MACHINE TOOL HAVING A CONVEYING DEVICE FOR LEADING AWAY CHIPS

Abstract

A machine tool for machining a workpiece clamped in the working space of the machine tool by means of a tool. The machine tool includes a machine bed, which has a chip collection region having at least one conveying channel open on the working space side for collecting chips that drop during the machining of the workpiece, and a conveying device for leading away chips that have dropped into the chip collection region in the at least one conveying channel. The conveying device has a stationary supporting shaft, which extends in the at least one conveying channel in the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel, wherein a spiral element is rotatably supported on the stationary supporting shaft, and wherein the conveying device also comprises a drive for driving the rotational motion of the spiral element about the stationary supporting shaft.

Claims

1. A machine tool for machining a workpiece by means of a tool, said workpiece being clamped in a working space of the machine tool, comprising: a machine bed, which has a chip collection region having at least one conveying channel open on the working space side for collecting chips that drop during the machining of the workpiece, and a conveying device for leading away chips that have dropped into the chip collection region in the at least one conveying channel, wherein, the conveying device has a stationary supporting shaft, which extends in the at least one conveying channel in the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel, a spiral element being rotatably supported on the stationary supporting shaft, and the conveying device also comprises a drive for driving the rotational motion of the spiral element about the stationary supporting shaft.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, when driving the rotational motion of the spiral element about the stationary supporting shaft, the conveying device is configured to lead away chips to a first end portion of the at least one conveying channel.

3. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, a discharge opening for leading away chips from the at least one conveying channel, the discharge opening being arranged on the first end portion of the at least one conveying channel.

4. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, the drive is arranged on a second end portion of the at least one conveying channel which is arranged on the side of the at least one conveying channel that is opposite the first end portion.

5. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, the at least one conveying channel has an angle of inclination sloping downwards towards the first end portion.

6. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, the at least one conveying channel has an angle of inclination rising towards the first end portion.

7. The machine tool according to claim 6, wherein, the at least one conveying channel has on a second end portion which is arranged on the side of the conveying channel that is opposite the first end portion, a drain opening for draining lubricant and/or coolant.

8. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the stationary supporting shaft is supported at least at one of the end portions of the at least one conveying channel.

9. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the stationary supporting shaft has at least one superficial groove-shaped recess, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel.

10. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the stationary supporting shaft is made as a hollow shaft.

11. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the stationary supporting shaft has a substantially circular cross-sectional profile.

12. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the spiral element has a substantially annular profile with substantially circular outer circumferential profile and/or with substantially circular inner circumferential profile, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the at least one conveying channel.

13. The machine tool according to claim 11, wherein, an outer diameter of the circular cross-sectional profile of the stationary supporting shaft is smaller than a diameter of the circular inner circumferential profile of the spiral element.

14. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the at least one conveying channel has, at least on one side facing away from the machining space, a substantially cross-sectional profile which has a part-circle design.

15. The machine tool according to claim 12, wherein, an inner diameter of the part circle-shaped cross-sectional profile of the at least one conveying channel is larger than a diameter of the circular outer circumferential profile of the spiral element.

16. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the at least one conveying channel comprises a profiled sheet or is made by a profiled sheet.

17. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, the chip collection region has at least one further conveying channel that is open on the side of the working space and is designed to collect chips dropping when the workpiece is machined, and the conveying device has at least one further stationary supporting shaft, which extends in the at least one further conveying channel in the longitudinal direction of the further conveying channel, wherein a further spiral element is rotatably supported on the further stationary supporting shaft, and wherein the conveying device also comprises a further drive for driving the rotational motion of the further spiral element about the further stationary supporting shaft.

18. The machine tool according to claim 17, wherein, the conveying channels of the chip collection region extend parallel to one another.

