JP7645941B2 - Chip conveyors and machine tools - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to chip conveyors and machine tools.

JP 2003-145390 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a machine tool equipped with a chip conveyor. The chip conveyor is a transport mechanism for discharging workpiece chips generated during machining outside the machine tool. The chips are carried from the machining area to the chip conveyor by coolant.

A drum filter is provided inside the chip conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1. The drum filter is configured to remove work chips from the coolant that flows from the outside to the inside of the drum filter.

In addition, a spray nozzle is provided inside the drum filter. The spray nozzle sprays cleaning coolant from the inside of the drum filter to the outside, blowing away any chips that may be stuck in the drum filter. This backwashes the drum filter, preventing it from becoming clogged with chips.

JP 2003-145390 A

The spray nozzle shown in Patent Document 1 is provided on the side of a center pipe that is provided along the rotation axis of the drum filter. The cleaning coolant is pumped from the end face of the center pipe to the inside, and is then supplied to the spray nozzle from the side of the center pipe. In order to attach the spray nozzle to the center pipe, it is necessary to perform processing such as drilling holes in the side of the center pipe with a certain degree of precision, which is time-consuming and costly.

The spray nozzle shown in Patent Document 1 is arranged to extend in the radial direction of the center pipe. This shortens the distance from the spray nozzle's outlet to the back surface of the drum filter, improving the cleaning ability of the drum filter. However, in order to extend the spray nozzle in the radial direction of the center pipe, it is necessary to provide an extension joint or piping to the spray nozzle, which requires extra parts. Furthermore, the provision of such joints and piping creates discontinuous surfaces and steps on the internal wall surface, which can cause fine chips and the like contained in the cleaning coolant to get caught in such parts, increasing the possibility of clogging the flow path to the spray nozzle.

In view of the above, it is desirable to simplify the structure of a drum filter while maintaining the cleaning ability of the drum filter.

In one example of the present disclosure, a chip conveyor is provided. The chip conveyor includes a housing in which used coolant is stored, and a drum filter provided inside the housing and configured to remove foreign matter from the coolant that has passed from the outside to the inside. The drum filter includes a filter unit having an outer peripheral surface portion on which a filter portion is formed, at least one end surface portion that supports the outer peripheral surface portion and is driven to rotate, and a cleaning unit provided inside the filter unit and sprays cleaning coolant toward the inside of the filter portion. The cleaning unit has a box body provided along the axial direction of the drum filter, a filling chamber formed inside in which the cleaning coolant is filled, and a nozzle provided on the upper surface of the box body so as to communicate with the filling chamber.

In one example of the present disclosure, the rotation axis of the drum filter is parallel to the horizontal direction. The filling chamber is offset upward from the rotation axis.

In one example of the present disclosure, the top surface of the box is located above the standard water level of the used coolant in the housing.

In one example of the present disclosure, the drum filter further includes first and second shafts configured to rotatably support the filter unit and to support the box body from both sides in the axial direction.

In one example of the present disclosure, the first shaft is hollow. The drum filter further includes a pipe that connects the first shaft and the filling chamber and supplies the cleaning coolant to the filling chamber.

In one example of the present disclosure, the piping is in communication with the filling chamber at a central portion of the filling chamber in the axial direction.

In one example of the present disclosure, the bolts for the first and second shafts are fixed from the inside of the filter unit.

In one example of the present disclosure, a number of the nozzles are arranged in a row along the axial direction on the top surface of the box.

In one example of the present disclosure, the box is configured so that a plate having a plurality of first through holes formed therein can be fixed to the upper surface of the box. A plurality of second through holes into which the plurality of nozzles are inserted are formed in the upper surface of the box. The plate is fixed to the upper surface of the box with each of the plurality of nozzles inserted into one of the plurality of first through holes.

In one example of the present disclosure, the nozzle has an injection section that injects the cleaning coolant, and a guide section that changes the direction of the cleaning coolant injected from the injection section and widens the spray angle of the cleaning coolant.

