KR20110026097A - Automatic tool exchange device using lack and pinion gear - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An ATC(automatic tool changer) using a rack gear and a pinion gear is provided to ensure precision in aligning tools since the RPM(Revolution per Minute) of the pinion gear is determined according to the gap of the pitches of the pinion gear. CONSTITUTION: An ATC comprises an air-cylinder(150) fixing bushing, a fixed frame, a transfer and sliding block(120) and a pinion gear(220). The air-cylinder fixing bushing is attached to a lower transfer shaft. An air cylinder and a rack gear(210) are fixed to the fixed frame. The transfer and sliding block is coupled to the bottom groove of the fixed frame. The pinion gear engages with the rack gear. The pinion gear is connected to the rotating shaft of a tool magazine(170). The rail is slid according to the movement of the transfer shaft, and the linear movement of the rack gear and the rotating operation of the pinion gear are generated by the sliding of the rail, and thus a tool is attached or separated to/from a spindle.

Description

Automatic tool exchange device using lack and pinion gear}

The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer used in an automated machine tool, and more particularly, an automatic tool that rotates a tool magazine of an automatic tool by changing a linear motion into a rotary motion using a rack gear and a pinion gear. It is related to the exchange device.

The automatic tool changer used in a conventional automated machine tool is connected to a pulley on a magazine shaft, connected to a belt, and then rotated to determine its position, and to change spindle machining tools, and to directly rotate using a servomotor through a reducer. It is divided into a method of exchanging a tool by rotation of a magazine using motion. However, this type of automatic tool changer has difficulty in designing and implementing a mechanical part when a large space or a heavy tool is mounted, and a combination of a reducer and a servomotor causes an increase in operating cost and loss of additional power.

To this end, an automatic tool changer using a coupling structure of a rack gear and a pinion gear is disclosed. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional automatic tool changer using a cylindrical cam that is easy to manufacture and simple in structure. As shown, the drive means 25 for providing a linear driving force, the rack and pinion 29 (30) for converting the linear driving force into a rotational motion, and fixed to the pinion to rotate with the rotation of the pinion, The outer circumferential surface has a cylindrical cam 20 having a first cam groove 20a for vertically swinging the swing arm and a second cam groove 20b for rotating the swing arm, and a first cam according to the rotation of the cylindrical cam 20. A linear movement converting means (36) (37) (38) (39) coupled to the cam groove (20a) to convert the rotational force of the cylindrical cam into vertical linear motion, and the rotational force of the cylindrical cam coupled to the second cam groove. A tool change assembly (20b) (33) (34) (28) (26) for rotating the swinging arm to be transmitted; It consists of 27 (23) 24 (22) 21.

However, in this case, since a drive means such as a pneumatic cylinder for driving the rack and pinion (29, 30) must be provided separately, there is a problem that the configuration complexity of the equipment increases and the cost increases.

An object of the present invention for solving the above technical problem is to enable the automatic tool change without a separate motor and driver by finding the ATC rotation coordinates through the position control of the existing Y-axis feed shaft motor Lower production costs for tool changers, lower operating costs, and allow for compact work spaces and smaller equipment.

The automatic tool changer for solving the above-mentioned problems and achieving the technical problem is an automatic tool changer used in a machine tool for forming and forming a workpiece. And a fixed frame fixing the air cylinder and the rack gear to the left side of the lower front and rear feed shafts, and a rail for the front and rear slides and a transfer slide block to which the rail slides under the fixed frame. Bolting the body connected to the gear, the pinion gear is engaged with the rack gear is coupled, the pinion gear is connected to the support axis of rotation of the tool magazine containing a number of tools to secure the air cylinder to the front and rear feed shaft, The rail slides as the shaft moves. The linear motion of the rack gear and the rotation of the pinion gear are generated according to the riding motion, and the rotation of the tool magazine is generated by the rotation of the pinion gear so that the tool can be detached from the spindle. It is characterized in that the clamping of the tool in the tool change position is possible by NC control of the shaft and the front and rear feed shafts.

