Tool holder, tool, and work station with tool holder and tool attached thereto

• US 9,303,666 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Rodi, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoon, Seahee
• Application Number:
  US13/894,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 269/10, 269/47, 269/48, 269/91, 269/95, 269/290, 269/291, 269/303, 269/315, 269/318, 269/87, 269/287
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/305 Mounting of moulds or mould support plates handling of moulds B29C31/006; mounting of moulds for injection moulding B29C45/1742
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/264 Auxiliary operations prior to the thermoforming operation, e.g. cutting B29C51/42, B29C51/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/30 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0642 the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/20 with indicator or inspection means

Abstract

The clamping system for attaching a tool to a tool holder offers highly precise self-adjustment of the tool in the tool holder, which remains in effect even at the high tool temperatures encountered during operation. For this purpose, the tool comprises a central clamping bolt, a positioning pin, and a groove, whereas the tool holder comprises a draw bolt, a T-slot, and a register pin. The draw bolt draws the clamping bolt by way of slanted surfaces against the tool holder with force components acting in three directions.

Claims

1. A tool holder (2, 4) for clamping a tool (6, 8), the tool holder (2, 4) comprising:

a base body, which comprises a top (18), a bottom (20), a short front side (22), a short rear side (24), and two long sides (26),

a register pin (50) projecting from the top (18) or bottom (20) of the base body, the register pin (50) being arranged centrally between the long sides (26) and closer to the short rear side (24) than to the short front side (22);

a straight T-slot (52) in the base body, the T-slot (52) arranged centrally between the long sides (26) and extending from the short front side (22) along the top (18) or bottom (20) of the base body to a terminal area of the T-slot (52) arranged in an area of the base body between the short front side (22) and the short rear side (24);

a spindle pin (12) with a conical tip (54), the spindle pin (12) arranged adjacent and parallel to the T-slot (52) and movable within the base body;

a draw bolt (56) arranged in a recess (58) in the base body near the terminal area of the T-slot (52), wherein the draw bolt (56) is slightly offset from the terminal area of the T-slot (52) in a direction toward one of the two long sides (26) of the base body and in a direction toward the short front side (22) of the base body;

wherein the draw bolt (56) comprises an opening (60) with a slanted guide surface (62) for cooperation with the conical tip (54) of the spindle pin (12), the opening (60) being arranged in such a way that the draw bolt (56) is pulled into the tool holder (2, 4) when the conical tip (54) of the spindle pin (12) moves into the opening (60) toward a clamping position; and

wherein the draw bolt (56) further comprises a slanted working surface (66), which serves to engage with a corresponding slanted target surface (44) on a clamping bolt (38) on the tool (6, 8).

2. The tool holder (2, 4) of claim 1 wherein the slanted working surface (66) of the draw bolt (56) has a form of a lateral cone surface portion.

3. The tool holder (2, 4) of claim 1 wherein the slanted working surface (66) of the draw bolt (56) is at an angle (α

′

) of 10-45°

to the horizontal.

4. The tool holder (2, 4) of claim 1 wherein the opening (60) in the draw bolt (56) is conical and, at an end of the opening (60) facing the short front side (22), has a diameter larger than a widest diameter of the conical tip (54).

5. The tool holder (2, 4) of claim 1 wherein a spring element (64) spring-loads the draw bolt (56) toward an open end of the recess (58), so that, when the conical tip (54) of the spindle pin (12) moves along the guide surface (62) toward the clamping position, the conical tip (54) draws the draw bolt (56) into the tool holder (2, 4) against a force of the spring element (64).

6. The tool holder (2, 4) of claim 1 wherein the register pin (50) is a cylindrical pin.

7. A tool (6, 8) to be clamped in a tool holder (2, 4), the tool (2, 4) comprising:

a base body, which comprises a top (28), a bottom (30), a short front side (32), a short rear side (34), and two long sides (36),

a clamping bolt (38) projecting from the top (28) or bottom (30) of the base body in a projecting direction, the clamping bolt (38) being arranged substantially centrally between the long sides (36) and substantially centrally between the short front and rear sides (32, 34), wherein the clamping bolt (38) has a shape of a mushroom with a cylindrical lower part (40) and a head part (42), which comprises a slanted target surface (44), which serves to be acted upon by a slanted working surface (66) of a draw bolt (56) in the tool holder (2, 4), wherein the slanted target surface (44) on the clamping bolt (38) has a form of a lateral cone surface portion which tapers in a direction opposite the projection direction, and wherein the slanted target surface (44) is provided on a side of the head part (42) facing the base body;

a cylindrical positioning pin (46), which projects from the tool (6, 8) in the projecting direction, wherein the positioning pin (46) is arranged centrally between the long sides (36) and closer to the short front side (32) than to the short rear side (34), wherein the positioning pin (46) has a diameter at least as large as a diameter of the lower part (40) of the clamping bolt (38); and

a groove (48) arranged centrally between the long sides (36) and extending from the short rear side (34) into the base body.