19. A conveying device for leading away chips that have dropped to a chip collection region of a machine bed of a machine tool for use with the machine tool for machining a workpiece clamped in the working space of the machine tool by means of a tool, comprising: a supporting shaft that can be mounted on the machine bed in a stationary fashion, a spiral element which in the installed state is rotatably supported on the supporting shaft on the machine tool, and a drive for driving the rotational motion of the spiral element about the stationary supporting shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary schematic perspective view of part of a machine tool with a conveying device for leading away chips according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary schematic perspective view of said part of the machine tool according to FIG. 1.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary schematic perspective view of said part of a machine tool according to FIG. 1.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary schematic top view of said part of a machine tool according to FIG. 1.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary cross-sectional view through a machine bed with conveyor device of part of a machine tool according to FIG. 1.

[0045] FIGS. 6A and 6B show exemplary schematic longitudinal sections through said part of a machine tool according to FIG. 1.

[0046] FIGS. 7A and 7B show exemplary schematic perspective views of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0047] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary schematic perspective view of a drive of a conveying device according to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0048] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary schematic perspective view of part of a conveying device according to FIGS. 7A and 73.

[0049] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary schematic longitudinal section of said part according to FIG. 9.

[0050] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view through a part according to FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0051] Examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Equal and/or similar elements in the drawings can here be designated by equal reference signs.

[0052] It is pointed out that the present invention is, however, by no means limited to the below described embodiments and the design features thereof but that said invention additionally comprises modifications of the embodiments which are included by modifications of the features of the described examples and/or combination of features of the described examples within the scope of protection of the independent claims.

[0053] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show different exemplary schematic perspective views of part of a machine tool 100, in particular of a machine bed 110 of the machine tool 100. For example, the sides or the lower side of the machine bed are provided with pedestals 111, by means of which the machine bed can be set up on a workshop floor in a horizontally aligned fashion.

[0054] The machine bed also comprises portions 112, on which e.g. a further (stationary or movable) machine stand can be placed on a finished machine tool 100, e.g. a machine stand for retaining a swivel head, a spindle head or a work spindle of a machine tool.

[0055] The machine bed 100 also comprises longitudinal guideways 113 (linear guideways) with guide slides 114, on which e.g. a machine table (e.g. a rotatable revolving table/round table or a stationary tool table) can be retained in order to clamp a workpiece on the machine table. Such a machine table, round table/revolving table or tool table can be linearly moved in the longitudinal direction of the guideways 113 by means of the slides 114 on the linear guideways 113.

[0056] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the machine bed 110 also has a conveying device for leading away chips. It is shown here by way of example that two chip collection regions 130 are provided on opposite sides of the linear guideways 113, wherein chips which are formed when a workpiece is machined on the machine tool drop into these chip collection regions 130 where they can be collected.

[0057] As an example, each of the chip collection regions 130 has a respective conveying channel 131. See here in particular the top view of FIG. 4 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, which are described below.

[0058] In the longitudinal direction of the chip collection region and in the direction of the linear guideways 113, dropped chips are led away to the rear side of the machine tool by means of the conveying device, where the connection openings 120 are arranged.

[0059] The respective drives 141 of the conveying device are arranged on the front side of the machine bed 110 by way of example on the end portions of the respective chip collection regions 130.

[0060] The conveying device also comprises in each of the collection regions 130 a respective stationary supporting shaft 142, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the respective chip collection region 130 or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide railways 113.

[0061] Furthermore, a spiral element is rotatably supported on each of the stationary supporting shafts 142 and is preferably designed as one piece from one end portion to the other end portion and encloses or convolves the respective stationary supporting shaft 142 in a helical fashion.

[0062] The conveying device is particularly configured to rotate or turn the respective spiral element 143 about the respective stationary supporting shaft 142 by means of the respective drives 141. This is distinguished in particular from previously known conveying devices of the prior art where a full spiral element or a one-piece or one-part screw conveyor was provided which is rotated about an axis of rotation as a whole and comprises both a spiral portion and an inner longitudinal shaft portion as one piece.

