Cooling loop structure of high speed spindle

• US 5,798,587 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Wen-Yeu
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENAD, ELVIN GENARGUE
• Application Number:
  US08/787,093
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52, 310/58, 310/60 A, 310/64, 310/57, 310/59, 310/61, 417/367, 417/902, 250/493, 250/493.1, 250/493.2
• US Class Current: 310/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/00 Arrangements for cooling or ventilating channels or ducts in parts of the magnetic circuit H02K1/20, H02K1/32; channels or ducts in or between conductors H02K3/22, H02K3/24

Abstract

A cooling loop structure of high speed spindle comprises three groups of cooling areas where the first group being the front bearing cooling area, the second group being the motor cooling area and the third group being the rear bearing cooling area. Cooling fluid from the cooling machine outlet, flows through the rear end of spindle into the front bearing cooling area, then flows into the motor cooling area, finally, after flowing into the rear bearing cooling area, it flows back into the inlet of cooling machine, thereby, forms a temperature-controlled cooling loop. The cooling loop needs only a setup of cooling fluid inlet and outlet at the rear end of spindle which can avoid being using too many exposed cooling pipes that result in space occupation and being inconvenient in the installation of spindle. There is a setup of O-ring with different diameters designed at both ends of cooling jacket in the spindle where the diameter of O-ring groove closed to the center of the spindle is smaller than the one closed to both ends of the spindle. Besides, the front bearing cooling area is designed to be an encircling structure with fluid flows axially and rotates radially such that it not only can effectively control the temperature rise of the front bearing area but also can reduce the volume of the front end of the spindle to facilitate in getting deeply into the work pieces to perform bore machining.

Claims

1. A cooling loop structure for use with a high speed spindle comprising a front bearing cooling area, a motor cooling area, and a rear bearing cooling area which are connected in such a manner that when a cooling fluid is sent out from a cooling machine, the cooling fluid first passes through said front bearing cooling area, then said motor cooling area and said rear bearing cooling area, and finally back to said cooling machine to carry away heat energy, and thereby, form a cooling loop structure;

wherein;

(a) said front bearing cooling area comprises a plurality of axially extending holes each having a front and a rear end, and a plurality of chain-like grooves alternately connecting said front and rear ends of said axially extending holes so that said cooling fluid travels said front bearing cooling area in an up-and-down and circumferential manner; and

(b) said motor cooling area comprises a cooling jacket which is contained in said cooling loop structure with a first pair of O-rings of unequal diameters.

2. The cooling loop structure for use with a high speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front bearing cooling area, said motor cooling area and said rear bearing cooling area are provided inside the spindle.

3. The cooling loop structure for use with a high speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said motor cooling area comprises a cooling jacket which is equipped with a helically encircling path.

4. The cooling loop structure for use with a high speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rear bearing cooling area comprises a cylindrically encircling path around a rear bearing seat.

5. The cooling loop structure for use with a speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rear bearing seat is contained in said cooling loop structure with a second pair of O-rings of unequal diameters.

6. The cooling loop structure for use with a speed spindle as claimed in claim 5 which further comprises a rear cover, wherein said rear cover and said rear bearing seat cooperatively squeeze said second pair of unequally-diametered O-rings in an axial direction.

7. The cooling loop structure for use with a speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cooling jacket is equipped with a helically encircling path which is connected to an exit of said front bearing cooling area.

8. The cooling loop structure for use with a speed spindle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said cooling loop structure further comprises a front end piping and an inlet for connecting said front bearing cooling area with a piping leading to said cooling machine;

(b) said rear bearing cooling area comprises a cylindrically encircling path around a rear bearing seat;

(c) said cooling jacket of said motor cooling area comprises a helically encircling path;

(d) said cylindrically encircling path has a front end which is connected to a rear end of said helically encircling path; and

(e) an outlet setup, which is parallel with said front end piping, and is located at a rear end of said rear bearing seat.