8. The tool (6, 8) of claim 7 wherein the diameter of the positioning pin (46) is larger than the diameter of the lower part (40) of the clamping bolt (38).

9. The tool (6, 8) of claim 7 wherein the slanted target surface (44) on the clamping bolt (38) is at an angle (α

) of 10-45°

to the horizontal.

10. A work station having a tool holder (2, 4) and a tool (6, 8) attached to the tool holder (2, 4),

a) wherein the tool holder (2, 4) comprises:

a base body, which comprises a top (18), a bottom (20), a short front side (22), a short rear side (24), and two long sides (26),

a register pin (50) projecting from the top (18) or bottom (20) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4), the register pin (50) being arranged centrally between the long sides (26) and closer to the short rear side (24) than to the short front side (22) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4);

a straight T-slot (52) in the base body of the tool holder (2, 4), the T-slot (52) arranged centrally between the long sides (26) and extending from the short front side (22) along the top (18) or bottom (20) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4) to a terminal area of the T-slot (52) arranged in an area of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4) between the short front side (22) and the short rear side (24);

a spindle pin (12) with a conical tip (54), the spindle pin (12) arranged adjacent and parallel to the T-slot (52) and movable within the base body of the tool holder (2, 4);

a draw bolt (56) arranged in a recess (58) in the base body of the tool holder (2, 4) near the terminal area of the T-slot (52), wherein the draw bolt (56) is slightly offset from the terminal area of the T-slot (52) in a direction toward one of the two long sides (26) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4) and in a direction toward the short front side (22) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4);

wherein the draw bolt (56) comprises an opening (60) with a slanted guide surface (62) for cooperation with the conical tip (54) of the spindle pin (12), the opening (60) being arranged in such a way that the draw bolt (56) is pulled into the tool holder (2, 4) when the conical tip (54) of the spindle pin (12) moves into the opening (60) toward a clamping position; and

wherein the draw bolt (56) further comprises a slanted working surface (66); and

b) wherein the tool (6, 8) comprises;

a base body, which comprises a top (28), a bottom (30), a short front side (32), a short rear side (34), and two long sides (36),

a clamping bolt (38) projecting from the top (28) or bottom (30) of the base body of the tool (6, 8) in a projecting direction, the clamping bolt (38) being arranged substantially centrally between the long sides (36) and substantially centrally between the short front and rear sides (32, 34) of the base body of the tool (6, 8), wherein the clamping bolt (38) has a shape of a mushroom with a cylindrical lower part (40) and a head part (42), which comprises a slanted target surface (44);

a cylindrical positioning pin (46), which projects from the tool (6, 8) in the projecting direction, wherein the positioning pin (46) is arranged centrally between the long sides (36) and closer to the short front side (32) than to the short rear side (34) of the tool (6, 8), wherein the positioning pin (46) has a diameter at least as large as a diameter of the lower part (40) of the clamping bolt (38); and

a groove (48) arranged centrally between the long sides (36) and extending from the short rear side (34) into the base body of the tool (6, 8);

c) wherein the slanted working surface (66) of the draw bolt (56) in the tool holder (2, 4) engages with the slanted target surface (44) on the clamping bolt (38) of the tool (6, 8).

11. The work station of claim 10 wherein the draw bolt (56) of the tool holder (2, 4) is offset in such a way from the terminal area of the T-slot (52) toward one of the two long sides (26) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4) and toward the short front side (22) of the base body of the tool holder (2, 4), and wherein the clamping bolt (38) of the tool (6, 8) and the draw bolt (56) of the tool holder (2, 4) are designed in such a way that the force exerted by the draw bolt (56) on the clamping bolt (38) has a first force component (A) acting toward the top (18) or bottom (20) of the tool holder (2, 4), a second force component (B) acting toward one of the two long sides (26) of the tool holder (2, 4), and a third force component (C) acting toward the short rear side (24) of the tool holder (2, 4).

12. The work station of claim 10 wherein the T-slot (52) has a narrow width area, wherein the narrow width area is substantially equal to the diameter of the positioning pin (46) on the tool (6, 8).

13. The work station of claim 10 wherein a width of the groove (48) in the tool (6, 8) is equal to or slightly larger than a diameter of the register pin (50) projecting from the tool holder (2, 4).