Machine tool

• US 20020003415A1
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Leonnqvist, Peter, Iwasaki, Takashi, Nakai, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,479,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/569
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37559 Camera, vision of tool, compute tool center, detect tool wear

Abstract

The machine tool comprises a tool (a drill or the like whose diameter is 2 mm or less), a camera (artificial retina chip or the like) which acquires an image of the tool, and an image processor which determines whether the tool is faulty based on the image acquired by the camera.

Claims

1. A machine tool comprising:

a tool for working;

a photographing unit which acquires an image of said tool; and

a determination unit which determines whether said tool is faulty based on the image acquired by said photographing unit.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the photographing unit has an artificial retina chip.

3. The machine tool according to claim 2 further comprising:

a designation unit which designates a closed area in the image obtained by said artificial retina chip; and

an artificial retina control unit which orchestrates said artificial retina chip so as to output the image or the image data corresponding to the designated area to said determination unit.

4. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said tool is a drill whose diameter is 2 mm or less.

5. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit determines whether said tool is faulty based on a threshold value specific to that particular tool.

6. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit or said photographing unit processes the image acquired by said photographing unit, and said determination unit determines whether said tool is faulty based on the processed image.

7. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit or said photographing unit edge processes the image acquired by said photographing unit, and said determination unit determines whether said tool is faulty based on the edge processed image.

8. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said photographing units are provided in plurality, and said determination unit determines whether said tool is faulty by stereo viewing based on a plurality of images acquired by said photographing units.

9. The machine tool according to claim 1 further comprising a tool cleaning unit which cleans said tool before said photographing unit acquires the image.

10. The machine tool according to claim 1 further comprising a cleaning unit which cleans said photographing unit said photographing unit acquires the image.

11. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit determines whether chips are twine around said tool based on the image acquired by said photographing unit(s).

12. A machine tool comprising:

a tool for working;

a photographing unit which acquires an image of said tool, which photographing unit having an artificial retina chip which acquires the image of said tool; and

a determination unit which determines whether said tool is faulty based on the image acquired by said photographing unit.