In this case, the fixing bush end is configured in a tapered shape, and the receiving coupling groove shape is also configured in a shape corresponding to the bush so that the fitting tolerance does not occur when the fixing bush is fitted.

The tool magazine has a disc shape in which a recess for accommodating the plurality of tools at a position spaced a predetermined distance below the height at which the spindle is positioned to clamp the tool is formed in a circular shape in a radial shape inwardly at an outer edge of the upper plate at radially equal intervals. The tool magazine bottom portion is characterized in that the rotating shaft body is formed integrally in the downward direction.

In addition, the air cylinder and the cylinder rod is fixed to the front and rear Y-axis movement linear shaft rod origin by the fixing bush.

In addition, after inputting the NC coordinate value and the reference coordinate value by connecting the AMP drive in accordance with the operator selection control input, the gear ratio of the rack gear and the pinion gear is adjusted and the tool magazine rotation radius and the rack gear transfer distance from the reference coordinate value. It is characterized in that the control, and to enable precise control in the range of 1 / 1,000 mm.

In addition, the spindle is positioned above the tool seating groove corresponding to the tool magazine reference position by moving the spindle position along the X and Z axes when the spindle is aligned with the tool magazine position on which the tool is seated according to the linear movement of the spindle in the Y axis. It is characterized in that the fixing.

In addition, when the tool seating groove in the vertical lower direction in which the spindle is fixed is empty, the picked tool is seated. The pinion gear is rotated by a distance so that the tool magazine is interlockedly rotated, and after the alignment, the spindle is transferred to the lower direction of the Z axis, and then the tool is seated.

In addition, the tool seated on the tool magazine is characterized in that consisting of 5 to 12 pieces.

In this case, the tool is composed of nine, the reference tool is to set the tool number 5 as the reference tool to reduce the forward and backward feed distance of the tool magazine rotation radius and the rack gear linked to the pinion gear rotation It is characterized by.

As described above, when the automatic tool changer according to the present invention is applied, separate parts such as a servo motor and a drive are not additionally used as compared to the apparatus currently used, thereby lowering the production cost of the tool changer and reducing the operation maintenance cost. It has the effect of being able to be installed in narrow work space and small equipment.

Hereinafter, an automatic tool changer using the rack and the pinion gear according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2a is a combination of the spindle and the processing tool in the conventional tool changer, Figure 2b is a combination of the spindle and the processing tool in the tool changer according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the automatic tool changer according to the present invention, 4 is a perspective view of a rack gear and pinion gear coupling according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a cylinder rod and a processing shaft coupling of an air cylinder to apply a driving force to the rack gear and the pinion gear, and FIG. 6 is an automatic tool according to the present invention. Coupling perspective view showing a shape in which an exchange device is coupled to a processing device, and FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart of an automatic tool changer according to the present invention.

First, referring to Figure 2 will be described with respect to the machining tool and the spindle coupling configuration for performing the machining process by mounting it. Figure 2a shows a conventional combination, as shown, the lower portion of the processing tool 34 for processing the object to be processed and the collet 33 for clamping and support the processing tool 34, the combination The spindle 32 is coupled to the tool feeder. This is a detachable structure, and the collet and the spindle itself have to be exchanged according to the shape and size of the processing tool, and the coupling force due to the separating coupling may have a problem that the fixing force may be weakened as the processing vibration intensity increases.

In order to improve this, the machining tool coupling according to the present invention is composed of a collet 330 integrated spindle 320 as shown in Figure 2b. Accordingly, since only the integrated spindle 320 is replaced according to the shape and dimensions of the processing tool 340, the seismic resistance is increased during machining.

Hereinafter, the automatic tool changer configuration according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6.

The upper part is provided with a spindle 320 coupled to the spindle feed shaft interlocked with the spindle feed device 100, and the collet 330 and the processing tool 340 is fixed to the lower spindle 320. .

