Clamping Apparatus

Abstract

The clamping apparatus comprises a chuck member for holding an element to be clamped thereto that is provided with a centering disc member that is elastically resilient in Z-direction and that defines at least one aperture. The element to be clamped is provided with a clamping bolt member having a centering portion in the shape of a truncated cone. Upon insertion of the clamping bolt member into the aperture of the centering disc member, the centering portion engages the edge of the aperture in the centering disc and aligns the element to be clamped in the X- and Y-directions. The centering disc member is located behind an end plate member of the chuck member, and the surface of the end plate member constitutes the Z-reference for the element to be clamped. The end plate member is provided with an aperture through which the clamping bolt member can be inserted into the aperture of the centering disc member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention will be further described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective, exploded view of a clamping apparatus, particularly of a chuck member and an element to be clamped thereon;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the chuck member and the element before clamping; and

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the chuck member and the element after clamping.

Claims

1. A clamping apparatus comprising: a chuck member adapted to hold an element to be clamped and provided with first centering means;an element to be clamped provided with second centering means adapted to cooperate with said first centering means provided on said chuck member such that said element to be clamped is aligned in X- and Y-directions upon clamping said element to said chuck member;said first centering means including a centering disc member attached to said chuck member and configured to be elastically resiliently deformable in the direction of the Z-axis, said centering disc member defining a centering aperture;said second centering means including a clamping bolt member having a centering portion configured to engage an edge of said centering aperture when said centering bolt is inserted into said centering aperture of said centering disc upon attaching said element to be clamped to said chuck member; andsaid chuck member having at least one stop surface adapted to define a Z-axis reference for the element to be clamped as well a means for fixing said element to be clamped to said chuck member.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said centering aperture is a circular aperture, and in which said centering portion of said clamping bolt member has at least partially the shape of a truncated cone to align said clamping bolt member in the X- and Y-directions by engaging the edge of said circular aperture in said centering disc member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said chuck member is provided with an end plate member, the one surface thereof including said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped, said centering disc member being located adjacent to a surface of said end plate member that is opposite to said one surface of said end plate member, and said end plate member defining an aperture through which said clamping bolt member extends into said aperture in said centering disc member upon attaching said element to be clamped to said chuck member.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 in which said chuck member includes a chuck body member to which said end plate member is attached, whereby said centering disc member is located between said chuck body member and said end plate member.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 in which said centering disc member is attached to said chuck body member by a support plate member.

6. A clamping apparatus according to claim 5 in which said support plate member is provided with a protruding peripheral rim portion to which said centering disc is connected such that a gap is provided between the central portion of the centering disc and the support plate member, enabling an elastically resilient deformation of the centering disc member towards the support plate member.

7. A clamping apparatus according to claim 5 in which said support plate member is provided with a groove adapted to floatingly receive a clamping mechanism.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 in which said clamping mechanism includes two slider members movable relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, each of said slider members including at least one pin member adapted to engage said clamping bolt member provided on said element to be clamped to pull in and retain said clamping bolt member.

9. A clamping apparatus according to claim 3 in which said one surface of said end plate member including said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped is provided with a groove or an aperture adapted to receive a further centering element provided on said element to be clamped and adapted to align the element to be clamped with regard to its angular orientation around the Z-axis.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said chuck member is provided with at least one eccentrically located aligning element, cooperating with a recess provided on said element to be clamped when said element is clamped to said chuck member and adapted to thereby align said element to be clamped with regard to its angular orientation around the Z-axis.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said clamping mechanism includes two slider members movable relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, each of said slider members including at least one pin member adapted to engage said clamping bolt member provided on said element to be clamped to pull in and retain said clamping bolt member.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said clamping bolt member is exchangeably connected to said element to be clamped.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said clamping bolt member is provided with a threaded end portion adapted to be screwed into a threaded aperture provided on said element to be clamped.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which said clamping bolt member is provided with an annular stop surface resting on the surface of the element to be clamped when said clamping bolt member is attached to said element to be clamped.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12 in which said clamping bolt member is provided with an annular stop surface resting on the surface of the element to be clamped when said clamping bolt member is attached to said element to be clamped.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the top surface of said chuck member facing said element to be clamped is provided with two grooves running perpendicularly to each other.

17. An apparatus according to claim 3 in which said one surface of said end plate member including said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped is provided with at least one bore for attaching said clamping body member and at least one further aperture or bore for attaching an aligning element or a recess for receiving an aligning cam member provided on the chuck member.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which said one surface of said end plate member including said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped is provided with at least one bore for attaching said clamping body member and at least one further aperture or bore for attaching an aligning element or a recess for receiving an aligning cam member provided on the chuck member.

19. An apparatus according to claim 3 in which said one surface of said end plate member including, said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped is provided with at least one bore for attaching said clamping body member and at least one further aperture or bore for attaching an aligning element and a recess for receiving an aligning cam member provided on the chuck member.

20. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which said one surface of said end plate member including, said Z-axis reference surface for the element to be clamped is provided with at least one bore for attaching said clamping body member and at least one further aperture or bore for attaching an aligning element and a recess for receiving an aligning cam member provided on the chuck member.

21. A clamping apparatus comprising: at least two chuck members adapted to hold an element to be clamped that is provided with two clamping bolt members,each one of said at least two chuck members including a centering disc member attached thereto, said centering disc member being elastically resiliently deformable in direction of the Z-axis and defining a centering aperture,one of said clamping bolt members having a centering portion adapted to align said clamping bolt member in X- and Y-directions upon engaging said centering aperture in said centering disc member, and the other one of said clamping bolt members having a centering portion adapted to align said clamping bolt member in X- or in Y-direction only upon engaging said centering aperture in said centering disc member.

22. A clamping apparatus comprising: at least two chuck members adapted to hold an element to be clamped that is provided with two clamping bolt members, each of said clamping bolt members having a centering portion,each one of said at least two chuck members having a centering disc member attached thereto that is elastically resiliently deformable in direction of the Z-axis and that defines a centering aperture, andone of said centering disc members having a centering aperture adapted to align one of said clamping bolt members in X- and Y-directions upon engaging the clamping bolt member cooperating therewith, and the other one of said centering disc members having a centering aperture adapted to align the other one of said clamping bolt members in the X- or in Y-direction only upon engaging the clamping bolt member cooperating therewith.