In one example of the present disclosure, the chip conveyor is further configured to transport foreign matter in the used coolant to a discharge port. The nozzle is configured to spray the cleaning coolant in a direction opposite to the discharge port.

In one example of the present disclosure, a machine tool is provided that includes the above chip conveyor.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a machine tool. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of a machining area within a machine tool. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a sludge separation mechanism. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drum filter viewed from an oblique direction. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a drum filter on a vertical plane. 13 is a diagram showing the rear side of the box body as viewed from one side in the Z-axis direction. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the box from above before the nozzle is attached. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a process of holding the nozzle against the box using a plate. 13 is a diagram showing the box body from above after the nozzle is attached. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the nozzle from the Z-axis direction. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG. 11.

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts and components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated. Note that each embodiment and each modified example described below may be combined selectively as appropriate.

<A. Appearance of machine tool 100>
First, a machine tool 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of machine tool 100.

The term "machine tool" as used in this specification is a concept that includes various devices that have the function of machining a workpiece. The machine tool 100 may be a horizontal machining center or a vertical machining center. Alternatively, the machine tool 100 may be a lathe, or other cutting machine, grinding machine, multi-tasking machine, five-axis machine, etc. Furthermore, the machine tool 100 is not limited to one that performs only removal processing, but may also perform additional processing in addition to removal processing.

The machine tool 100 includes, for example, a cover body 130, a chip conveyor 150, and an operation panel 300. The cover body 130, also known as a splash guard, forms the exterior of the machine tool 100 and defines the workpiece machining area.

The machine tool 100 processes the workpiece while discharging coolant into the machining area inside the machine. The coolant used in machining carries the workpiece chips from the machining area to the chip conveyor 150. The chip conveyor 150 separates the workpiece chips from the coolant and discharges the chips from the discharge port 151 outside the machine tool 100. The coolant from which the workpiece chips have been removed is reused in machining the workpiece. Details of the chip conveyor 150 will be described later.

The operation panel 300 is a general-purpose computer and has a display 306 for displaying various information related to machining. The display 306 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or other display device. The display 206 also has a touch panel and accepts various operations for the machine tool 100 by touch operation.

<B. Chip Discharge Mechanism>
Next, a mechanism for discharging chips generated by machining a workpiece to the outside of machine tool 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a machining area AR within machine tool 100.

As described above, the machine tool 100 includes a cover body 130. The cover body 130 defines the exterior of the machine tool 100 and defines a machining area AR for machining a workpiece. The machining area AR includes, for example, a spindle 132, coolant discharge mechanisms 134 and 136, and a chip conveyor 150.

The spindle 132 is provided inside the housing and is rotatably supported by the housing. A tool T for machining the workpiece is attached to the spindle 132. The spindle 132 machines the workpiece by rotating the tool T about its axial direction and bringing the tool T into contact with the workpiece.

The discharge mechanism 134 is a mechanism for discharging the clean coolant pumped from the outflow pipe R1 toward the entire machining area AR. When the discharge mechanism 134 discharges the coolant into the machining area AR, the cutting chips from the workpiece within the machining area AR are discharged onto the chip conveyor 150.

The discharge mechanism 136 discharges the clean coolant pumped from the outflow pipe R1 onto the bed BD. When the discharge mechanism 136 discharges the coolant onto the bed BD, the chips accumulated on the bed BD are discharged onto the chip conveyor 150.

The chip conveyor 150 has a housing 152, a drum filter 154, and a tank 156.

The housing 152 forms the exterior of the chip conveyor 150. The housing 152 is also configured to allow the coolant used in machining the workpiece to flow into it.

The drum filter 154 is rotatably supported relative to the housing 152 and is configured to be able to collect foreign matter such as work chips from the coolant. The coolant that passes through the drum filter 154 is discharged into the tank 156 of the chip conveyor 150. Note that for ease of understanding in FIG. 2, the tank 156 is shown extending in the left-right direction of the page, but in reality it extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the drum filter 154, i.e., in the depth direction of the page in FIG. 2. In addition, the coolant that passes through the side portion of the drum filter 154 from the outside to the inside flows into the tank 156 from the end surface of the drum filter 154 on the depth side of the page.