 In this case, in the position spaced apart a certain distance below the height where the spindle 320 is positioned for clamping, the mounting groove 345 for seating the plurality of processing tools 340 is formed in a circular shape along the circle at radially equal intervals. Automatic tool changer 100 of the tool magazine 170 is configured. In this case, the outer shape of the magazine 170 may be configured as a plurality of recessed groove shapes having a predetermined curvature, as shown, or may be configured in a circular shape. Of course, it is obvious that the tool magazine shape is not limited to the above-described specific shape.

A lower portion of the tool magazine 170 is formed with a magazine rotation shaft body 160, and a pinion (spur) gear 220 is installed at the bottom of the rotation shaft body 160. In this case, the rotating shaft body 160 is preferably configured to have a cylindrical shape having a larger diameter in the lower portion and a cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter in the upper portion. This is to increase the rotation efficiency during rotation.

On the other hand, the pinion gear 220 is engaged with the rack gear 210 of the linear rod-shaped facing the disk shape to rotate the pinion gear 220 by using the driving force according to the linear motion of the rack gear 210. As a result, the tool magazine 170 is rotatable.

The rack gear 210 is coupled to a fixed frame 130 having a “c” shaped groove at the bottom center thereof, and an air cylinder 150 for fixing the front and rear feed shafts is seated at one end of the upper portion of the fixed frame 130. To be fixed.

A plurality of transfer slide blocks 120 are coupled to the bottom groove of the fixed frame 130, and a long rod-shaped front and rear transfer slide rail 110 is provided as a groove in the center of the bottom of the transfer slide block 120. do.

As shown in FIG. 6, the axis constituting the spindle 320 conveying device connected to the air cylinder 150 is connected to the upper and lower conveyance shafts (X axis), the upper and lower conveyance shafts (Z axis), and the lower and rear materials conveying shafts. It consists of (Y-axis). This axial direction is generally defined in the precision control processing apparatus, and the representation is omitted in the drawings.

According to such a three-axis configuration, the lower and rear feed shaft is attached to the fixing bushing 155 of the air cylinder 150, the left and the lower left and right feed shaft to the frame fixed to the air cylinder 150 and the rack gear 210 ( 130, the body is installed, and the rail 110 for the front and rear slides and the block 120 in which the rail 110 slides are formed under the fixing frame 130.

In this case, the block 120 and the rack 210 is fixed to the body connected to the bolt, the pinion gear 220 is engaged with the rack gear 210 is coupled, the pinion gear 220 is automatic tool exchange The air cylinder 150 is fixed to the front and rear feed shaft by being connected to the supporting rotation shaft of the tool magazine 170 having the tool 340 of the apparatus 100 embedded therein. Accordingly, the rail 110 slides according to the movement of the feed shaft, and the linear motion of the rack gear 210 and the rotation of the pinion gear 220 occur according to the sliding motion, and the rotation of the pinion gear 220 occurs. As a result of the rotation of the automatic tool changer 100 tool magazine 170.

Figure 4 illustrates the operation by the combination of the rack gear 210 and the pinion gear 220 according to the present invention. It is a conceptual view of the operation of the rotational motion by the meshing operation of the gear train of the pinion gear 220 meshed with the rack gear train according to the Y-axis linear movement force of the rack gear 210. In this case, the number of rotations of the pinion gear 220 may be determined according to the pitch interval T of the pinion gear 220. This will be described later, but also related to the precision in the control alignment of the tool 340.

FIG. 5 illustrates a shape of a fixing bush 115 and a shape of one side of the spindle feed device 100 for coupling the cylinder rod of the air cylinder 150 for fixing the front and rear feed shafts. As shown in FIG. The end of the bush 115 has a tapered shape, and the shape of the receiving coupling groove 215 may also be configured to correspond to the bush 115 so that a fitting tolerance thereof does not occur when the fitting is coupled. This enhances the automatic tool changer 100 coupling force, thereby increasing the tool position control precision.

