JPH1199427A - Machine tool with automatic tool changing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten tool changing time by closely-disposing a main shaft and a tool magazine, and shortening a changing arm without restricting the movable range of the main shaft, a tool changing position of the main shaft, and the number of stored tools in the tool magazine. SOLUTION: This automatic tool changing device 13 is provided with an arm shaft 23 involving a changing arm 25, a driving motor 28, a converting mechanism which converts the rotation of the driving motor 28 into the advance and retreat movement of the arm shaft 25, a transmitting mechanism which transmits the rotation of the driving motor 28 to the arm shaft 25, and at least the driving motor 25 or the driving motor 25 and the converting mechanism are disposed at forward side which is a more distant position from a main shaft 8 and a tool magazine 12 than the rotating plane of the changing arm 25.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a machine tool such as a so-called machining center having an automatic tool changer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Attempts have been made to shorten the exchange time of an automatic tool changer by shortening the exchange arm as much as possible so that the arm can be rotated at a high speed. Shortening the arm not only shortens the replacement time, but also has the effect that a heavy tool can be stably moved. And to shorten the replacement arm,
It is necessary to arrange the tool magazine and the spindle as close as possible.

On the other hand, a cam type ATC or a mechanical type ATC
There have been proposed various automatic tool changers, which use a cam or a link to rotate an arm and insert / remove a tool using a single drive motor. (For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-654)
65, see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-17312) In addition to turning the arm and inserting / removing the tool, clamping of the tool on the spindle,
In some cases, the unclamping operation is also linked. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-104377.) In such an automatic tool changer, each of these drive mechanisms is compactly housed and unitized. Since this unit accommodates all the mechanisms of the automatic tool changer, it has a certain size and is usually arranged between the tool magazine and the spindle, so that the above-mentioned approach between the tool magazine and the spindle is possible. This will be contrary to the arrangement.

As a solution to this conflicting problem,
JP-A-8-39381 has been proposed. This one is
By arranging only the tool change arm between the tool magazine and the main spindle, the tool magazine and the main spindle can be arranged close to each other, and the wide arm drive unit is arranged below the tool magazine and the main spindle. is there.

[0005]

However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.
Japanese Patent No. 39398 has the following problems because the arm drive unit is disposed below the tool magazine and the spindle. Since the arm drive unit is disposed below the spindle head, in a machine tool in which the spindle head moves vertically, the movable range of the spindle head is limited. Furthermore, the arm drive unit is disposed further below the lowermost position of the movable range of the spindle head, and the tool change position of the spindle head is inevitably the lowest position of the movable range, so that the spindle head is The tool must be moved from the machining end position to the lowest position every time the tool is changed, and even though the aim is to shorten the tool change time by shortening the change arm, it is necessary to wait until the tool change operation starts. There is a problem that time is long.

In addition, when the arm driving section is disposed below the tool magazine, the position of the lowermost end of the tool magazine is limited, so that the number of tools stored in the tool magazine is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and does not limit the movable range of the spindle head and the tool change position, and does not limit the number of tool magazines to be stored in the tool magazine and the spindle. The aim is to place the head as close as possible.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic tool for exchanging a tool between a spindle on which a tool is mounted and a tool magazine having a plurality of tools. In a machine tool provided with a tool changer, the automatic tool changer includes an arm shaft having a change arm for holding a tool, a drive motor, and a conversion for converting rotation of the drive motor into forward and backward movement of the arm shaft. A mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the drive motor to the arm shaft, wherein at least the drive motor of the automatic tool changer is disposed in front of the main shaft and the tool magazine. It is.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine tool having an automatic tool changer for performing a tool change between a spindle on which a tool is mounted and a tool magazine having a plurality of tools. An exchange device includes an arm shaft having an exchange arm for gripping a tool, a drive motor, a conversion mechanism for converting rotation of the drive motor into forward / backward movement of the arm shaft, and rotation of the drive motor to the arm shaft. A transmission mechanism for transmitting the power, and wherein the drive motor and the conversion mechanism of the automatic tool changer are arranged at positions farther from the main spindle and the tool magazine than a turning plane of the change arm. .

