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US 6,464,623 B1Granted
Tool storage and tool exchange device of a machining machine-tool and operating process of such a device
AssigneeRenault Automation Comau
InventorsRaymond Laur, Gilles Sudre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tool storage and tool exchange device of a high speed machining machine-tool having a horizontal ram that receives a tool. The exchange device includes a tool storage module that has a multiplicity of housings receiving the tools, a handling module that loads or unloads at least one tool from a housing and transports the tool from the housing toward an exchange zone with a transfer module, and a transfer module that transports a tool present in the ram from an exchange zone with the ram toward the exchange zone with the handling nodule and vice-versa. The multiple modules allow simultaneous execution of different operations by a tool storage and tool exchange device.
Claims32
Tool storage and tool exchange device of a high speed machine-tool that has a horizontal ram receiving a tool on its end, comprising:
- a tool storage module comprising, inside a chamber, a multiplicity of aligned housings configured to store tools so that axes of said tools are parallel with a ram axis;
- a handling module configured to load and unload at least one tool in at least one respective aligned housing and transport said at least one tool in said chamber along a direction parallel to the ram axis between said respective aligned housing and a handling module exchange zone, said handling module including two gripping mechanisms;
- and
- a transfer module configured to transport the at least one tool between a ram exchange zone and the handling module exchange zone, said transfer module including two gripping mechanisms,
- wherein said two gripping mechanisms of said handling module are oriented to face said two gripping mechanisms of said transfer module in the handling module exchange zone.
2 more elements
A tool storage and tool exchange device comprising:
- means for collecting a to-be-used tool from a tool storage, said means for collecting including two gripping mechanisms;
- first means for transporting said means for collecting and said to-be-used tool from a tool storage to a first exchange zone;
- means for taking said to-be-used tool from said means for collecting in said first exchange zone, said means for taking including two gripping mechanisms;
- and
- second means for transporting said means for taking and said to-be-used tool from said first exchange zone to a ram exchange zone,
- wherein said two gripping mechanisms of said means for collecting are oriented to face said two gripping mechanisms of said means for taking in the first exchange zone.
3 more elements
A tool storage and tool exchange device comprising:
- a tool storage module comprising a plurality of housings configured to store a plurality of tools;
- a handling module configured to unload a particular tool from a particular housing and transport said particular tool from said particular housing to a handling module exchange zone;
- and
- a transfer module configured to receive said particular tool from said handling module in said handling module exchange zone, transport said particular tool from said handling module exchange zone to a ram exchange zone, and load said particular tool into a ram,
- wherein said handling module comprises:
- a first arm including a first tool gripper, said first arm configured to remove a to-be-used tool from said tool storage module and present said to-be-used tool to said transfer module;
- and
- a second arm including a second tool gripper, said second arm configured to remove a used tool from said transfer module and present said used tool to said tool storage module, and
- wherein said first tool gripper and said second tool gripper each comprise an indexer configured to straighten an angular position of a tool in a respective tool gripper.
6 more elements
Tool storage and tool exchange device of a high speed machine-tool that has a horizontal ram receiving a tool on its end, comprising:
- a tool storage module comprising, inside a chamber, a multiplicity of aligned housings configured to store tools so that axes of said tools are parallel with a ram axis;
- a handling module configured to load and unload at least one tool in at least one respective aligned housing and transport said at least one tool in said chamber along a direction parallel to the ram axis between said respective aligned housing and a handling module exchange zone;
- and
- a transfer module configured to transport the at least one tool between a ram exchange zone and the handling module exchange zone,
- wherein the handling module comprises two arms each fitted at an arm end with a tool gripping mechanism and arranged in a same vertical plane, said arms being configured to take one of a first extended position for loading and unloading tools when the tool gripping mechanism is in line with an axis of a housing and a second folded position for tool transport when the tool gripping mechanism moves away from a vertical plane of storage.
2 more elements
A tool storage and tool exchange device comprising:
- a tool storage module comprising a plurality of housings configured to store a plurality of tools;
- a handling module configured to unload a particular tool from a particular housing and transport said particular tool from said particular housing to a handling module exchange zone;
- and
- a transfer module configured to receive said particular tool from said handling module in said handling module exchange zone, transport said particular tool from said handling module exchange zone to a ram exchange zone, and load said particular tool into a ram,
- wherein said handling module comprises:
- a first arm including a first tool gripper, said first arm configured to remove a to-be-used tool from said tool storage module and present said to-be-used tool to said transfer module;
- and
- a second arm including a second tool gripper, said second arm configured to remove a used tool from said transfer module and present said used tool to said tool storage module, and
- wherein said transfer module comprises two gripping mechanisms that are oriented to face said first tool gripper and said second tool gripper of said handling module in the handling module exchange zone.
6 more elements
A tool storage and tool exchange device comprising:
- a tool storage module comprising a plurality of housings configured to store a plurality tools;
- a handling module configured to unload a particular tool from a particular housing and transport said particular tool from said particular housing to a handling module exchange zone, said handling module including two gripping mechanisms;
- and
- a transfer module configured to receive said particular tool from said handling module in said handling module exchange zone, transport said particular tool from said handling module exchange zone to a ram exchange zone, and load said particular tool into a ram, said transfer module including two gripping mechanisms,
- wherein said two gripping mechanisms of said handling module are oriented to face said two gripping mechanisms of said transfer module in the handling module exchange zone.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.