The tank 156 is provided with a pump P0. The pump P0 pumps up the coolant that has passed through the drum filter 154 and accumulated in the tank 156, and pumps the coolant to the flow path RA.

C. Sludge Separation Mechanism
The coolant from which the cutting chips have been separated by the drum filter 154 contains sludge. The sludge is fine cutting chips generated during the machining of a workpiece.

The sludge separation mechanism will be described below with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an example of a sludge separation mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 3, the machine tool 100 includes a storage unit SU1 and a cyclone filter 400 as a sludge separation mechanism.

The coolant pumped from the flow path RA (see FIG. 2) is stored in the storage unit SU1. The coolant stored in the storage unit SU1 contains sludge.

The cyclone filter 400 is a mechanism for separating the coolant supplied from the storage unit SU1 into clean coolant and dirty coolant by centrifugal force. The sludge content in the clean coolant is less than the sludge content in the dirty coolant. Typically, clean coolant does not contain sludge. The content is expressed, for example, by the weight of sludge contained per unit volume.

More specifically, the cyclone filter 400 is connected to an inlet pipe R0, an outlet pipe R1, and an outlet pipe R2.

One end of the inlet pipe R0 is connected to the storage unit SU1. Meanwhile, the other end of the inlet pipe R0 is connected to the inlet of the cyclone filter 400. In addition, a pump P1 is provided on the inlet pipe R0. The pump P1 pressurizes the coolant in the storage unit SU1 into the inlet pipe R0, and sends the coolant to the inlet of the cyclone filter 400.

The coolant sent to the cyclone filter 400 flows in a spiral shape inside the cyclone filter 400. During this process, the heavy sludge falls in the direction of gravity along with some of the coolant, and is discharged from the outlet at the bottom of the cyclone filter 400. As a result, dirty coolant containing a large amount of sludge is discharged into the outlet pipe R2.

The cyclone filter 400 is also provided with a throttling mechanism 402. The throttling mechanism 402 is a mechanism for restricting the flow rate of dirty coolant flowing through the outlet pipe R2. The throttling mechanism 402 acts as a resistance, and the coolant rises in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity as it flows in a spiral shape inside the cyclone filter 400. As a result, clean coolant that does not contain sludge is discharged into the outlet pipe R1.

A pump P2 is provided on the outflow pipe R1. The pump P2 pumps the clean coolant from the cyclone filter 400. As a result, the clean coolant is pumped into the outflow pipe R1 and sent to the above-mentioned discharge mechanisms 134, 136, etc. A branch point is formed upstream of the pump P2 on the outflow pipe R1, and a branch pipe BR is provided to supply the clean coolant to the cleaning unit 175 as cleaning coolant. The branch pipe BR is provided with an opening/closing valve that allows the supply of clean coolant to the cleaning unit 175 to be switched on and off.

As described above, the machine tool 100 separates sludge from the coolant used in machining. The coolant from which the sludge has been removed is reused for machining the workpiece. The coolant from which the sludge has been removed is also used as coolant for cleaning the drum filter 154 described above.

D. Definition of Direction
For ease of explanation, hereinafter, the direction on the horizontal plane, which is the rotation axis direction of the above-mentioned drum filter 154, is also referred to as the "X-axis direction." In addition, the direction on the horizontal plane perpendicular to the X-axis direction is also referred to as the "Z-axis direction." The direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is referred to as the "Y-axis direction." The positive side in the Y-axis direction corresponds to the upper side (i.e., the side opposite to the direction of gravity). The negative side in the Y-axis direction corresponds to the lower side (i.e., the direction of gravity).

<E. Mechanism of the drum filter 154>
Next, the drum filter 154 shown in Fig. 2 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the drum filter 154 from an oblique direction. Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the drum filter 154 on the YZ plane (i.e., a vertical plane).