[0063] Chips collected in the chip collection region 130 are led away from the respective drives 141 and e.g. conveyed to the opposite end portion with the connection openings 120 by driving the respective spiral element 143 about the respective stationary supporting shaft 142 by means of the respective drive 141.

[0064] As shown by way of example in FIG. 2, the chips are then removed from the connection portions 120 by the conveying device. It is here possible to provide a further chip conveying device on this side of the machine bed 110, such as an externally connectable chip conveyor according to previously known designs. Such a chip conveying device can in this case be integrated to the machine tool or be provided as a separate device.

[0065] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary top view of the machine bed 110 of the machine tool 100 with the conveying device according to the embodiment of the invention according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0066] It is here shown in particular that the drives 141 are provided by way of example on an opposite side at an end portion of the respective chip collection regions 130 and are opposite the end portion on the other side with the connection openings 120.

[0067] It is also shown that the longitudinal directions of the stationary supporting shafts 142 and the longitudinal direction of the conveying channels 131 are aligned e.g. parallel to one another and in particular also e.g. parallel to the guide railways 113 with the linear slides 114. The advantage is that the two exemplary chip collection regions 130 are arranged on opposite sides of the tool fable, which can be arranged on the slide 114, and can symmetrically collect chips accumulating on both sides and can lead them away by means of the conveying device.

[0068] However, it should be noted that the present invention shall by no means be limited to embodiments having two conveying channels and/or two such conveying devices with supporting shaft 142 and spiral element 143. The present invention also comprises in particular embodiments having only one central or laterally arranged conveying channel 131 with one or more stationary supporting shafts having one or more spiral elements.

[0069] Of course, the present invention also comprises embodiments having two or more conveying channels which e.g. can be arranged in parallel pairs and also in pairs which can be arranged transversely or vertically.

[0070] FIG. 5 shows by way of example a cross-sectional view through the machine bed 110 of the machine tool 100 according to FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein in particular the conveying channels 131 of the respective chip collecting spaces or chip collection regions 130 are shown, as well as the supporting shafts 142 which extend in the longitudinal direction therein and have the spiral elements 143 which are rotatably supported about said supporting shafts.

[0071] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate by way of example longitudinal sections through the machine bed 110, in particular perpendicularly to the cross-section of FIG. 5, wherein the longitudinal section of FIGS. 6A and 6B is in particular also guided through one of the supporting shafts 142.

[0072] In particular FIG. 6B shows that the conveying channel 131 has a very small downward angle of inclination, by means of which the conveying channel is inclined from one end portion where the drive 141 is arranged to the other end portion where the connection element and/or the connection opening 120 is arranged. In this embodiment, the downward inclination is about 1%, with angles of inclination of greater than 0° and less than 5° being conceivable.

[0073] The result of this downward angle of inclination towards the connection opening 120 is that, in addition to the conveyed chips, coolant and/or lubricant, which is collected in the chip collection regions 130, also flows off towards the connection opening 120 where it can also be collected and optionally reused.

[0074] FIGS. 7A and 7B show schematic exemplary perspective views of part of the conveying device according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the drive 141 being shown on one side and the connection element and/or the connection opening 120 on the other side.

[0075] In addition, the stationary supporting shaft 142 is shown and extends from one end towards the other end and can be guided in the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel (not shown). The spiral element 143 convolves around the stationary supporting shaft 142 in the form of a spring spiral, wherein the spiral element 143 is rotatably supported on the stationary supporting shaft 142 and can be driven by the drive 141.

[0076] For this purpose, the drive 141 is connected via a connection element 144 of the spiral element 143. A helical movement is created by rotatably driving the spiral element 143 by means of the drive 141 about the stationary supporting shaft 142 and conveys the chips away from the drive 141 and towards the connection element and/or the connection opening 120.

[0077] FIG. 8 shows a perspective partial view of the drive 141 from FIGS. 7A and 7B, it being shown by way of example that an end of the spiral element 143 is mounted on the connection element 144 or is formed therewith as a shaped element.

