Curved face grooving blade and face grooving holder therefor

A face grooving tool (100) comprising a face grooving blade (10) mounted in a face grooving tool holder (102);

• the face grooving blade (10) having a blade longitudinal axis (A1) establishing a forward-to-rearward direction (DF, DR), and comprising:
• a face grooving portion (12) and a clamping portion (14) connected to the face grooving portion;
• the face grooving portion (12) comprising:
• a concave inner surface (16);
• a convex outer surface (18) located on an opposing side of the face grooving portion (12) to the concave inner surface (16);
• a bottom surface (20) connecting the concave inner surface (16) and the convex outer surface (18);
• a top surface (22) located on an opposing side of the face grooving portion (12) to the bottom surface (20) and connecting the concave inner surface (16) and the convex outer surface (18);
• a front end surface (24) connecting the concave inner surface (16) and the convex outer surface (18) and connecting the top surface (22) and the bottom surface (20);
• a rear end surface (26) located on an opposing side of the face grooving portion (12) to the front end surface (24) and connecting the concave inner surface (16), the convex outer surface (18), the top surface (22) and the bottom surface (20);
• and
• a first insert seat (28) formed at an intersection of the front end surface (24) and the top surface (22), and in turn comprising an upwardly facing first insert seat bottom surface (42) and a second insert seat surface (44) spaced apart therefrom;
• an upward direction (DU) defined as being normal to an imaginary insert seat plane (P3) of the first insert seat (28), at the first insert seat bottom surface (42) and a downward direction (DD) defined opposite to the upward direction (DU), the upward direction (DU) being perpendicular to the forward-to-rearward direction (DF, DR);
• an outward direction (DO) defined as being in a direction perpendicular to the upward and downward directions (DU, DD) and also from in the concave inner surface (16) towards the convex outer surface (18);
• an inward direction (DI) defined as being opposite the outward direction (DO);
• and
• the forward direction (DF) defined from the rear end surface (26) to the front end surface (24), and the rearward direction (DR) defined opposite to the forward direction (DF);
• and
• the clamping portion (14) extends from the face grooving portion (12) in the outward direction (DO), and is recessed in the rearward direction from the face grooving portion's front end surface (24), the clamping portion (14) comprising:
• a top wedge surface (52);
• a bottom wedge surface (54) located on an opposing side of the clamping portion (14) to the top wedge surface (52);
• a blade abutment surface (56) located between the top wedge surface (52) and the bottom wedge surface (54);
• and
• a rear stopper abutment surface (57) located between the bottom wedge surface (54) and the top wedge surface (52), and facing in the rearward direction (DR);
• wherein:
• the bottom wedge surface (54) is located in the downward direction (DD) and the inward direction (DI) relative to the top wedge surface (52);
• and
• the face grooving holder comprising:
• a shank portion (104) connected to a blade holder clamping portion (106);
• the blade holder clamping portion (106) comprising:
• a clamping longitudinal axis (C1) establishing a clamping forward-to-rearward direction (CF, CR);
• a clamping vertical axis (C2) perpendicular to the clamping longitudinal axis (C1) and establishing a clamping upward-to-downward direction (CU, CD);
• a clamping lateral axis (C3) perpendicular to both the clamping longitudinal axis (C1) and the clamping vertical axis (C2), and establishing a clamping-first-side-to-clamping-second-side direction (CS1, CS2);
• a clamping front end (130) and a clamping rear end (132) spaced apart from one another along the clamping longitudinal axis (C1);
• a clamping top side (122) and a clamping bottom side (124) spaced apart from one another along the clamping vertical axis (C2);
• a first clamping side (126) and a second clamping side (128) spaced apart from one another along the clamping lateral axis (C3), the first clamping side (126) connecting the clamping top side (122) and the clamping bottom side (124);
• and
• a blade clamping seat (108) formed along the second clamping side (128) and opening out to the clamping front end (130);
• the blade clamping seat (108) comprising:
• a flexibility groove (136) opening out to both the second clamping side (128) and the clamping front end (130);
• a top clamping wedge surface (138) located upward of the flexibility groove (136);
• a holder abutment surface (140) located downward of the top clamping wedge surface (138);
• a bottom clamping wedge surface (144) located downward of the flexibility groove (136) on an opposing side of the holder abutment surface (140) from the top clamping wedge surface (138);
• and
• a forwardly facing back stopper surface (146), located between the top clamping wedge surface (138) and the bottom clamping wedge surface (144) along the clamping vertical axis (C2), and rearward of the holder abutment surface (140) along the clamping longitudinal axis (C1);
• wherein the top clamping wedge surface (138) extends in a direction along the clamping longitudinal axis (C1) farther than in directions along both the clamping vertical axis (C2) and the clamping lateral axis (C3);
• wherein the bottom clamping wedge surface (144) extends in said direction along the clamping longitudinal axis (C1) farther than in directions along both the clamping vertical axis (C2) and the clamping lateral axis (C3);
• and
• wherein in a front end view of the face grooving holder (102):
• the bottom clamping wedge surface (144) is located downward of the top clamping wedge surface (138) along the clamping vertical axis (C2), and farther than the top clamping wedge surface (138) in the second side direction (CS2) along the clamping lateral axis (C3);
• and
• the top clamping wedge surface (138) and the bottom clamping wedge surface (144) converge in a direction away from the holder abutment surface (140).