For ease of explanation, the drum filter 154 shown in FIG. 4 has the filter portion 166 removed from the drum filter 154 shown in FIG. 5.

The drum filter 154 includes a filter unit 160, mounting plates 170A and 170B, shafts 171A and 171B, and a cleaning unit 175.

The filter unit 160 has a drum shape and forms a space inside. The filter unit 160 is configured to remove foreign matter from the used coolant CL1 that has passed through its outer circumferential surface. Such foreign matter includes chips and dirt generated during the machining of the workpiece. The coolant CL1 that flows inside the filter unit 160 is sent to the tank 156 (see FIG. 2) described above from outlets PA and PB formed on the side of the drum filter 154.

The filter unit 160 is rotatably supported on the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. More specifically, the filter unit 160 includes end surface portions 162A and 162B, an outer peripheral surface portion 164, and a filter portion 166.

End surface portion 162A constitutes one end surface of filter unit 160 in the direction of rotation axis AX. End surface portion 162B constitutes the other end surface of filter unit 160 in the direction of rotation axis AX. In other words, end surface portions 162A and 162B face each other.

End surface portion 162A is configured to be rotatable relative to shaft 171A. End surface portion 162B is configured to be rotatable relative to shaft 171B. This allows end surface portions 162A and 162B to be rotatable around rotation axis AX.

The end surface portions 162A and 162B function as sprockets. More specifically, a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer circumference of each of the end surface portions 162A and 162B. Each of the teeth of the end surface portions 162A and 162B meshes with an endless chain for driving the chip conveyor 150. As a result, the filter unit 160 rotates around the rotation axis AX in conjunction with the endless chain.

The end surface portions 162A and 162B are configured to support the outer peripheral surface portion 164. The outer peripheral surface portion 164 forms an outer frame on the outer periphery of the filter unit 160. One side of the outer peripheral surface portion 164 in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to the end surface portion 162A. The other side of the outer peripheral surface portion 164 in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to the end surface portion 162B. This allows the outer peripheral surface portion 164 to rotate integrally with the end surface portions 162A and 162B.

The outer peripheral surface portion 164 is a frame member that is generally hollow and octagonal prism-shaped extending in the axial direction of the rotation shaft, and the filter portion 166 is provided to cover the opening of the face plate portion. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface portion 164 is formed with a plurality of rectangular openings, for example, rectangular openings with the axial direction as the longitudinal direction. Each of the filter portions 166 is provided on the outer peripheral surface portion 164 so as to cover each opening. The filter portion 166 is configured to allow the used coolant CL1 to pass through and to be able to collect foreign matter such as cutting chips of the workpiece. The filter portion 166 has, for example, a rectangular shape that is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the opening formed on the outer peripheral surface portion 164. Since the filter portion 166 acts as a fluid resistance against the used coolant CL1 flowing in, for example, in a normal operating state, the water level of the coolant outside the filter unit 160 is higher than the water level of the coolant inside the filter unit 160.

A cleaning unit 175 is disposed between both end faces of the filter unit 160 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. The cleaning unit 175 is configured to be aligned with the rotation axis AX. The cleaning unit 175 is fixed to the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150 (see FIG. 2).

The cleaning unit 175 includes a box 180 and a nozzle 182. Inside the box 180, a filling chamber 188 is formed in which cleaning coolant CL2 is filled. The cleaning coolant CL2 is, for example, clean coolant that has passed through the above-mentioned cyclone filter 400. The cleaning coolant CL2 is pressure-fed to the filling chamber 188 via a pump (not shown) or the like.

The upper surface of the box body 180 is provided with a nozzle 182 that is in communication with the filling chamber 188. The "upper surface" may be a part of the upper surface of the box body 180, or the entire upper surface of the box body 180. The "upper surface" may be a horizontal surface, or a surface that is inclined from the horizontal surface.

