Tool holder

• US 8,376,671 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makino Milling Machine Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Makino Milling Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneko, Hiroo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cadugan, Erica E
• Application Number:
  US12/667,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 483/9, 483/8, 483/10, 483/12, 483/7, 340/4.36, 340/680, 408/8, 408/16, 408/226, 408/239.R, 408/239.A, 279/126, 409/234, 409/232, 409/233, 407/120, 407/30
• US Class Current: 409/233
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15546 Devices for recognizing tools in a storage device, e.g. coding devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49304 Tool identification, code
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/21 with measuring, indicating or control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/34 Accessory or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/16 with control means energized in response to activator stimulated by condition sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/21 with signal, indicator, illuminator or optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309408 with cutter holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309464 and draw bar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30952 with cutter holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/134 Identifying information on tool or tool holder

Abstract

An ID tag (27) is attached to a bottom surface (31) of a hollow portion (17) of a tool holder (11) having a hollow taper shank. Concretely, a circular recess (33) is formed on bottom surface (31) of hollow portion (17), and ID tag (27) is attached in recess (33) by means of adhesive or the like. The center of circular recess (33) coincides with a rotation axis of tool holder (11).

Claims

1. A spindle device comprising:

a spindle having a front side and a rear side;

a tool holder having a hollow taper shank with an inner surface, the tool holder rotatably attached to the front side of the spindle;

a split collet inside the spindle; and

a collet driver configured to be moved within the spindle toward a front side and a rear side along a front-rear axis, the collet driver being moved toward the rear side of the spindle to an attachment position so that the split collet is expanded so as to contact an inner surface of a hollow portion of the taper shank when the tool holder is attached to the spindle, and the collet driver being configured to be moved toward the front side of the spindle to a detachment position so that the split collet does not press the inner surface of the hollow portion of the taper shank when the tool holder is detached from the spindle;

wherein the hollow portion of the taper shank has a rearwardly facing bottom surface and is opened at a rear end of the tool holder so that the collet driver contacts the rearwardly facing bottom surface when the collet driver is at the detachment position where the tool holder is detached from the spindle, the rearwardly facing bottom surface having a rearwardly opening recess formed at a center of the rearwardly facing bottom surface; and

wherein an ID tag, adapted to identify a tool and/or the tool holder, is attached in the rearwardly opening recess so that a rearward-most surface of the ID tag, facing toward the rear side of the spindle, is recessed, in the direction of the front-rear axis toward a front side of the tool holder and away from the front side of the spindle, relative to the bottom rearwardly facing surface, and wherein the collet driver and tool holder are configured such that when the collet driver is in the attachment and detachment positions, the collet driver is not capable of contacting the ID tag.