JPH0448923Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an automatic honing tool changing device that automatically changes the honing tool of a honing machine.

(Prior Art) A honing machine generally has a honing tool equipped with a grindstone at the tip of a spindle, and rotates the honing tool around the axis of the spindle (this axis coincides with the axis of the honing tool). This honing process is performed on a workpiece by reciprocating in the axial direction.

One way of connecting (installing) the main shaft and the honing tool in such a honing machine is to fit a torque transmission pin provided on either the main shaft or the tool into a recess provided on the other. be.

When the above connection mode is adopted, when a honing tool is attached to the main shaft, for example, a tool equipped with a torque transmission pin extending in the radial direction (direction perpendicular to the tool axis) is housed and held in a tool holder,
Rotating the spindle with respect to the held tool so that its recess matches the position of the torque transmission pin, and then moving the spindle toward the tool;
A method is used to connect the two by fitting a torque transmission pin into a recess.

In order to use such a method, it is necessary to rotate the main shaft and stop it at a fixed position where the recess matches the torque transmission pin of the tool, which is set in advance at a predetermined position. For example, as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 51-81480, a fixed position stopping mechanism for rotating such a main shaft and stopping it at a fixed position is provided on the main shaft.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, providing such a fixed position stopping mechanism is not preferable because it increases the size and complexity of the honing machine or increases its cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic honing tool exchange device that can automatically exchange honing tools without using the fixed position stop mechanism as described above.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the automatic honing tool exchange device according to the present invention moves the main shaft relatively toward the honing tool and engages the torque transmission pins and the recesses. and an elastic support means for elastically supporting the tool holder holding the tool so that it can be displaced in the relative movement direction of the spindle, and the tool holder being displaceable due to the elastic support means. displacement detection means for detecting displacement in the direction; and when the tool holder is displaced from the reference position against the elastic support means when the main shaft is relatively moved to a set position, for example, to a connection end position,
Based on the output from the displacement detection means, the main shaft is rotated relative to the tool until the tool holder is displaced in the opposite direction (towards the reference position) by the elastic support means. and rotation control means for controlling relative rotation of the main shaft.

(Function) In the automatic changer with the above configuration, when the main shaft is moved relative to the tool to a predetermined set position, for example, the connection end position, if the position of one torque transmission pin and the other recess (axis line If the positions in the rotational direction centering on ) coincide, the pin and the recess are fitted, and therefore the tool and the tool holder are located at a predetermined reference position.

However, if the positions of the pin and the recess do not match, the pin will be pushed by the non-recessed part, e.g. by the depth of the recess, so that the tool and tool holder will be pushed against the elastic support means. will be displaced from the reference position.

Therefore, in that case, the main shaft is rotated relative to the tool. Then, when the pin and the recess match, the tool and the tool holder are reversely displaced toward the reference position by the elastic support means, and the pin and the recess fit together.

The fitting between the pin and the recess is detected by the above-mentioned reverse displacement of the tool holder, and, for example, the connection between the spindle and the tool is locked.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the automatic honing tool exchange device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where the torque transmission pin and the recess are not fitted, and FIGS. 3 and 4. 2 are partial cross-sectional views showing details of the honing tool and spindle shown in FIG. 1, respectively; FIG.

First, the honing tool and the spindle will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The honing tool 2 includes a grindstone holder 4 having a plurality of grindstones 4a arranged radially around its axis 2a at its lower part, and has a grindstone holder 4 fitted into an open bottom fitting part on the main shaft side described below at its upper end. The mounting part 6 has a mounting part 6 which is mounted on the main shaft, and the outer peripheral surface of the mounting part 6 has a ball fitting groove 8 having a semicircular cross section into which a steel ball on the main shaft side is fitted when mounted on the main shaft. A torque transmission pin 10 is provided below the fitting groove 8 and projects from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 6 in a radial direction centered on the axis 2a.