Note that, although an example in which the shape of the box body 180 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the shape of the box body 180 is not limited to this. Any shape having an upper surface portion may be adopted for the box body 180. As an example, the shape of the box body 180 may be a hexagonal prism, an octagonal prism, or a semi-cylindrical shape.

The number of nozzles 182 provided on the top surface of the box body 180 may be one or more. In the example of FIG. 4, five nozzles 182 are provided on the top surface of the box body 180.

The nozzle 182 sprays the cleaning coolant CL2 pumped into the filling chamber 188 toward the inner surface of the filter unit 160. This prevents the filter section 166 from becoming clogged with foreign matter such as work chips.

In the drum filter 154 shown in FIG. 5, a box body 180 is provided instead of a center pipe that passes through the center of the drum filter 154. In order to attach a nozzle 182 to the cylindrical center pipe, it is necessary to process the center pipe and to process the nozzle 182 to match the shape of the center pipe. On the other hand, the top surface of the box body 180 has a flat portion, making it easy to attach the nozzle 182. In other words, it is possible to attach various types of nozzles, including commercially available nozzles, to the box body 180.

In addition, by providing the nozzle 182 on the upper surface of the box body 180, the distance from the nozzle 182's outlet to the filter section 166 is shortened. This allows the cleaning coolant CL2 to be sprayed onto the filter section 166 at high pressure, making it possible to more reliably blow away workpiece chips adhering to the filter section 166. This cleaning ability is obtained with a simple configuration in which the nozzle 182 is provided on the upper surface of the box body 180.

Preferably, the filling chamber 188 is offset upward with respect to the rotation axis AX. This further shortens the distance from the nozzle 182's outlet to the filter section 166, further improving the cleaning ability of the filter section 166.

More preferably, the top surface of the box 180 is located above the standard water level in the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150. The "standard water level" here refers to the maximum water level of the coolant in the housing 152 of the chip conveyor 150. If the top surface of the box 180 is located above the maximum water level, the nozzle 182 will not be submerged in the coolant. Therefore, the nozzle 182 can always clean the filter portion 166.

In the above example, the filter unit 160 has two end surface portions 162A, 162B, but the filter unit 160 may have at least one of the end surface portions 162A, 162B. As an example, when the filter unit 160 is configured with one end surface portion, the other end of the filter unit 160 is open. In this case, the drainage performance may decrease and the amount of coolant processed may decrease, but this configuration is effective when space is only available on one side. This configuration is also effective when simplifying the structure of the tank 156 of the chip conveyor 150, and has the advantage of making it difficult for sludge to scatter.

<F. Shafts 171A, 171B>
Next, the shafts 171A and 171B will be further described with reference to Fig. 6 while continuing to refer to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the rear side of the box body 180 as viewed from one side in the Z-axis direction.

Shafts 171A and 171B function to rotatably support the filter unit 160.

More specifically, the shaft 171A is inserted into the mounting plate 170A. The mounting plate 170A is fixed to the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. The insertion hole in the mounting plate 170A is non-circular, and the shaft 171A is inserted into the mounting plate 170A so as to fit into the non-circular insertion hole. This fixes the shaft 171A to the mounting plate 170A so that it cannot rotate.

A bearing 161A is provided on the shaft 171A. The bearing 161A is, for example, a bushing. The bearing 161A is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX when inserted into the shaft 171A. In addition, an end surface portion 162A of the filter unit 160 is fixed to the bearing 161A. The end surface portion 162A is, for example, bolted to the bearing 161A from the inside of the filter unit 160. This allows the end surface portion 162A to rotate together with the bearing 161A.

The shaft 171B is inserted into the mounting plate 170B. The mounting plate 170B is fixed to the housing 152 (see FIG. 2) of the chip conveyor 150. The insertion port in the mounting plate 170B is non-circular, and the shaft 171B is inserted into the mounting plate 170B so as to fit into the non-circular insertion port. This fixes the shaft 171B to the mounting plate 170B so that it cannot rotate.

