Automatic tool changer of machine tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707653-B2
Application number	US-201514690553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A automatic tool changer of a machine tool including a magazine driving motor configured to turn a tool magazine has the magazine driving motor fixed to a non-movable unit of the machine tool and when the tool magazine rotationally moves to reach an approaching position to a spindle head, a tool magazine side power transmission unit and a magazine driving motor side power transmission unit are connected to perform a turning operation of the tool magazine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic tool changer of a machine tool, the automatic tool changer comprising:
a spindle head rotatably supporting a spindle;
a tool magazine including a plurality of grips each configured to hold a respective tool;
a fulcrum about which the tool magazine is pivotable between
an approached position in which one grip among the plurality of grips is closer to the spindle head for tool replacement, and
a separated position in which said one grip is further away from the spindle head; and

a magazine driving motor configured to turn the tool magazine about an axis for tool indexing when the tool magazine is at the approached position,
wherein
the magazine driving motor is fixed to a non-movable unit of the machine tool,
the spindle head and spindle are movable relative to the non-movable unit,
the tool magazine includes a first power transmission unit,
the magazine driving motor includes a second power transmission unit,
when the tool magazine is at the approached position, the first-power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit are connected with each other for power transmission from the magazine driving motor to the tool magazine to turn the tool magazine about the axis for tool indexing, and
when the tool magazine is at the separated position, the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit are disconnected from each other, and
wherein the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit are configured to be connected with each other when the tool magazine is at the approached position, regardless of the position to which the spindle and the spindle head are moved relative to the non-movable unit.

2. The automatic tool changer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first power transmission unit includes a first gear,
the second power transmission unit includes a second gear, and
the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit are configured to be connected by the first gear engaged with the second gear when the tool magazine is at the approached position.

3. The automatic tool changer according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the tool magazine and the magazine driving motor includes a key,
the other of the tool magazine and the magazine driving motor includes a key groove, and
the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit are configured to be connected by the key fitted in the key groove when the tool magazine is at the approached position.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Isobe Gaku
• Murota Masahiro
• Sato Naoki

Classifications

• B23Q3/15534 Primary

  Magazines mounted on the spindle · CPC title

• B23Q3/157 Primary

  of rotary tools {(in combination with non-rotary tools B23Q3/15506, B23Q3/15513)} · CPC title

• B23Q3/15706

  a single tool being inserted in a spindle directly from a storage device, i.e. without using transfer devices (B23Q3/15786 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T483/1795

  Matrix indexes selected tool to transfer position · CPC title

• B23Q3/15722

  Rotary discs or drums · CPC title