Back to results
US 9,803,801 B2Granted
Cooled minimum quantity lubrication for machining
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsGeorge Mathai, Rohit Bhapkar, Timothy Thorson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for dispensing lubricant in a stream of cool air to a work piece and a machine tool. A source of lubricant and cool air are coupled to a stationary coupler. A rotating turret includes a plurality of machine tools mounted thereon and the plurality of rotating couplers mounted thereon. Each machine tool is associated with or coupled to one of the rotating couplers. The turret rotates so that a rotating coupler is in abutting engagement with the stationary coupler. Lubricant and cool air pass through the stationary coupler to the rotating coupler, which delivers the lubricant and cool air to a nozzle that is directed at the machine tool associated with the rotating coupler.
Claims20
A system for dispensing lubricant in a stream of cool air to a work piece and a machine tool, the system comprising:
- a lubricant reservoir fluidly coupled to a lubricant pump,
- the lubricant pump fluidly coupled to a stationary lubricant inlet of a stationary coupler, the stationary lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary lubricant passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary lubricant outlet,
- a compressed air source fluidly coupled to a compressed air inlet of a vortex tube, the vortex tube including a cool air outlet and a hot air outlet, the cool air outlet of the vortex tube fluidly coupled to a stationary cool air inlet of the stationary coupler,
- the stationary cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary cool air passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary cool air outlet,
- a rotating coupler connected to a turret, the rotating coupler including a rotating lubricant inlet and a rotating cool air inlet, the rotating lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating lubricant passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating lubricant outlet, the rotating cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating cool air passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating cool air outlet,
- the turret and rotating coupler being movable to a position where the rotating lubricant inlet is in matching registry with the stationary lubricant outlet with a lubricant seal sandwiched therebetween and where the rotating cool air inlet is in matching registry with the stationary cool air outlet with a cool air seal sandwiched therebetween,
- the rotating lubricant outlet and the rotating cool air outlet fluidly coupled to a nozzle directed at the work piece and machine tool.
4 more elements
A machine tool assembly, comprising:
- a minimum quantity lubricant (MQL) pump with a lubricant output and a compressed air output,
- the lubricant output fluidly coupled to a stationary lubricant inlet of a stationary coupler, the stationary lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary lubricant passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary lubricant outlet,
- the compressed air output fluidly coupled to a compressed air inlet of a vortex tube, the vortex tube including a cool air outlet and a hot air outlet, the cool air outlet of the vortex tube fluidly coupled to a stationary cool air inlet of the stationary coupler,
- the stationary cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary cool air passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary cool air outlet,
- a rotating coupler connected to a turret, the rotating coupler including a rotating lubricant inlet and a rotating cool air inlet, the rotating lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating lubricant passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating lubricant outlet, the rotating cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating cool air passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating cool air outlet,
- the turret and rotating coupler being movable to a position where the rotating lubricant inlet is in matching registry with the stationary lubricant outlet with a lubricant seal sandwiched therebetween and where the rotating cool air inlet is in matching registry with the stationary cool air outlet with a cool air seal sandwiched therebetween,
- the turret connected to a machine tool and a work piece,
- the rotating lubricant outlet and the rotating cool air outlet fluidly coupled to a nozzle directed at the work piece and machine tool.
5 more elements
A method for delivering lubricant entrained in a flow of cool air to a work piece and a machine tool, the method comprising:
- fluidly coupling an output from a lubricant pump to a stationary lubricant inlet of a stationary coupler, the stationary lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary lubricant passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary lubricant outlet,
- fluidly coupling a source of compressed air to a compressed air inlet of a vortex tube, the vortex tube including a cool air outlet and a hot air outlet,
- fluidly coupling the cool air outlet of the vortex tube to a stationary cool air inlet of the stationary coupler, the stationary cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a stationary cool air passage that extends through the stationary coupler to a stationary cool air outlet,
- providing a rotating coupler connected to a turret, the rotating coupler including a rotating lubricant inlet and a rotating cool air inlet, the rotating lubricant inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating lubricant passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating lubricant outlet, the rotating cool air inlet fluidly coupled to a rotating cool air passage that extends through the rotating coupler to a rotating cool air outlet,
- rotating the turret to a position where the rotating lubricant inlet is in matching registry with the stationary lubricant outlet and where the rotating cool air inlet is in matching registry with the stationary cool air outlet, and
- fluidly coupling the rotating lubricant outlet and the rotating cool air outlet to a nozzle directed at the work piece and machine tool.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.