A bearing 161B is provided on the shaft 171B. The bearing 161B is, for example, a bushing. The bearing 161B is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX when inserted into the shaft 171B. In addition, an end surface portion 162B of the filter unit 160 is fixed to the bearing 161B. The end surface portion 162B is, for example, bolted to the bearing 161B from the inside of the filter unit 160. This allows the end surface portion 162B to rotate together with the bearing 161B.

As a result, the shafts 171A and 171B rotatably support the filter unit 160. The shafts 171A and 171B not only support the filter unit 160 rotatably, but also support the box body 180 from both sides in the direction of the rotation axis AX.

More specifically, the box body 180 has fixing plates SA and SB that extend downward from both end faces of the filling chamber 188 in the X-axis direction.

The fixing plate SA is fixed to a flange FA formed at one end of the shaft 171A via a bolt VA. The bolt VA is inserted from the inside (center side) of the filter unit 160.

Similarly, the fixing plate SB is fixed to the flange FB formed on one end of the shaft 171B via a bolt VB. The bolt VB is inserted from the inside (center side) of the filter unit 160.

As described above, the box body 180 is supported from both sides in the direction of the rotation axis AX. By having the shafts 171A and 171B function as a support mechanism for both the filter unit 160 and the box body 180, the structure of the drum filter 154 can be simplified.

In addition, since the bolts for shafts 171A and 171B are fixed from the inside of filter unit 160, it becomes easier to disassemble drum filter 154 from chip conveyor 150. That is, when an operator removes drum filter 154 from chip conveyor 150, bolts VA and VB are first removed. This allows the operator to remove box 180 from drum filter 154. Next, the operator pulls shaft 171A out from end surface 162A of drum filter 154. After that, the operator pulls shaft 171B out from end surface 162B of drum filter 154. This allows the operator to remove filter unit 160 from chip conveyor 150 and perform work on filter unit 160 (e.g., replacing filter part 166, etc.).

On the other hand, if the center pipe for sending the cleaning coolant passes through the center of the drum filter 154, it becomes very difficult to disassemble the drum filter 154. In this case, the worker must first remove the center pipe from the drum filter 154. However, the center pipe is often connected to the chip conveyor 150. Therefore, the worker must disassemble the chip conveyor 150 and then remove the drum filter 154. In this way, if the center pipe for sending the cleaning coolant passes through the center of the drum filter 154, the work of removing the drum filter 154 from the chip conveyor 150 becomes very extensive.

<G. Cleaning coolant piping mechanism>
Next, still referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the piping system for the wash coolant will be described.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the drum filter 154 has a pipe 184. The pipe 184 connects one of the shafts 171A, 171B to the filling chamber 188 and is configured to supply the cleaning coolant CL2 to the filling chamber 188.

In the example of FIG. 6, the pipe 184 is connected to the shaft 171A. More specifically, the shaft 171A is hollow, and a flow path for the cleaning coolant CL2 is formed inside the shaft 171A. Note that a flow path for the cleaning coolant CL2 may also be formed inside the shaft 171B.

One end of the shaft 171A in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to a supply mechanism for the cleaning coolant CL2. The other end of the shaft 171A in the direction of the rotation axis AX is connected to an inlet E1, which is one end of the pipe 184. Meanwhile, the other end of the pipe 184, the outlet E2, is connected to the filling chamber 188. The outlet E2 is connected to the filling chamber 188 at all ends other than the two end faces of the filling chamber 188 in the direction of the rotation axis AX.

Preferably, the outlet E2 of the pipe 184 is connected to the filling chamber 188 at the center of the filling chamber 188 in the direction of the rotation axis AX. This makes the spray pressure of the cleaning coolant CL2 in each nozzle 182 uniform. As a result, uneven cleaning of the filter portion 166 in the X-axis direction is prevented.

<H. Cleaning coolant piping mechanism>
Next, still referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the arrangement of the nozzles 182 on the box body 180 will be described.

Preferably, the multiple nozzles 182 are arranged in a line on the top surface of the box body 180 along the direction of the rotation axis AX (i.e., the X-axis direction). By arranging the multiple nozzles 182 in a line in the X-axis direction, the cleaning range of the filter section 166 is expanded in the X-axis direction.

