Chuck

Abstract

In the case of a clamping device (1) for holding a workpiece (3) to be machined by a machine tool (2), which is used in particular as a clamping chuck, vice or zero point clamping system, consisting of a housing (4), a supporting element (6), which is a component of the housing (4) or is fastened thereto, and thereby forms a supporting surface (6′), on which the respective workpiece (3) rests during the machining process, at least one clamping jaw (7) that is mounted in the housing (4) so it is axially movable and a counter-stop formed by the housing (4) or an axially movable clamping jaw (8), between which the workpiece (3) is clamped in the region of the supporting surface (6′) or at least three clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) mounted in the housing (4) so they are axially movable, between which the workpiece (3) is clamped in the region of the supporting surface (6′), a reliable and verifiable monitoring of the distance between the workpiece (3) and the supporting surface (6′) and/or the clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) is supposed to take place at the clamping device (1) before and during the entire machining process, without extensive constructional measures being required for this. This is achieved in that at least one free space (11) is integrated in the housing (4), the axis of symmetry of which runs perpendicular to the supporting surface (6′) and which faces the clamped workpiece (3) with the open front side, and/or that at least one free space (11) is integrated in one of the clamping jaws (7, 8, 9), which free space leads to the respective clamping surface (7′, 8′, 9′) of the clamping jaws (7, 8, 9), that a proximity sensor (12) is inserted in the respective free space (11), that, via the proximity sensor (12), a monitoring area (13) is formed between the supporting surface (6′) and the workpiece (3), which is monitored by an analysis unit (14) with respect to the presence of the workpiece (3).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.