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the conversion mechanism, a cam member formed with a cam groove on a side surface and rotated by the drive motor, and one end engaged with the cam groove and the other end provided with the cam groove. A rotating arm engaged with an exchange arm shaft and capable of pivoting; the transmission mechanism includes a roller engaging with the cam member and a roller gear cam formed on an outer periphery of the cam member; A rotary shaft rotatably supported around an axis orthogonal to the rotary shaft, and a gear for transmitting rotation between the rotary shaft and the arm shaft. In the invention described above, the drive motor is arranged so that a rotation axis is horizontal and is in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the main shaft.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a machine tool 1 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view of an automatic tool changer 13 attached to the machine tool 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. In FIG. 1, a machine tool 1 includes a bed 2 and a column 3 erected on the bed 2.
It has. The top and bottom 2 extending left and right on the front of the column 3
A guide rail 4 is attached, and a saddle 5 is provided along the guide rail 4 so as to be movable in the left-right (X-axis) direction. Further, on the front surface of the saddle 5, two guide rails 6 extending left and right extending vertically are attached.
The gantry 7 moves up and down along this guide rail 6 (Y axis)
It is provided movably in the direction. The gantry 7 is provided with a spindle head 9 that rotatably supports a spindle 8. The bed 2 is provided with two left and right guide rails 10 extending in the front-rear direction. A table 11 is provided along the guide rails 10 so as to be movable in the front-rear (Z-axis) direction.

The saddle 5 is driven by a drive device (not shown).
Is in the X-axis direction, Gandori 7 is in the Y-axis direction,
Move in the Z direction, and the workpiece mounted on the table 11 is processed by the tool T mounted on the main shaft 8. On the other hand, on the side of column 3, column 3
A tool magazine 12 provided with a plurality of tools T is provided adjacent to the
An automatic tool changer 13 is provided on the front of
It is configured to exchange tools between the tool magazine 12 and the spindle 8.

The tool magazine 12 is configured such that a plurality of tool pots 14 holding a tool T are connected by a chain or the like and can be rotated and indexed. Further, a drawing device (not shown) for drawing the tool T to be exchanged to the drawing position P together with the tool pot holding the tool T is provided. The automatic tool changer 13 includes a base 20, a rear housing 21 and a front housing 22 provided on the base 20. Between the rear housing 21 and the front housing 22, an arm shaft 23 extends upward and the rotation shaft 2 extends downward.
4 are each bridged. The arm shaft 23 has an S-shaped arm 25 for holding the tool T in the middle thereof,
By spline-engaging with the rotating body 26 rotatably held on the rear housing 22 via bearings, the rear housing 22 is rotatable and axially retractable. The rotating shaft 24 has a roller gear 27 in the middle thereof and is rotatably held by the rear housing 21 and the front housing 22 via bearings.

A drive motor 28 is mounted on the base 20 so that its rotation axis is parallel to the X axis. The output shaft of the drive motor 28 is a disc-shaped cam member 29.
It is connected to. The cam member 29 is rotatably supported coaxially with the drive motor 28. A cam groove 30 is formed on a side surface of the cam member 29, and a roller gear cam (not shown) is formed on an outer periphery thereof.

A swing lever 31 is provided in the rear housing 21.
Is provided so as to be able to turn around the turning shaft 32,
Rollers 33 and 34 are attached to both ends of the turning lever 31. The roller 3 at the lower end of the turning lever 31
3 is engaged with a cam groove 30 formed in the cam member 29, and the roller 34 at the upper end of the revolving lever 31 is
Is engaged with one end. Thus, when the cam member 29 is rotated by the drive motor 28, the swing lever 31 swings, and the arm shaft 23 moves forward and backward in FIG.

The roller gear 27 of the rotating shaft 24 is engaged with the roller gear cam of the cam member 29. When the cam member 29 rotates, the rotating shaft 24
It is configured to be rotated with an axis orthogonal to the rotation axis 9 as the rotation axis. And, as shown in FIG.
The rotation of the rotating shaft 24 is transmitted to the rotating body 26 by gears 35, 36, 37, 38 provided in the front housing 22, whereby the arm shaft 23 is rotated.

