US 6,161,995 AGranted

Machine tool

AssigneeToyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsYoshio Wakazono, Kazuo Machida, Wataru Iida, Katsuhiko Takeuchi

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Abstract

A machine tool is structured enhance rigidity of a slide member opposing to a cutting force acting on a tool spindle with no extra increase in weight, thereby intending to lighten the slide member. The machine tool comprises a tool spindle rotating around an axis extending along an Z-axis, a slide member slidable in at least one of the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions and a guide apparatus having a straight rail and movably supporting the slide member on the guide rail and disposed such that three supporting points for supporting the slide member form vertexes of a triangle as seen from the X-axis direction. Further, in another construction, two sets of linear guide mechanism and a linear motor for guiding each of an upper portion and a lower portion of a gantry are respectively disposed between a lower surface of the gantry and a base, and between a front surface of a cross beam and an upper back surface of the gantry, so that the cross beam does not lap over the upper surface of the gantry.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A machine tool comprising:

a base;
a fixing frame vertically extending on the base and having a first opening portion;
a gantry having a second opening portion, disposed in the front surface of said fixing frame in a state where a part thereof is received in said first opening portion of said fixing frame and capable of moving in a first horizontal direction on said base;
a saddle vertically guided within said second opening portion of the gantry;
a ram movably guided in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to said first horizontal direction by said saddle;
a tool spindle rotatably supported with respect to an axis extending along said second horizontal direction by said ram and capable of mounting a tool in a front end portion;
guide means including lower portion guide means disposed between the lower surface of said gantry and the base and upper portion guide means disposed between an upper front surface of said fixing frame and an upper back surface of said gantry, and guiding said gantry in said first horizontal direction;
and
drive means including a lower portion linear motor for driving the lower surface of said gantry and an upper portion linear motor for driving the upper back surface of said gantry, and driving said gantry in said first horizontal direction.

6 more elements

A machine tool comprising:

a base;
a workpiece provided on said base;
a first moving member provided on said base and slidable along a first axis relative to said workpiece through a first slide device;
a second moving member provided on said first moving member and slidable along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis relative to said workpiece through a second slide device;
a third moving member provided on said second moving member and slidable along a third axis mutually perpendicular to said first and second axes relative to said workpiece through a third slide device;
a tool spindle provided on said third moving member and rotating around said third axis;
and
at least three supporting fulcrum provided on at least one of said three slide devices for supporting at least one of said three moving members corresponding to said at least one of three slide members, said at least three fulcrum are configured to be arranged on a plane defined by said first and second axes,
wherein said guide apparatus is constituted by a guide apparatus for an X-axis, a guide apparatus for a Y-axis and a guide apparatus for a Z-axis;
said slide member is constituted by a gantry movable along an X-axis through said X-axis guide apparatus, a saddle movable along a Y-axis through said Y-axis guide apparatus and a ram movable along a Z-axis through said Z-axis guide apparatus;
and
three supporting points at which said X-axis guide apparatus, said Y-axis guide apparatus and said Z-axis guide apparatus respectively support the gantry, the saddle and the ram are disposed to form vertexes of a triangle as seen from the X-axis direction.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.