 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation according to pick-up and seating of the tool 340 mounted on the magazine 170 of the automatic tool changer 100 according to the present invention.

First, the reference axis of the automatic tool changer 100 is arranged (S710) to the front-rear direction Y-axis moving linear shaft rod position origin. In this case, the exchanger reference axis will be the air cylinder 150 and the cylinder rod connecting portion. Accordingly, the cylinder rod is fixedly connected to the rod position origin by the fixing bush 115 (S720).

Subsequently, when the spindle 320 is aligned with the magazine 170 on which the tool 340 is seated according to the Y-axis forward and backward movement, the spindle 320 moves to the X and Z axes (S730) to form the tool magazine 170. The tool seating groove 345 corresponding to the reference position is positioned above.

Subsequently, when the tool seating groove 345 is empty (S740), the tool 340 is seated (S760). However, if there is a tool in the tool seating groove 345 (S740 ′), the empty seating groove 345 receives a corresponding position from a controller (not shown) (S750) by a considerable distance to the seating groove 745. After the pinion gear 220 is rotated, the spindle 320 is transferred to the lower direction of the Z axis, and then the tool 340 is seated.

Subsequently, the connected cylinder rod is released (S770). This describes one cycle operation from picking the tool 340 to the corresponding tool seating groove 345 in order to replace the machining tool 340, and using it in a desired process after picking the tool 340. In order to perform the movement of the tool in order to be able to apply the application according to the above embodiment.

In the present invention, in order to enable the clamping of the tool in the tool 340 replacement position by the NC control of the left and right feed shaft and the upper and lower feed shaft forward and backward three axes, as described above, the clamping required for the tool change operation And the position precise control for controlling the seating motion by rotating the tool magazine 170 according to the rotation of the pinion gear 220. In this case, the rack gear 210 and the pinion gear 220 are driven. Without a separate servo motor for the drive and a drive member such as a driver for the same, connecting the fixing bush 115 of the exchange device so as to correspond to the forward and backward feed shaft operation of the existing spindle 320 transfer device By making it possible.

The number of tools 340 seated in the tool magazine 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention was configured as nine. However, this is only a desirable configuration number, and in other machine tool applications, this may be changed by the operator as needed.

Based on the nine tools as described above, which tool 340 is used as a reference tool in tools 1 to 9 may also be a major cause for determining the rotation radius and the feeding distance. By setting the tool (the tool located at the center of the linear alignment) as the reference tool, the radius of rotation according to the rotation of the pinion gear 220 may be reduced, which may be a factor that may reduce the linear feed distance of the rack gear 210.

 This position control operation process is the rotation from the reference coordinate value by adjusting the gear ratio of the rack gear 210 and pinion gear 220 after inputting the NC coordinate value and the reference coordinate value by connecting the AMP drive in accordance with the operator selection control input It is possible to control the radius and the feed distance. In this case, precise control is possible within the range of 1 / 1,000 mm.

In this case, although not shown, since the controller constituting the control unit is matched with the UI (screen button), and the control operation according to the programmed NC control is known in general, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

Accordingly, the tool automatic change device 100 has a great advantage in convenience and economy compared to the umbrella type automatic tool changer that is currently being used. Such an automatic tool changer 100 is not only an artificial tooth processing device but also a precision device. It can be used universally in the small and medium sized Confucius machine that needs to be processed.

Although the above has been illustrated and described with respect to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific embodiments, and the general knowledge in the art to which the invention pertains without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications will not be individually understood from the technical spirit or prospect of the present invention.

For example, in the position control of the automatic tool changer, a rack gear and a pinion gear are used for this purpose. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a timing belt may be sufficiently applied.