The main shaft 12 has a spindle member 16 at its lower end having an open bottom fitting part 14 into which the upper end mounting part 6 of the tool fits, and the spindle member 16 has an open bottom recess 1 into which the pin 10 of the tool fits.
It has 8. The lower surface open recess 18 is formed at the lower end of the annular portion 16a surrounding the lower surface open fitting portion 14 of the spindle member 16 and positioned in a radial direction centered on the axis 12a. Also,
The annular portion 16a of the spindle member has a steel ball 2 that fits into the ball fitting groove 8 of the tool.
A plurality of steel balls 20 are arranged circumferentially, and these steel balls 20 are held movably in the radial direction. Further, a sleeve-shaped locking member 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the annular portion 16a of the spindle member, and the locking member 22 has the steel ball 20 projected inward in the radial direction to prevent it from moving outward. That is, the lock member 22 has a convex portion 24 for locking the ball 20 and a recess 26 for allowing the ball 20 to escape radially outward, that is, for releasing the lock. It is configured so that it can be moved downward against the spring 28 by supplying hydraulic pressure to a pressure chamber 30 formed above.

Note that the rotation of the main shaft 12 is caused by the lower surface opening recess 1.
8. The main shaft is lowered via the torque transmission pin 10 at the upper surface 14 of the lower surface open insertion part 14 of the spindle member.
a, the lift of the spindle is transmitted to the tool 2 via a steel ball 20, respectively.

Next, the automatic switching device will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, this exchanger includes a tool holder 40, elastic support means 50, tool holder displacement detection means 60, and spindle rotation control means 70.

The tool holder 40 holds the tool 2 so that its axis 2a is parallel to the axis 12a of the main spindle (in the case shown, the tool holder 40 is located directly below the main spindle 12, so both axes 2a and 12a are aligned). ).

The elastic support means 50 elastically supports the tool holder 40 so that it can be displaced in the direction of the axis 2a of the tool held therein, and specifically supports a cylinder chamber 52 filled with air, which is a compressible fluid. This cylinder chamber 52 is divided into an upper chamber 52a and a lower chamber 5.
2b is partitioned by a piston 54, and the lower end of a piston rod 56 whose upper end is connected to the tool holder 40 is connected to the upper surface side of the piston 54. Note that the upper chamber 52a may be open to the atmosphere.

The tool holder 40 includes a ball 42 and a ball 4.
A tool detent mechanism 46 consisting of a spring 44 that presses the tool 2 toward the tool is provided, and although the detent mechanism 46 does not completely prevent rotation of the tool 2 within the tool holder 40, it does at least prevent the tool 2 from rotating as described below. While the tool 2 is pressed downward by the main shaft 12 against the elastic support member 50, the main shaft 12
When the tool 2 is rotated, rotation of the tool 2 due to rotational friction of the main shaft 12 is prevented. Further, the piston rod 56 is formed with a key groove 58 extending in the direction of the axis 2a, which is the direction of displacement of the tool holder 40, and a key 59 provided on the cylinder housing 52c is fitted into the key groove 58. Axis line 2a of tool holder 40
It is configured to allow movement in this direction but prevent rotation about the axis 2a.

The tool holder displacement detection means 60 detects the displacement of the tool holder 40 caused by the elastic support means 50, that is, the displacement caused by the vertical movement of the piston 54 in the case of the embodiment.

The control means 70 controls the rotation of the main shaft 12 based on the output from the displacement detection means 60 to fit the pin 10 and the lower open recess 18, and the control details will be described below in this embodiment. This will be explained along with the tool replacement procedure.

Now, consider the case where the tool 2 held in the tool holder 40 as shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on the spindle 12. The tool holder 40 shown in FIG. 1 holds the tool 2 and is supported by the elastic support means 50 without any load being applied from the main shaft 12. The position is set as the reference position. Further, the main shaft 12 shown in FIG.
2 and the tool 2, and the position of the main shaft 12 in this state (connection end position) is defined as the set position.

First, the main spindle 12 is positioned above the illustrated position so that its axis 12a coincides with the axis 2a of the tool, the locking member 22 of the main spindle is pushed down to the unlocked state, and from that state the axis 12a is moved at low speed. Lower it to the set position shown in the figure, with or without rotating it. At this point, if the pin 10 and the bottom open recess 1
8 are fitted, the state shown in the figure is reached, and the tool holder 40 is at the reference position. Therefore, when the spindle rotation control means 70 receives information from the spindle rotation/reciprocating means 80 that the spindle 12 has been lowered to the set position, it examines the input from the displacement detection means 60 and determines whether the tool holder 40 is at the reference position. In some cases, the above pin 10
It is determined that the and recess 18 are fitted, and the main shaft 12
If it is rotating, the rotation is stopped, and a signal is outputted to move the locking member 22 upward and lock the main shaft 12.

