Patent Application
20210008644
The present invention relates to: a hand for exchanging claws of a chuck, which automatically exchanges claws of a chuck used in a machine tool, a method for automatically exchanging claws of a chuck, and a system for automatically exchanging claws.
In a chuck used in a machine tool, a plurality of claws for grasping workpiece are prepared depending on shapes and sizes of workpiece. When a claw needs to be exchanged depending on a workpiece, the claw is automatically exchanged for another one by a claw exchange apparatus. As such a claw exchange apparatus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of a robot hand which exchanges claws between a cassette of a machine tool and a stocker holding a plurality of chuck claws, and between the cassette indexed at a claw exchange position and a chuck.
In addition, Citation 2 discloses a technique of an automatic exchange system in which a nut runner hand and a jaw hand are selectively mounted on a distal end of a robot arm, a jaw tool is mounted on a tool spindle, and the robot arm and the tool spindle cooperate with each other to exchange claws.
Patent Document 1: JPH6-99303A
Patent Document 2: JP4955522B
When a robot arm is used as a transfer device as in the conventional technique, although a claw can be transferred to a fitting groove formed in a chuck at the shortest distance, a high degree of accuracy is required in order to accurately position the claw in an inlet of an fitting groove and to move the claw. However, in an actual operation, when displacement occurs by change in temperature and/or lowering of repeat accuracy of each device, interference may occur when a claw is inserted into the fitting groove so that it may be difficult to insert the claw thereto.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a hand for exchanging claws of a chuck, a method for automatically exchanging claws of a chuck, and a system for automatically exchanging claws, which are capable of attaching and detaching a claw in accordance with change in surrounding environment.
The present invention provides a hand for exchanging claws of a chuck, the hand for exchanging claws being fitted to a transfer device so as to attach and detach a claw to and from a fitting groove provided in the chuck of a machine tool, the hand for exchanging claws comprising:
a hand part capable of grasping the claw; and
a compliance device that fits the hand part to the transfer device, and allows relative displacement between the transfer device and the hand part.
The aforementioned hand for exchanging claws of a chuck may further comprise a claw lock confirmation device that confirms a locked/unlocked state of the claw by a lock mechanism provided on the chuck, when the claw is detached from the fitting groove.
In the aforementioned hand for exchanging claws of a chuck,
the lock mechanism may comprise a displacement member that is displaced depending on the locked/unlocked state of the claw, and
the claw lock confirmation device may include a sensor that detects a position of the displacement member.
In the aforementioned hand for exchanging claws of a chuck, the sensor may be of a contact type.
In addition, the present invention provides a method of automatically exchanging claws of a chuck comprising:
a step of fitting the aforementioned hand for exchanging claws to the transfer device, and
a step of attaching and detaching the claw to and from the fitting groove provided in the chuck of the machine tool.
Further, the present invention provides a system for automatically exchanging claws of a chuck, comprising:
the aforementioned hand for exchanging claws;
the chuck of the machine tool, the chuck being provided with the fitting groove; and
a transfer device to which the hand for exchanging claws is fitted, the transfer device being configured to put the claw in and out from the fitting groove;
wherein at least one of the fitting groove and the claw is provided with a guide part that guides the claw to an inlet of the fitting groove when the claw is inserted to the fitting groove.
According to the present invention, a claw can be attached and detached in accordance with change in surrounding environment.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described herebelow with reference to the drawings.
A system for automatically exchanging claws of a chuck is a system which attaches and detaches a claw to and from a fitting groove provided in a chuck of a machine tool. The system for automatically exchanging claws of a chuck 200 comprises a chuck 1 of a machine tool 100, a hand for exchanging claws 20, and a transfer device to which the hand for exchanging claws 20 is fitted.
The chuck 1 has a chuck main body 2 provided on a distal end of a not-shown spindle provided in the machine body. The chuck main body 2 has a circular shape in a front view. The chuck main body 2 comprises three master jaws 3, 3 . . . (only one of them is shown in
The claw 5 includes a base jaw 6 whose cross-sectional shape is the same as the fitting groove 4, and a top jaw 8 fixed on a front surface of the base jaw 6 by bolts 7, 7 . . . . When the base jaw 6 inserted and fitted in the fitting groove 4 is locked by a lock mechanism 13 provided in the master jaw 3, the base jaw 6 is fixed in the master jaw 3. For example, as shown in
When the plunger is moved backward, the respective master jaws 3 are moved to the axial center side and the claws 5 are moved together therewith so as to clamp a workpiece. When the plunger is moved forward, the respective master jaws 3 are moved to an outer peripheral side so as to unclamp the workpiece.
