relationship, eliminating the need for operator intervention in the alignment process. The features automatically guide the toolholder into the correct radial position.
3Strength
If a specialized wrench is required to access and rotate the differential connector through the bore, then the connector can be secured, but the device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism is extracted from the longitudinal bore and relocated to the lateral direction, removing the need for specialized wrenches and complex access mechanisms. The lateral activation simplifies the device while maintaining the securing force capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A lateral actuating mechanism serves as an intermediary between the operator and the connector, replacing the need for direct bore access and specialized wrenches. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the interface while maintaining the required securing force.
Data Source
AI summary
A toolholder connector having one threaded end and one end with a male quick change portion is threadingly engaged with a first toolholder having a threaded bore. The quick change connector also has a male quick change portion that is engaged within a side activated receiver of a second toolholder. Prior to activating the receiver, an alignment pin associated with the first toolholder is lined up with alignment slot associated with the second toolholder such that when the two are brought together, a pre-determined radial alignment will be retained.