On the other hand, if the pin 10 and the recess 18 are not yet fitted together when the main shaft 12 is lowered to the set position, the tool 2
is the non-lower open recessed portion 1 of the main shaft via the pin 10.
2b, the tool holder 40 is pushed down by the depth of the recess 18, and accordingly, the tool holder 40 is also pushed down by the same length from the reference position, and is displaced downward.
Of course, this downward displacement is achieved by compressing the air in the lower cylinder chamber 52b against the elastic support means 50.

Therefore, if the tool holder 40 is below the reference position when the spindle 12 is lowered to the set position, the spindle 12 is rotated at a low speed at that position by the spindle rotation control means 70. Then, since the tool 2 does not rotate, the pin 10 and the recess 18 are aligned with each other until the tool 2 rotates half a turn at maximum, and the tool 2 is supported by the elastic support means 50 via the tool holder 40, that is, by the cylinder lower chamber 52b. It rises due to the pressure of the compressed air inside the pin 10.
and the recess 18 fit together. Therefore, when the spindle rotation control means 70 receives information from the displacement detection means 60 that the tool holder 40 has moved (raised) toward the reference position, the spindle rotation control means 70 controls the pin 10 accordingly.
It is determined that the tool and the recess 18 are fitted together, and a signal is output to stop the rotation of the main shaft 12 and move the locking member 22 upward to lock the main shaft 12, thereby completing the installation of the tool. .

When removing the tool, the main spindle 12 with the tool attached is lowered to the above-mentioned setting position, the tool 2 is housed and held in the tool holder 40 as shown in the first example, and the locking member 22 of the main spindle is lowered to release the lock. In addition, the locking pin 92, which is moved forward and backward by the air cylinder 90 or the like, is advanced to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure. If the main shaft 12 is raised in this state, the tool 2 is prevented from rising by the locking pin 92, and the tool is removed from the main shaft 12.

In the above embodiment, the recess 18 is provided in the spindle example, and the pin 10 is provided in the tool example, but these may be provided in the opposite manner. Further, in the above embodiments, the spindle is moved toward the tool or rotated when the tool is attached or removed, but the tool may be configured to be moved or rotated via the tool holder. . Further, the elastic support means may also be constituted by, for example, a spring.

(Effects of the invention) The automatic honing tool exchange device according to the invention elastically supports the tool holder so that it can be displaced by the elastic support means as described above, and presses the tool and the spindle to move the tool holder into the elastic position. The tool holder is displaced against the support, and in this state, the main shaft is rotated relative to the tool to fit the torque transmission pin and the recess, and the fitting is caused by displacement due to the elastic repulsion force of the elastic support means of the tool holder. Since the honing tool is configured to detect this, automatic exchange of the honing tool is possible even without a fixed position stopping mechanism that stops the spindle at a predetermined rotational position, thereby downsizing the honing machine and simplifying its structure. This makes it possible to reduce costs and reduce costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention;
The figure shows a state in which the torque transmission pin and the recess are not fitted, Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the tool in Figure 1 in detail, and Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the main shaft in Figure 1 in detail. be. 2...Honing tool, 2a...Axis of the honing tool, 10...Torque transmission pin, 12...Main shaft, 12a...Axis of the main spindle, 40...Tool holder, 50...Elastic support means, 60...Displacement Detection means, 70... Spindle rotation control means.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A tool in which the main shaft is moved relative to the honing tool and a torque transmission pin provided on one of them is fitted into a recess provided on the other to connect the two. An automatic honing tool changer that automatically changes tools, the tool holder holding the tool with its axis parallel to the axis of the spindle; an elastic support means for elastically supporting the tool holder so as to be displaceable; a displacement detection means for detecting displacement of the tool holder in the movable direction; and based on an output from the displacement detection means, directing the spindle toward the tool to a set position. If the tool holder is displaced from the reference position against the elastic support means when the tool holder is relatively moved by the elastic support means, the spindle is moved against the tool until the tool holder is displaced in the opposite direction by the elastic support means. An automatic exchanging device for a honing tool, comprising: rotation control means for rotating the honing tool relative to the honing tool.