On the other hand, the lock mechanism 13 provided on each master jaw 3 has a rod-like displacement member 15 which is displaced depending on the locked/unlocked state of the base jaw 6. The displacement member 15 projects from the chuck main body 2. As shown in the upper claw 5 in
A robot arm 12 serving as a transfer device is used for exchanging the claws 5. The robot arm 12 is of a multi-joint type, and is composed of a plurality of arms. The hand for exchanging claws 20 is provided on a distal end of the robot arm 12. The robot arm 12 is configured to put the claw 5 grasped by a hand part 24 in and out from the fitting groove 4 provided in the chuck 1. In the description of the hand for exchanging claws 20 independently, the side of the robot arm 12 is referred to as rear side.
The hand for exchanging claws 20 is fitted to the robot arm 12 so as to be used for attaching and detaching the claw 5 to and from the fitting groove 4 provided in the chuck 1 of the machine tool 100. The hand for exchanging claws 20 comprises: a shaft part 21 fitted to the distal end of the robot arm 12 coaxially with a rotating axis of the arm distal end; a bracket 22 fitted to a front end of the shaft part 21, the bracket 22 having an inverted L-shape in a side view; a compliance device 23 fitted to the bracket 22 to face downward; and the hand part 24 fitted to the compliance device 23 and capable of grasping the claw 5.
The bracket 22 has a longitudinal plate part 25 fixed orthogonally to the shaft part 21, and a lateral plate part 26 projecting forward from an upper end of the longitudinal plate part 25. As shown in
The compliance device 23 is configured to fit the hand part 24 to the robot arm 12, and is configured to allow relative displacement between the robot arm 12 and the hand part 24. The compliance device 23 comprises a body 35 fitted to a lower surface of the lateral plate part 26 of the bracket 22, a base 36 to which the hand part 24 is fitted through a bracket plate 37, and a compliance mechanism part 38 interposed between the body 35 and the base 36 so as to allow relative displacement between the body 35 and the base 36. The compliance mechanism part 38 comprises a return mechanism which returns the displaced body 35 and the base 36 to an original point position, and a compliance lock mechanism which restricts relative displacement between the body 35 and the base 36 at the original point position.
For example, the compliance device 23 may have a structure shown in
In the locked state shown in
The hand part 24 comprises a main body 40 fixed to the bracket plate 37 to face forward, and a pair of right and left grasping claws 41, 41 provided on a front part of the main body 40. The hand part 24 is supported in suspension from the bracket 22 through the compliance device 23.
A circular recess 42 opposed to the plunger 27 is formed in a rear surface of the main body 40. Since the pushing part 28 of the plunger 27 abuts on a center of the circular recess 42, excessive swinging of the main body 40, which is supported in suspension by the compliance device 23, is restricted. A guide groove 43 extending in the right and left direction is formed in a front surface of the main body 40.
The grasping claw 41 is comprises a slide part 44 which is slidably connected to the main body 40, and a claw part 45 connected from the slide part 44 to face downward. As shown in
The claw parts 45 have a plate-like shape hanging downward. Upper ends of the claw parts 45 are connected to right and left outer surfaces of the support parts 47 of the slide parts 44. Each claw part 45 has a projection 48 at a position near a lower front end thereof, the projection 48 projecting toward its counterpart. A distal end of each projection 48 is formed to have a tapered shape such that a width in the up and down direction narrows toward the distal end. The claw parts 45, 45 can be opened and closed between a clamping position at which the projections 48, 48 are respectively inserted by sliding the slide parts 44, 44 to the recesses 11, 11 of the grasping block 10 of the base jaw 6 so as to sandwich the grasping block 10 from the right and left sides, and an unclamping position at which the projections 48, 48 are spaced apart from the right and left side surfaces of the grasping block 10 so as to be pulled out from the recesses 11, 11
In the machine tool 100 as structured above, when the claw 5 is detached from the chuck 1, as shown in
Then, while the claws 45, 45 of the hand part 24 are located at the unclamping position, the hand for changing claws 20 is moved by the robot arm 12 to come close to the chuck main body 2 from the front, at a height in which the contactor 30 of the sensor 29 is positioned above the grasping block 10. At this time, as shown in
After the confirmation of the unlocked state, the hand for exchanging claws 20 is moved by the robot arm 12 to a height at which the claw parts 45, 45 are positioned forward outside the recesses 11, 11 of the grasping block 10, such that the projections 48, 48 of the claw parts 45, 45 are positioned outside the recesses 11, 11.