The multiple nozzles 182 may be arranged at regular intervals or at irregular intervals.

Furthermore, the multiple nozzles 182 do not necessarily have to be arranged in a row on the top surface of the box body 180. As an example, the multiple nozzles 182 may be arranged in two or more rows.

<I. Method of Fixing Nozzle 182>
Next, a method of fixing the nozzle 182 to the box body 180 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the plate PL from above. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the box body 180 from above before the nozzle 182 is attached. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing generally the process of pressing and fixing the nozzle 182 to the box body 180 using the plate PL. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the box body 180 from above after the nozzle 182 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 7, the plate PL has a plurality of through holes H1, HA. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the top surface of the box body 180 has a plurality of through holes H2, HB.

Nozzle 182 is composed of, for example, a guide portion GD, an edge portion RN, and an insertion portion IN. Guide portion GD of nozzle 182 can be inserted into through hole H1 of plate PL from below. More specifically, the diameter of guide portion GD is shorter than the diameter of through hole H1 of plate PL, and the diameter of edge portion RN is longer than the diameter of through hole H1 of plate PL. Therefore, when guide portion GD is inserted into through hole H1 from below, edge portion RN of nozzle 182 comes into contact with the edge of through hole H1.

The insertion portion IN of the nozzle 182 can be inserted into the through hole H2 of the box body 180 from above. More specifically, the diameter of the insertion portion IN is shorter than the diameter of the through hole H2, and the diameter of the edge portion RN is longer than the diameter of the through hole H2. Therefore, when the insertion portion IN is inserted into the through hole H2 from above, the edge portion RN of the nozzle 182 comes into contact with the edge of the through hole H2. The nozzle 182 communicates with the box body 180 when inserted into the through hole H2.

The plate PL holds down the nozzle 182 on the upper surface of the box body 180. More specifically, the plate PL is fixed to the box body 180 with the guide portion GD of the nozzle 182 inserted into the through hole H1 of the plate PL and the insertion portion IN of the nozzle 182 inserted into the through hole H2 of the box body 180.

Any fixing mechanism may be used to fix the plate PL to the box body 180. As an example, the plate PL is fixed to the top surface of the box body 180 by one or more screws SC. In the example of FIG. 10, the plate PL is fixed to the top surface of the box body 180 by five screws SC. The screws SC are passed through the through holes HA and HB, thereby fixing the plate PL to the top surface of the box body 180.

As described above, the box body 180 is configured so that the plate PL, in which a plurality of through holes H1 are formed, can be fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180. A plurality of through holes H2 into which the nozzles 182 are inserted are formed in the upper surface of the box body 180. The plate PL is fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180 with each of the plurality of nozzles 182 inserted into one of the plurality of through holes H1. As a result, the plurality of nozzles 182 are held down to the upper surface of the box body 180 by the plate PL. Therefore, the nozzles 182 can be fixed to the plate PL without processing the nozzles 182, and any type of nozzle 182 can be fixed to the upper surface of the box body 180.

Preferably, the nozzle 182 is provided on the top surface of the box body 180 so that the cleaning coolant does not splash on the operator of the machine tool 100. As described above, the chip conveyor 150 is configured to transport foreign matter in the used coolant to the discharge port 151 (see FIG. 1). If the cleaning coolant is sprayed in the direction of the discharge port 151, the cleaning coolant may escape from the discharge port 151. Therefore, the nozzle 182 is provided on the top surface of the box body 180 so as to spray the cleaning coolant in the direction opposite the discharge port 151. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning coolant from splashing on the operator.

J. Examples of Nozzle 182
Next, an example of the nozzle 182 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the nozzle 182 from the Z-axis direction. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 182 taken along line XI-XI shown in Figure 11.

The nozzle 182 has, for example, an ejection portion JT and a guide portion GD. A flow path for the cleaning coolant is formed inside the ejection portion JT. The ejection portion JT is in communication with the box body 180, and ejects the cleaning coolant that is pressurized inside the box body 180 upward.