[0078] FIG. 8 also shows in a detailed view e.g. a groove-shaped recess 142a, which extends in the longitudinal direction on the surface of the stationary supporting shaft 142.

[0079] The stationary supporting shaft is supported by means of an attachment element 145, in particular in rotationally fixed fashion in relation to the spiral element 143, such that by rotationally driving the connection element 144 by means of the drive 144 the rotational motion is transmitted to the spiral element 143 in such a way that the spiral element 143 rotates about the longitudinal axis of the stationary supporting shaft 142, wherein the stationary supporting shaft 142 is rotationally fixed and is supported by means of the attachment element 145.

[0080] In preferred embodiments, the connection element 144 can here be hollow in its interior to provide for in the interior another attachment element or an attachment which holds the attachment element 145 in FIG. 8 in a rotationally fixed or rotatably fixed fashion.

[0081] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary perspective view of part of the combination of supporting shaft 142 and spiral element 143. Furthermore, the connection element 144 is shown by way of example, to which the spiral element 143 is e.g. attached via an end or which can be made with the spiral element 143 as a single-piece shaped element.

[0082] The stationary supporting shaft 142 with the groove-shaped recess 142a extending in the longitudinal direction is guided by way of example inside the spiral element 143 and one end thereof has e.g. an attachment element 145 which is not attached in this state and which can be attached by another attachment element that can be guided through the hollow attachment element 144.

[0083] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary longitudinal section through the combination of elements according to FIG. 9, which shows in particular the e.g. hollow configuration of the attachment element 144, by which the attachment element 145 can be attached to one end of the stationary supporting shaft 142 by means of another attachment element. The attachment element 145 is attached e.g. to one end of the stationary supporting shaft 142, it being shown in this longitudinal section according to FIG. 10 that the stationary supporting shaft 142 is made e.g. as a hollow axis.

[0084] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary cross-section through the combination of elements according to FIG. 9, it being in particular shown that the stationary supporting shaft 142, which is made as a hollow axis, has e.g. three groove-shaped recesses 142a, 142b and 142c, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the stationary supporting shaft and here form guide recesses for chips conveyed in the longitudinal direction. Of course, exemplary designs having one, two or more than three guide recesses are also conceivable.

[0085] The reference sign 143a in FIG. 11 shows a section through the spiral element 143, the profile contours of the spiral element 143 which are disposed outside the sectional plane behind the cutting plane are also shown in a top view in the longitudinal direction of the stationary supporting shaft 142 and/or the spiral element 143.

[0086] For example, the spiral element is made in such a way that a top view of the profile in the longitudinal direction of the stationary supporting shaft 142 or of the spiral element 143 is annular, in particular in such a way that e.g. an outer circumference 143b and an inner circumference 143c is formed in a substantially circular fashion.

[0087] FIG. 11 also shows by way of example that an outer diameter 142d of the cross-sectional profile of the stationary supporting shaft 142 is also substantially circular, wherein the diameter of the outer circumference of the stationary supporting shaft 142 is smaller than the inner diameter of the profile 143c of the spiral element 143, in particular in such a way that a gap 146 is formed (in particular in circular fashion) between the outer circumference 142d of the stationary supporting shaft 142 and the inner circumference 143c of the spiral element 143 such that the rotation of the spiral element 143 about the stationary supporting shaft 142 occurs with as little friction as possible and therefore only a relatively small drive for driving the rotational motion of the spiral element 143 is sufficient.

[0088] However, the gap width of the gap 146 is here preferably smaller than an average chip circumference of the chips accumulating when the workpiece is machined on the machine tool 100, such that the chips do not slip through the gap 146 or get caught or stuck therein.

[0089] If a relatively small chip was caught in the gap, it would also be moved on account of the rotational motion of the spiral element 143 about the circumference of the stationary supporting shaft 142 until it reaches one of the groove-shaped recess sections 142a to 142 c, where the wedging or jamming is released again on account of the groove-shaped recess.