The automatic tool changer 1 constructed as described above.
3 is arranged on the bed 2 of the machine tool 1 so as to face the spindle head 9 and the tool magazine 12, as shown in FIGS. Here, as shown in FIG.
Between the front magazine 22 and the tool magazine 12
The rear housing 21 in which only the cam member 29 and the turning lever 31 are housed, and the drive motor 28 having a particularly large width in the X-axis direction are arranged in front of the spindle head 9 and the tool magazine 12. As a result, the spindle head 9 and the tool magazine 12 can be arranged as close as possible, and the S-shaped arm 25 can be shortened, so that the tool change time is shortened.

Here, for example, when a rotary switching valve as described in JP-A-5-104377 is provided between the drive motor and the cam member, the width in the X-axis direction is further increased. The approach arrangement between the spindle and the tool magazine is not hindered.

Next, the operation of the above machine tool will be described. The workpiece placed on the table 11 is formed into a desired shape by the tool T mounted on the spindle 8 by moving the table 11 in the Z-axis direction and moving the spindle head 9 in the X and Y-axis directions. Processed. When the tool T mounted on the spindle 8 is exchanged, the tool magazine is indexed and the tool pot 14 holding the tool T to be newly mounted on the spindle 8 is pulled out to the tool withdrawal position P, The spindle head 9 is moved to a predetermined tool change position. Next, when the drive motor 28 is rotated by a predetermined amount, the cam member 29 is rotated, and the engagement between the roller gear cam of the cam member 29 and the roller gear 27 of the rotation shaft 24 causes the rotation shaft 24 to rotate by a predetermined amount. Is transmitted to the arm shaft 23 via the gears 35, 36, 37, 38 and the rotating body 26. Then, the S-shaped arm 25 rotates, and simultaneously holds the tool T mounted on the main shaft 8 and the tool T pulled out to the drawing position P of the tool magazine 12. In this state, when the drive motor 28 is further rotated, the cam groove 30 formed in the cam member 29 and the roller 33 of the turning lever 31 engage with each other, whereby the turning lever 31 is turned. Arm shaft 23
4, the arm shaft 23 moves rightward in FIG. 4, and the tool T gripped by the S-shaped arm is pulled out from the tool pot 14 and the main shaft 8 at the drawing position P of the tool magazine 12. At the same time, the roller gear cam of the cam member 29, the roller gear 27, the rotating shaft 24, the gear 3
The arm shaft 23 is rotated by 5, 36, 37, 38 and the rotating body 26, and the S-shaped arm is rotated by 180 degrees, so that the tool T is exchanged. Then, further rotation of the drive motor 28 causes the turning lever 31 to turn in the opposite direction to the previous one,
The arm shaft 23 moves to the left in FIG. 4, and the tool T gripped by the S-shaped arm is mounted on the main shaft 8 and the tool pot 14 at the extraction position P, and the tool exchange is completed.

According to the above-described embodiment, since the automatic tool changer is arranged on the bed in front of the spindle and the tool magazine, the movable range of the spindle in the vertical direction is not limited, and The movable range of the spindle can be set as low as the lower end position of the tool changer, and the tool exchange position of the main spindle does not need to be the lowest position of the movable range of the spindle. Further, since the tool magazine can be extended further below the lower end position of the automatic tool changer, the number of tool storages can be increased.

Further, since there is no obstacle around the automatic tool changer, maintenance of the automatic tool changer can be easily performed. Further, since the arm shaft is supported at both ends by the rear housing and the front housing, even when the turning speed of the replacement arm is increased or when the heavy tool is replaced, the replacement arm can be turned stably. it can.

