Tool magazine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377004-B2
Application number	US-201615197769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A tool magazine includes a magazine arm and a gripper plate. The magazine arm has a tool pot to hold a tool. The magazine arm is pivotable around a pivotal axis such that the tool pot pivots around the pivotal axis. The gripper plate has at least one gripper to hold the tool at a holding position on a circular arc track along which the tool moves when the magazine arm pivots. The at least one gripper is open in a tangent direction of the circular arc track at the holding position.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A tool magazine comprising:
a magazine arm comprising:
a pivotal axis on one end of the magazine arm; and
a tool pot on another end of the magazine arm, the tool pot being configured to hold a tool in a suspended manner with the tool having a longitudinal axis extending in an extending direction such that the tool pivots around the pivotal axis on a circular arc track when the magazine arm pivots around the pivotal axis; and

a gripper plate on which a plurality of grippers are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the tool magazine, at least one of the plurality of grippers being configured to hold the tool in a suspended manner at a holding position on the circular arc track such that the extending direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool is substantially aligned with a vertical direction of the tool magazine, the at least one gripper having a U-shape when viewed in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis, the U-shape having two parallel sides, an open end, and a closed end, the at least one gripper having a central line that extends parallel to the two parallel sides from the closed end to the open end, the central line being tangent to the circular arc track at the holding position on the circular arc track when the tool is being inserted into the at least one gripper along the circular arc track.

2. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first additional gripper plate provided to be opposite to the at least one of the plurality of grippers with respect to the magazine arm.

3. The tool magazine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a second additional gripper plate,
wherein the gripper plate and the second additional gripper plate are disposed in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the magazine arm is movable in the longitudinal direction.

4. The tool magazine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a third additional gripper plate,
wherein the gripper plate and the third additional gripper plate are disposed in the vertical direction of the tool magazine, and
wherein the magazine arm is movable in the vertical direction.

5. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second additional gripper plate,
wherein the gripper plate and the second additional gripper plate are disposed in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the magazine arm is movable in the longitudinal direction.

6. The tool magazine according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a third additional gripper plate,
wherein the gripper plate and the third additional gripper plate are disposed in the vertical direction of the tool magazine, and
wherein the magazine arm is movable in the vertical direction.

7. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third additional gripper plate,
wherein the gripper plate and the third additional gripper plate are disposed in the vertical direction of the tool magazine, and
wherein the magazine arm is movable in the vertical direction.

8. The tool magazine according to claim 7 , wherein the gripper plate is attached in a height-adjustable manner in the vertical direction of the tool magazine.

9. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper plate is attached in a height-adjustable manner in the vertical direction of the tool magazine.

10. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of grippers comprises an elastic member on at least one distal end of the at least one of the plurality of grippers.

11. The tool magazine according to claim 10 ,
wherein the elastic member comprises a leaf spring comprising a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being on the at least one distal end of the at least one of the plurality of grippers, and
wherein the leaf spring comprises a protrusion portion on the free end to protrude toward a side on which the at least one of the plurality of grippers is open.

12. The tool magazine according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of grippers comprises a key in a center of the closed end of the at least one of the plurality of grippers.

13. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an automatic tool changer carrier movable on a horizontal plane;
an automatic tool changer arm configured to rotate horizontally about a rotation center on the automatic tool changer carrier; and
automatic tool changer grippers disposed on both ends in a longitudinal direction of the automatic tool changer arm,
wherein a controller to control a movement of a component of the tool magazine drives the automatic tool changer carrier and the automatic tool changer arm so as to control a position of one of the automatic tool changer grippers on a magazine arm side, and drives a mechanism of moving the magazine arm in the longitudinal direction or the vertical direction of the tool magazine and a mechanism of pivoting the magazine arm so as to transfer the tool to the position of the one of the automatic tool changer grippers on the magazine arm side.

14. The tool magazine according to claim 13 , wherein the controller comprises a function to change the position of the one of the automatic tool changer grippers on the magazine arm side on a pivoting track of the magazine arm in accordance with a shape of the tool.

15. The tool magazine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one of the plurality of grippers includes a key, and
wherein the key extends in the tangent direction to engage with a key groove of the tool.

16. The tool magazine according to claim 1 , wherein the holding position substantially coincides with a center of the tool held by the at least one of the plurality of grippers.

17. A tool magazine comprising:
a magazine arm which has a tool pot to hold a tool in a suspended manner with the tool having a longitudinal axis extending in an extending direction, the magazine arm being pivotable around a pivotal axis such that the tool pivots around the pivotal axis along a circular arc track; and
a gripper plate having at least one gripper configured to hold the tool in a suspended manner at a holding position on the circular arc track such that the extending direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool is substantially aligned with a vertical direction of the tool magazine, the at least one gripper having a U-shape when viewed in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis, the U-shape having two parallel sides, an open end, and a closed end, the at least one gripper having a central line that extends parallel to the two parallel sides from the closed end to the open end, the central line being tangent to the circular arc track at the holding position on the circular arc track when the tool is being inserted into the at least one gripper along the circular arc track.

18. The tool magazine according to claim 17 ,
wherein the at least one gripper includes a key, and
the key extends in the tangent direction to engage with a key groove of the tool.

19. The tool magazine according to claim 17 , wherein the holding position substantially coincides with a center of the tool held by the at least one gripper.

20. A tool magazine comprising:
a magazine arm which has a tool pot to hold a tool in a suspended manner with the tool having a longitudinal axis extending in an extending direction, the magazine arm being pivotable around a pivotal axis such that the tool pivots around the pivotal axis along a circu

Assignees

• Yamazaki Mazak Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Toru
• Hara Yasuyuki
• Shouji Kouichi
• Nakanishi Tetsuya
• Maekawa Reiji
• Kitayama Jumpei

Classifications

• B23Q2003/15527

  the storage device including means to latch tools · CPC title

• B23Q3/15773 Primary

  a transfer device taking the tool from a storage device and passing it on to other transfer devices, which insert it in a spindle · CPC title

• Y10T483/1809

  Matrix including means to latch tool · CPC title

• B23Q2003/15531

  by pivoting projection movement · CPC title

• B23Q2003/155418

  the grippers moving together · CPC title