Thereafter, by sliding the claw parts 45, 45 together with the slide parts 44 to the clamping position, as shown in
Then, by moving upward the hand for exchanging claws 20 from here, the claw 5 can be pulled out upward from the fitting groove 4.
At this time, since the base 36 is displaced together with the hand part 24 with respect to the body 35 by the compliance mechanism part 38 of the compliance device 23 so as to correct a position, the base jaw 6 can be smoothly pulled out from the fitting groove 4. Then, the claw 5 is accommodated in a not-shown claw stocker by the robot arm 12, whereby the detachment is completed. In this manner, the claw 5 is detached from the fitting groove 4 provided in the chuck 1.
On the other hand, when the claw 5 is attached to (mounted on) the chuck 1, a claw 5 to be exchanged is taken out from the claw stocker by the robot arm 12.
Then, the claw 5 is transferred by the robot arm 12 to a position above the chuck main body 2. At this time, the compliance device 23 fixes the body 35 and the base 36 at the original point position by a compliance lock mechanism of the compliance mechanism part 38, so as to prevent loosening of the claw 5 which is being transferred.
Next, as shown in
Under this state, by sliding the claw 5 downward by the hand for exchanging claws 20, the base jaw 6 is fitted in the upper opening (inlet) of the fitting groove 4. At this time, even when there is more or less error between the fitting groove 4 and the base jaw 6 in the right and left direction, as shown in
Following thereto, as shown in
Then, the claw parts 45, 45 of the hand part 24 are slid by the hand for exchanging claws 20 together with the slide parts 44 to the unclamping positions, so that the claw 5 is unclamped. After that, by moving upward the hand for exchanging claws 20, the hand part 24 is spaced apart from the chuck main body 2. In this manner, the claw 5 to be exchanged is fitted in the fitting groove 4 provided in the chuck 1 of the machine tool 100.
By repeating the aforementioned procedure by rotating the chuck main body 2 to sequentially index the fitting grooves 4, all the claws 5 can be exchanged.
According to the hand for exchanging claws 20, the method of automatically exchanging claws and the system for automatically exchanging claws 200 in the above embodiment 1, the claw 5 can be reliably attached and detached in accordance with change in surrounding environment, such as change in temperature and/or lowering of repeat accuracy of each device, due to the provision of the compliance device 23 which allows relative displacement between the robot arm 12 and the hand part 24, while it is fitted in the robot arm 12.
In particular, the hand part 24 is provided with the claw lock confirmation device (sensor 29) which confirms, when the claw 5 is detached from the fitting groove 4, the locked/unlocked state of the claw 5 by the lock mechanism 13 provided on the chuck 1. Thus, the risk of carrying out the detachment of the claw 5 while it is being locked can be avoided.
In addition, the lock mechanism 13 comprises the displacement member 15 which is displaced depending on the locked/unlocked state of the claw 5, and the claw lock confirmation device includes the sensor 29 which detects a position of the displacement member 15. Thus, the locked/unlocked state of the claw 5 can be easily confirmed by using the displacement member 15 of the lock mechanism 13.
Further, since the sensor 29 is of a contact type, the displacement of the displacement member 15 can be reliably detected. In particular, since the sensor 29 is provided on the hand part 24 fitted through the compliance device 23, even when the claw 5 to be contacted is off-balance, load on the sensor 29 can be decreased, whereby damage risk can be eliminated. Thus, a sensor having a distal end that is operated only in one direction can be used.
In addition to the aforementioned effect, according to the system for automatically exchanging claws 200 in the above embodiment 1, since the base jaw 6 is provided with the guide part (inclined surfaces 9, 9) which guide the claw 5 to the inlet of the fitting groove 4 when the claw 5 is inserted to the fitting groove 4, the claw 5 can be reliably guided to the inlet of the fitting groove 4 so as to achieve smooth attachment of the claw 5.