In the above-described embodiment, the automatic tool changer 13 is composed of the rear housing 21 and the front housing 22, and the rotation of the arm shaft 23 is controlled by the gears 35, 36, 3 housed in the front housing 22.
Although it is configured to be transmitted by the rotation shafts 7, 38 and the rotating body 26, the rotation transmission mechanism of the arm shaft 23 may be provided in the rear housing, and the front housing 22 may be omitted. With this configuration, the spindle 8 and the tool magazine 12 can be arranged closer to each other.

[0022]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the drive motor having the largest width in the X-axis direction is arranged on the front side of the main spindle and the tool magazine, the main spindle and the tool magazine of the automatic tool changer can be mounted. Only the portion having a small width in the X-axis direction is disposed between them, and the main spindle and the tool magazine can be disposed close to each other. Thereby, the exchange arm can be shortened, the tool exchange time can be shortened, and the gravity tool can be exchanged stably.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the drive motor and the conversion mechanism having a width in the X-axis direction are arranged at positions farther from the main spindle and the tool magazine than the turning plane of the change arm, the automatic tool changer is provided. The only part disposed between the main spindle and the tool magazine is a transmission mechanism, and since this transmission mechanism can have a smaller width in the X-axis direction than the drive motor or the conversion mechanism, Can be arranged closer to each other. Thereby, the exchange arm can be shortened, the tool exchange time can be shortened, and the gravity tool can be exchanged stably.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation of one drive motor is converted into forward / backward movement of the arm shaft by the cam member and the turning arm, and the rotation of this drive motor is transferred to the arm by the roller gear cam and the gear. Even when the automatic tool changer is configured as a unit, the drive tool and the conversion mechanism do not hinder the approach arrangement between the main shaft and the tool magazine.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the drive motor is disposed so that the rotation axis thereof is in the X-axis direction, and the connection between the output shaft of the drive motor and the conversion mechanism is facilitated. Even if the width of the automatic tool changer in the X-axis direction is increased, the approach arrangement between the main shaft and the tool magazine is not hindered by the drive motor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the automatic tool changer.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Machine tool 9 Spindle head 12 Tool magazine 13 Automatic tool changer 20 Base 21 Rear housing 22 Front housing 23 Arm axis 24 Rotating axis 25 S-arm 28 Drive motor 29 Cam member 31 Rotating lever T Tool P Pull-out position

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A machine tool provided with an automatic tool changer for performing tool change between a spindle on which a tool is mounted and a tool magazine having a plurality of tools, wherein the automatic tool changer includes a tool for holding a tool. An arm shaft having an arm, a drive motor, a conversion mechanism for converting rotation of the drive motor into forward and backward movement of the arm shaft, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the arm shaft; A machine tool provided with an automatic tool changer, wherein at least the drive motor of the automatic tool changer is disposed in front of the spindle and the tool magazine. 2. A machine tool provided with an automatic tool changer for performing tool change between a spindle on which a tool is mounted and a tool magazine having a plurality of tools, wherein the automatic tool changer includes a tool for holding a tool. An arm shaft having an arm, a drive motor, a conversion mechanism for converting rotation of the drive motor into forward and backward movement of the arm shaft, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the arm shaft; A machine tool provided with an automatic tool changer, wherein the drive motor and the conversion mechanism of the automatic tool changer are arranged at positions farther from the main spindle and the tool magazine than a turning plane of the change arm. 3. The machine tool provided with the automatic tool changer according to claim 1, wherein the conversion mechanism has a cam groove formed on a side surface and rotated by the drive motor, and one end of the conversion member has the cam member. A swing arm that is engaged with the cam groove and has the other end engaged with the exchange arm shaft and that can swing. The transmission mechanism includes a cam member and a roller gear cam formed on an outer periphery of the cam member. A rotating shaft having a roller to be engaged and rotatably supported around an axis perpendicular to the rotating shaft of the drive motor; and a gear transmitting rotation between the rotating shaft and the arm shaft. A machine tool equipped with an automatic tool changer characterized by the following. 4. The machine tool provided with the automatic tool changer according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor has a rotation axis that is horizontal and orthogonal to the axis of the main shaft. A machine tool provided with an automatic tool changer, wherein the machine tool is arranged in a machine tool.