ROTARY INDEXING TABLE ASSEMBLY THAT CAN BE SET UP WITHOUT TOOLS

Abstract

A rotary indexing table assembly includes an axis of rotation, a rotation element and a receiving assembly. The rotation element is rotatable about the axis of rotation and has a centering opening coaxial with the axis of rotation. The receiving assembly has a spring system and a pin assembly. The pin assembly has a pin body, movable along the axis of rotation by the spring system and settable in a set-up state or a blocking state. In the set-up state, the rotation element is releasably connected to the receiving assembly, and in the blocking state, the rotation element is fixedly connected to the receiving assembly.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A rotary indexing table assembly comprising: an axis of rotation; a rotation element, rotatable about the axis of rotation, the rotation element comprising a centering opening coaxial with the axis of rotation; and a receiving assembly comprising: a spring system; and a pin assembly, the pin assembly comprising: a pin body, movable along the axis of rotation by the spring system and settable in a set-up state or a blocking state such that, in the set-up state, the rotation element is releasably connected to the receiving assembly; and in the blocking state, the rotation element is fixedly connected to the receiving assembly.

12. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11, wherein: the pin body penetrates the centering opening; and the pin body and the centering opening are arranged coaxially to one another.

13. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11, wherein: the pin body assumes the set-up state by an axial movement in a direction of the rotary indexing table assembly; and the pin body assumes the blocking state by an axial movement against the direction of the rotary indexing table assembly.

14. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 13 wherein the spring system presses the pin body into the blocking state.

15. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11, wherein: the pin body comprises a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, different than the first outer diameter, wherein: the first outer diameter is remote from the rotary indexing table assembly along the axis of rotation and smaller than the second outer diameter; and the second outer diameter faces the rotary indexing table assembly along the axis of rotation; the receiving assembly comprises an abutment means system with a central arrangement coaxial with the axis of rotation, the abutment means system comprising: a circumferentially arranged recess comprising a smaller cross section in a radially outward direction with respect to the axis of rotation than in a radially inner section; and an abutment means; in the blocking state of the pin body, the abutment means is pressed radially outward by the second outer diameter of the pin body; and in the set-up state of the pin body, the abutment means exhibits radial play in a section of the first outer diameter.

16. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 15 wherein: the rotation element comprises: an abutment system coaxial with the centering opening, which at least partially surrounds the pin body; and in the blocking state, the abutment means is pressed radially outwards by the second outer diameter to brace with the abutment system and fix the rotation element.

17. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 16, wherein the abutment system is designed as a partially circumferential inclined arrangement.

18. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 16, wherein the abutment system is designed as a completely circumferential inclined arrangement.

19. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 16 wherein the abutment means is formed as a spherical body.

20. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11 wherein the receiving assembly further comprises a locking means to prevent uncontrolled component rotation about the axis of rotation.

21. The rotary indexing table assembly of claim 20 wherein the locking means is designed as a sword pin.

22. A rotation element for the rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11 comprising the features of the rotation element of claim 11.

23. A receiving assembly for the rotary indexing table assembly of claim 11 comprising the features of the receiving assembly of claim 11.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In the following, the disclosure is explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings using exemplary embodiments. The features shown below can represent an aspect of the disclosure both individually and in combination. In the figures:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a rotary indexing table assembly according to an example embodiment, wherein a rotation element is shown remote from a receiving assembly;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the perspective view of the rotary indexing table assembly according to FIG. 1, wherein the rotation element is shown connected to the receiving assembly;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the rotary indexing table assembly according to FIG. 2;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the receiving assembly according to FIG. 3;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a partially sectional view and partially perspective view of the receiving assembly according to FIG. 4, recessed in the rotary indexing table assembly;

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the rotary indexing table assembly according to FIG. 4, recessed in the rotary indexing table assembly;

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a rotary indexing table assembly; according to the background of the art; and

[0038] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a rotary indexing table assembly according to FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a perspective view of a rotary indexing table assembly 10 having an axis of rotation D. The rotary indexing table assembly includes a rotation element 12, which can be rotated about the axis of rotation D and has a centering opening 14 coaxial with the axis of rotation D, and a receiving assembly 16 having a pin assembly 18. FIG. 1 shows an exploded view and FIG. 2 shows a composite view. The exploded view can also be interpreted as a step during the set-up, i.e., after the rotation element 12 has been removed from the receiving assembly 16 or before the rotation element 12 is placed on the receiving assembly 16.

[0040] The pin assembly 18 has a pin body 22, which can be moved along the axis of rotation D by means of a spring system 20 and which can be set in a set-up state or a blocking state such that, in the set-up state (ref. FIG. 4), the rotation element 12 is releasably connected to the receiving assembly 16, and in the blocking state (ref. FIG. 3), the rotation element 12 is fixedly connected to the receiving assembly 16. This can be seen better in FIGS. 3 to 6.