In the above embodiment 1, the grasping block 10 with the recesse 11 is integrally provided on the claw 5. However, recesses may be directly formed in side surfaces of the base jaw 6, by omitting the grasping block 10.
Next, another embodiment of the present invention is described. Note that the same constituent part including the chuck 1 has the same reference numeral, and repeated description is omitted. In the embodiment 2, a back and forth orientation of the hand for exchanging claws 20 is specified based on the chuck main body 2.
In the embodiment 1, the compliance device 23 is supported in suspension to face downward with respect to the robot arm 12 which faces forward, through the shaft part 21 and the bracket 22, and the hand part 24 is supported to face forward through the compliance device 23. On the other hand, in the embodiment 2, as shown in
The hand part 24A herein comprises a main body 50 fixed to the bracket plate 37 to face downward, a front support plate 51 provided on a front surface side of the main body 50, a rear support plate 52 provided on a rear surface side of the main body 50, and grasping claws 53, 53 provided on both right and left sides of the main body 50. The sensor 29 is fixed to face downward from the bracket plate 37 behind the rear support plate 52.
As shown in
The rear support plate 52 has an upper end which is fixed on the rear surface of the main body 50, and a lower end which extends rearward below the main body 50. Thus, the rear support plate 52 has an L-shape in a side view. A pair of right and left press bolts 56, 56, which abut on the upper surface of the base jaw 6 of the claw 5, are threadedly engaged with the lower end of the rear support plate 52 so as to face downward.
The grasping claws 53 comprise slide parts 58 respectively fitted in a pair of guide grooves 57 provided on the right and left sides of the main body 50 so as to be movable in the right and left direction from the side surfaces of the main body 50, and claw parts 59 fixed on the lower surfaces of the slide parts 58 to hang downward, the claw parts 59 having projections 60 on surfaces opposed to each other. The right and left slide parts 58 are synchronously slidable in opposite directions by a drive part 44a (see
In the machine tool 100 as structured above, when the claw 5 is detached from the chuck 1, similarly to the embodiment 1, the chuck main body 2 is indexed to a rotation position at which the claw 5 to be removed is located at an upper position, and the lock mechanism 13 of the master jaw 3 is unlocked. At this time, the displacement member 15 is projected to the unlocked position.
Then, while the claw parts 59, 59 of the hand part 24A are located at the unclamping position, the hand for exchanging claws 20 is moved by the robot arm 12 to a position above the chuck main body 2, such that the contactor 30 of the sensor 29 is positioned directly above the displacement member 15 as shown in
When the displacement member 15 is located at the unlocked position, the contactor 30 abuts on the displacement member 15. Thus, the unlocked state of the claw 5 can be confirmed by a detection signal from the sensor 29.
After the confirmation of the unlocked state, the hand for exchanging claws 20 is moved by the robot arm 12 forward and then downward. As shown in
Thereafter, by sliding the claw parts 59, 59 together with the slide parts 58 to the clamping position, the claw 5 can be grasped by the hand part 24A. By moving upward the hand for exchanging claws 20 from here, the claw 5 can be pulled upward from the fitting groove 4.
At this time, since the base 36 is displaced together with the hand part 24A with respect to the body 35 by the compliance mechanism part 38 of the compliance device 23 so as to correct a position, the base jaw 6 can be smoothly pulled out from the fitting groove 4. Then, the claw 5 is accommodated in a not-shown claw stocker by the robot arm 12, whereby the detachment is completed. In this manner, the claw 5 is detached from the fitting groove 4 provided in the chuck 1.
On the other hand, when the claw 5 is attached to (mounted on) the chuck 1, a claw 5 to be exchanged is taken out from the claw stocker by the robot arm 12.
Then, the claw 5 is transferred by the robot arm 12 to a position above the chuck main body 2. At this time, the compliance device 23 fixes the body 35 and the base 36 at the original point position by a compliance lock mechanism of the compliance mechanism part 38, so as to prevent loosening of the claw 5 which is being transferred.
