Tool storage device and bending system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025242461-A1
Application number	US-202318851163-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2023
Priority date	Apr 4, 2022
Publication date	Jul 31, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tool storage device is provided inside a rack body arranged on a side of a bending machine in a left-right direction, and includes tool holding units for holding long upper tools. The tool holding units include a stocker linearly provided with tool holding grooves for holding the long upper tools, and a stocker moving unit for advancing and retracting the stocker in a front-rear direction, and horizontally rotating the stocker. The stocker has, as states between which switching can be performed, a first state in which the tool holding grooves are stored in the rack body in an orientation in the front-rear direction, and a second state in which the stocker advances to the outside of the rack body and the tool holding grooves are aligned in the left-right direction along a holder groove of the upper tool holder.

First claim

1 . A tool storage device for storing a plurality of tools to be replaced by an operator with respect to tool holders provided in a left-right direction on a table of a bending machine, comprising:
a rack body arranged on a side of the bending machine in the left-right direction, the rack body provided with an opening on a front side; and tool holding units provided inside the rack body for holding the tools, the tool holding units comprising: a stocker linearly provided with tool holding grooves for holding the tools; and a stocker moving unit for advancing and retracting the stocker in a front-rear direction and horizontally rotating the stocker, wherein the stocker has, as states between which switching can be performed by manual operation of the operator, a first state in which the tool holding grooves are stored in the rack body in an orientation in the front-rear direction, and a second state in which the stocker advances to the outside of the rack body and the tool holding grooves are aligned in the left-right direction along a holder groove of the tool holder.

2 . The tool storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the stocker moving unit comprises
an advancing and retracting mechanism provided in the rack body so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and advancing and retracting the stocker through the opening; and a stocker rotation part connecting the advancing and retracting mechanism and the stocker to each other and horizontally rotating the stocker around a stocker rotation axis in an up-down direction.

3 . The tool storage device according to claim 2 , wherein the tool holding units further comprise an arm rotation part for horizontally rotating the advancing and retracting mechanism around an arm rotation axis in the up-down direction.

4 . The tool storage device according to claim 3 , wherein the advancing and retracting mechanism comprises
a slide that moves in the front-rear direction guided by rail members fixed to the rack body; a holding block connected to the slide through the arm rotation part; and an arm that advances and retracts in the longitudinal direction of the holding block by being guided by the holding block.

5 . The tool storage device according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of tool holding grooves are arranged in parallel in the stocker.

6 . The tool storage device according to claim 2 , wherein a first tool holding unit adjacent to the bending machine and a second tool holding unit adjacent to the first tool holding unit are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

7 . The tool storage device according to claim 6 , wherein the tool held by the second tool holding unit is transferred to the tool holder via the tool holding grooves of the stocker of the first tool holding unit.

8 . The tool storage device according to claim 2 , wherein
the table is an upper table of the bending machine, and the tool is an upper tool attached to an upper tool holder of the upper table.

9 . The tool storage device according to claim 8 , wherein
the tool storage device further comprises a tool table that can be pulled out in the front-rear direction, a plurality of lower tools attached to a lower tool holder of a lower table of the bending machine are mounted on the tool table in the front-rear direction, and a lock lever of the bending machine advances to a lock position in a left-right direction and enters one of lock grooves of the tool table, so that the movement of the tool table in the front-back direction is restricted.

10 . The tool storage device according to claim 9 , wherein the lock lever is arranged between the lower table and the tool table, moves in the left-right direction in a state of standing in the up-down direction, and reaches the lock position, so that it can be switched to a tilted state in the front-rear direction.

11 . The tool storage device according to claim 1 , wherein
the stocker moving unit comprises a pair of guide pins attached to the stocker at a distance in an extending direction of the tool holding groove, and inserted into guide grooves formed in the guide table to guide the movement of the stocker; the guide groove of the guide table comprises longitudinal guide grooves which extend forward from the inside of the rack body to the outside of the rack body, and a lateral guide groove which extends in the left-right direction and to which front ends of the longitudinal guide grooves are connected; and the pair of guide pins horizontally rotate the stocker by passing from the longitudinal guide grooves, through the connecting portion between the longitudinal guide grooves and the lateral guide groove, and reaching the lateral guide groove.

12 . A bending system comprising:
a bending machine comprising a table on which tool holders are provided in a left-right direction; and a tool storage device for storing a plurality of tools to be replaced by an operator with respect to the tool holders on the table, the tool storage device comprising: a rack body arranged on a side of the bending machine in the left-right direction, the rack body provided with an opening on a front side; and tool holding units provided inside the rack body and holding the tools, the tool holding units comprising: a stocker linearly provided with tool holding grooves for holding the tools; and a stocker moving unit for advancing and retracting the stocker in a front-rear direction, and horizontally rotating the stocker, wherein the stocker has, as states between which switching can be performed by a manual operation of the operator, a first state in which the tool holding grooves are stored in the rack body in an orientation in the front-rear direction, and a second state in which the stocker advances to the outside of the rack body and the tool holding grooves are aligned in the left-right direction along a holder groove of the tool holder.

Assignees

• Amada Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Masaaki
• Yamada Hideto

Classifications

• B21D37/147

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• B21D37/145 Primary

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