[0041] In particular, it can be seen well in FIG. 3 that the pin body 22 of the pin assembly 18 penetrates the centering opening 14, and the pin body 22 of the pin assembly 18 and the centering opening 14 are arranged in particular coaxially to one another.

[0042] The centering opening 14 can be an integral part of the rotation element 12 or can be arranged on an element that can be connected to the rotation element 12. This must be determined on a type-specific basis.

[0043] It may be provided that the pin body 22 assumes the set-up state by an axial movement in the direction of the rotary indexing table assembly 10 and that the pin body 22 assumes the blocking state by an axial movement against the direction of the rotary indexing table assembly 10, and the spring system 20 may press the pin body 22 into the blocking state.

[0044] The blocking state is set according to FIG. 2, for example, and can be seen in particular in FIG. 3.

[0045] In contrast, the pin body 22 according to FIG. 1 is in the set-up state. This can be seen clearly in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0046] The pin body 22 may have at least two different outer diameters, and the first outer diameter remote from the rotary indexing table assembly 10 along the axis of rotation D, i.e., the upper outer diameter, is smaller than the second outer diameter facing the rotary indexing table assembly 10 along the axis of rotation D, i.e., the lower outer diameter. This can be seen particularly well in FIG. 3 for the blocking state and in FIG. 4 for the set-up state.

[0047] In this regard, the receiving assembly 16 has an abutment means system 24 with a central arrangement 26 coaxial with the axis of rotation D, which circumferentially has one or more recesses 28. The recesses 28 have a smaller cross-section in a radially outward direction with respect to the axis of rotation D than in a radially inner section, and and one or more recesses 28 each have at least one abutment means 30.

[0048] According to FIG. 3, when the pin body 22 is in the blocking state, the abutment means 30 are pressed radially outward by the second outer diameter of the pin body 22.

[0049] According to FIG. 4, in the set-up state of the pin body 22, the abutment means 30 exhibit radial play in the section of the first outer diameter of the pin body 22. Radial play is related to a projection plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation D or to a projection circle perpendicular to the axis of rotation D, respectively. Along this projection circle, the abutment means 30 are at least partially movable in a radial orientation to the axis of rotation D in the set-up state.

[0050] Regardless of a particular embodiment, it can be provided that a taper is arranged between two outer diameters of the pin body 22, e.g., according to the aforementioned description, in such a way that the abutment means 30 are pushed or pressed. without jamming during a stroke movement of the pin body 22. In an example embodiment, the taper can also include the second outer diameter.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation element 12 may have an abutment system 32 coaxial with the centering opening 14, which at least partially surrounds the pin body 22, so that, in the blocking state of the pin body 22, one or more abutment means 30 are pressed radially outwards by the second outer diameter of the pin body 22 in such a way that they brace with the abutment system 32 of the rotation element 12 and fix the rotation element 12.

[0052] As shown to be optional in FIG. 3, the abutment system 32 is designed as an at least partially, e.g., completely, circumferential inclined arrangement.

[0053] FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 disclose by way of example that the one or more abutment means 30 is or are designed as a spherical body/as spherical bodies.

[0054] Furthermore, the receiving assembly 16 may have one or more locking means 34 to prevent uncontrolled component rotation about the axis of rotation D. Accordingly, the rotation element 12 includes correlating receptacles 36 for abutting the locking means 34.

[0055] FIGS. 7 and 8 show previously known rotary indexing table assemblies. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view and FIG. 8 a sectional view. Previously known rotary indexing table assemblies cause the loosening and later tightening of screws when setting up a rotary indexing table assembly to take a considerable amount of time. For this purpose, a respective rotation element 12 is usually screwed to a receiving assembly 16. This requires an additional tool. In more concrete terms, this means that the additional tool is used to re-set the rotary indexing table assembly in order to loosen or tighten one or more screws. On the one hand, this takes time in order to procure the tool from its storage location and to carry out the corresponding assembly steps. On the other hand, the tool must be procured with associated costs and then stored ready to hand.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0056] 10 Rotary indexing table assembly

[0057] 12 Rotation element

[0058] 14 Centering opening

[0059] 16 Receiving assembly

[0060] 18 Pin assembly

[0061] 20 Spring system

[0062] 22 Pin body

[0063] 74 Abutment means system

[0064] 26 Central arrangement

[0065] 28 Recess

[0066] 30 Abutment means

[0067] 32 Abutment system

[0068] 34 Locking means

[0069] 36 Receptacle

[0070] D Axis of rotation