1 is a perspective view of a conventional automatic tool changer using a cylindrical cam

Figure 2a is a combination of the spindle and the processing tool in the conventional tool changer

Figure 2b is a combination of the spindle and the processing tool in the tool changer according to the present invention

3 is a perspective configuration diagram of an automatic tool changer according to the present invention;

4 is a rack gear and pinion gear coupling perspective view according to the present invention

 5 is a configuration diagram of the cylinder rod and the machining shaft coupling of the air cylinder to apply the driving force to the rack gear and pinion gear

6 is a perspective view showing a combined shape of the automatic tool changer according to the present invention and the processing apparatus

7 is an operation flowchart of an automatic tool changer according to the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100: automatic tool changer 110: front and rear slide rail

120: feed slide block 130: fixed frame

150: air cylinder for fixing the front and rear feed shaft 160: magazine support rotation shaft

170: tool magazine 210: rack gear

220; Pinion gear 320: spindle

330 collet 340 tool

345: tool settling groove

Claims (9)

In the automatic tool changer used in a machine tool for forming the object to be processed, An air cylinder fixing bushing is attached to the lower front and rear conveying shafts, and a fixed frame fixing the air cylinder and the rack gear is installed to the left of the lower front and rear conveying shafts. A sliding slide block constitutes a slide, the block and the body connected to the rack gear are bolted, and the pinion gear engaged with the rack gear is engaged, and the pinion gear is connected to the support axis of the tool magazine having a plurality of tools. The rail is slid in accordance with the movement of the feed shaft by connecting an air cylinder to the front and rear feed shafts, and the linear motion of the rack gear and the rotation of the pinion gear are generated according to the sliding motion. The rotation of the tool magazine takes place and The rack and pinion can be attached and detached, and the tool clamping at the tool change position is possible by NC control of the left and right feed axis (X axis), the vertical feed axis (Z axis), and the front and rear feed axis (Y axis). Automatic Tool Changer Using Gears The method of claim 1, The fixing bush end is formed in a tapered shape, and the receiving coupling groove shape is formed in a shape corresponding to the bush so that the fitting tolerance does not occur when the fixing bush is fitted. Tool changer. 3. The method of claim 2, The tool magazine is a disc formed in a circular shape inside the outer edge of the upper plate at the same interval of the radial shape of the seating groove for placing the plurality of tools in a position spaced a certain distance below the height where the spindle is located to clamp the tool It is configured in the shape, the tool magazine bottom is an automatic tool changer using the rack and pinion gear, characterized in that the rotating shaft body is formed integrally in the downward direction The method of claim 3, wherein Automatic tool changer using rack and pinion gear, characterized in that the air cylinder and the cylinder rod are fixedly connected by the fixing bush at the origin of the Y-axis movement of the linear shaft. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, After inputting the NC coordinate value and the reference coordinate value by connecting the AMP drive according to the operator selection control input, the gear magazine rotation radius and the rack gear feed distance are controlled from the reference coordinate value by adjusting the gear ratio of the rack gear and the pinion gear. Automatic tool changer using rack and pinion gears, which enables precise control in the range of 1 / 1,000 mm. The method of claim 5, According to the linear movement of the spindle in the Y axis, the spindle moves the spindle position in the X-axis and Z-axis when the tool magazine is aligned with the tool seat, thereby fixing the position in the upper part of the tool seating groove corresponding to the reference position of the tool magazine. Automatic tool changer using rack and pinion gear The method of claim 6, If the tool seating groove in the vertical lower direction in which the spindle is fixed is empty, the picked tool is seated. If there is a tool in the seating recess, a position corresponding to the empty seating groove is received from the control unit by a considerable distance to the seating groove. Automatic tool changer using a rack and pinion gear to rotate the pinion gear so that the tool magazine is interlocked, and after positioning, the spindle is moved in the lower direction of the Z axis and then the tool is seated. The method of claim 7, wherein The tool seated on the upper part of the tool magazine is an automatic tool changer using a rack and pinion gear, characterized in that consisting of 5 to 12 The method of claim 8, The tool is composed of nine, the reference tool is to set the tool number 5 as the reference tool to reduce the front and rear feed distance of the tool magazine rotation radius and the rack gear linked to the pinion gear rotation, characterized in that Tool changer with rack and pinion gear

Images