Next, as shown in
Under this state, by sliding the claw 5 downward by the hand for exchanging claws 20, the base jaw 6 is fitted in the upper opening (inlet) of the fitting groove 4. At this time, even when there is more or less error between the fitting groove 4 and the base jaw 6 in the right and left direction, as shown in
Following thereto, as shown in
Then, the claw parts 59, 59 of the hand part 24A are slid to the unclamping positions by the hand for exchanging claws 20, so that the claw 5 is unclamped. After that by moving upward the hand for exchanging claws 20, the hand part 24A is spaced apart from the chuck main body 2 so as to reach the state shown in
By repeating the aforementioned procedure by rotating the chuck main body 2 to sequentially index the fitting grooves 4, all the claws 5 can be exchanged.
Also according to the hand for exchanging claws 20, the method of automatically exchanging claws and the system for automatically exchanging claws 200 in the above embodiment 2, the claw 5 can be reliably attached and detached in accordance with change in surrounding environment, such as change in temperature and/or lowering of repeat accuracy of each device, due to the provision of the compliance device 23 which allows relative displacement between the robot arm 12 and the hand part 24, while it is fitted in the robot arm 12. In addition, similarly to the embodiment 1, due to the provision of the claw lock confirmation device (sensor 29), the risk of carrying out the detachment of the claw 5 while it is being locked can be avoided.
Particularly herein, since the hand part 24A is provided with a positioning part composed of a first guide (support guide 55) which abuts on the claw 5 in the back and forth direction of the chuck 1 so as to position the claw 5 in the back and forth direction, and a second guide (press rod 54 and press bolts 56) which abuts on the claw 5 in the insertion direction to the fitting groove 4 so as to position the claw 5 in the insertion direction, the claw 5 is positioned in the two directions, whereby the posture of the claw 5 grasped by the hand part 24A can be made stable. Thus, the claws can be more smoothly exchanged. In addition, a grasping force by the hand part 24A can be reduced.
In the above embodiment 2, the one press rod 54 and the two press bolts 56, 56 are provided as the second guide on the front and back sides. However, the number and the shape of them are not limited thereto. The number of the press rod 54 and the number of the press bolt 56 may be respectively one or two. A plate like member or a block body may be employed instead of a rod and a bolt. The second guide is not limited to a front one and a back one, and only one of them may be provided. The first guide is also not limited to the one support guide 55. A plurality of support guides may be provided on the up and down sides and the right and left sides, and a shape thereof may be modified.
In addition, in the above embodiment 2, the recesse 11 to be grasped by the hand part 24A are provided in the side surfaces of the base jaw 6. However, the grasping block 10 as in the embodiment 1 may be used.
In both of the embodiments, the type of the sensor 29 of the claw lock confirmation device can be suitably modified. For example, a touch probe may be employed. It goes without saying that a contactless type sensor such as a proximity sensor can be used, in addition to a contact type sensor. In addition, not limited to a sensor, a micro switch may be used. Further, not limited to the displacement member 15, as long as the lock mechanism 13 has a structure that is displaced depending on the locked/unlocked state, the state can be confirmed by a sensor or the like.
Moreover, a case in which the sensor 29 is not used but a control unit of the chuck outputs a signal depending on the locked/unlocked state and the transfer device confirms the locked state based on the signal is included in the claw lock confirmation device.
In addition, in the above embodiments 1 and 2, the claw 5 (base jaw 6) has the inclined surfaces 9, 9 serving as the guide part, but the inlet of the fitting groove 4 may have inclined surfaces. Further, both the claw 5 and the inlet of the fitting groove 4 may have the inclined surfaces. Not limited to an inclined surface, a curved surface may be employed as the guide part.
Furthermore, the fitting groove 4 is indexed to the upper side and the claws 5 are exchanged. However, depending on a type of the transfer device, the claws 5 can be exchanged on the lateral side and the lower side of the chuck 1, in addition to the upper side thereof.
Moreover, although the detachment of the claw 5 from the chuck 1 and the attachment of the claw 5 to the chuck 1 are sequentially carried out one by one, it is also conceivable that all the claws 5 are removed from the chuck 1 by the robot arm 12 or the like, and that thereafter the claws 5 are attached in succession by the robot arm 12 or the like.
On the other hand, the transfer device is not limited to the robot arm 12, but may be an arm provided on a loader or an arm dedicated for exchange. A lathe turret (tool rest) may be used as the transfer device.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-051296 | Mar 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2019/010805 | 3/15/2019 | WO | 00 |