The guide portion GD changes the direction of the cleaning coolant sprayed from the spray portion JT and increases the spray angle θ of the cleaning coolant. The spray angle θ is the angle that indicates the spread of the cleaning coolant at the nozzle of the spray portion JT.

More specifically, the cross section of the guide portion GD on the YZ plane (i.e., the vertical plane) has an arch shape. This allows the spray direction of the cleaning coolant to be changed along the arched side surface. This reduces the fluid resistance of the cleaning coolant against the guide portion GD, and suppresses foaming of the cleaning coolant.

The cleaning coolant is spread by contacting the guide portion GD. This allows the nozzle 182 to clean a wider area of the filter portion 166.

Preferably, the flow path of the cleaning coolant inside the jet part JT is made up of only smooth curved surfaces. This reduces the piping resistance inside the jet part JT and suppresses foaming of the cleaning coolant.

The nozzle 182 that can be attached to the box body 180 is not limited to the nozzle 182 shown in Figures 11 and 12, and any type of nozzle 182 can be attached to the box body 180.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

100 Machine tool, 130 Cover body, 132 Spindle, 134 Discharge mechanism, 136 Discharge mechanism, 150 Chip conveyor, 151 Discharge port, 152 Housing, 154 Drum filter, 156 Tank, 160 Filter unit, 161A Bearing, 161B Bearing, 162A End surface portion, 162B End surface portion, 164 Outer periphery portion, 166 Filter portion, 170A Mounting plate, 170B Mounting plate, 171A Shaft, 171B Shaft, 175 Cleaning unit, 180 Box body, 182 Nozzle, 184 Pipe, 188 Filling chamber, 206 Display, 300 Operation panel, 306 Display, 400 Cyclone filter, 402 Throttle mechanism, AR Processing area, AX Rotating axis, BD Bed, CL1 Coolant, CL2 cleaning coolant, E1 inlet, E2 outlet, FA flange, FB flange, GD guide part, H1 through hole, H2 through hole, HA through hole, HB through hole, IN insertion part, JT injection part, P0 pump, P1 pump, P2 pump, PA outlet, PB outlet, PL plate, R0 inlet pipe, R1 outlet pipe, R2 outlet pipe, RA flow path, RN edge part, SA fixing plate, SB fixing plate, SC screw, SU1 storage part, T tool, VA bolt, VB bolt, θ spray angle.

Claims (12)

a housing in which used coolant is stored;
a drum filter provided inside the housing and configured to remove foreign matter from the coolant passing from the outside to the inside of the housing;
The drum filter comprises:
a filter unit having an outer peripheral surface portion on which a filter portion is formed and at least one end surface portion that supports the outer peripheral surface portion and is driven to rotate;
a cleaning unit provided inside the filter unit and configured to spray a cleaning coolant toward the inside of the filter portion;
a connection structure for connecting an end surface of the filter unit and the cleaning unit ,
The cleaning unit comprises:
a box body provided along the axial direction of the drum filter and having a filling chamber formed therein into which the cleaning coolant is filled;
a nozzle provided on a planar upper surface of the box body so as to communicate with the filling chamber ;
The connection structure includes:
A shaft that is inserted into an end surface portion of the filter unit;
a flange provided at an end of the shaft disposed inside the filter unit and extending in a radial direction of the shaft;
a fastening plate extending from the loading chamber and fastened to the flange . The rotation axis of the drum filter is parallel to the horizontal direction,
2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the loading chamber is offset upwardly with respect to the rotation shaft. The chip conveyor of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the box is located above the standard water level of the used coolant in the housing. 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the shaft rotatably supports the filter unit and comprises a pair of shafts supporting the box body from both sides in the axial direction. the shaft is hollow;
The drum filter further includes a pipe that connects the flange provided on the shaft to the box body and supplies the cleaning coolant from the shaft to the filling chamber.
The box body has a side surface portion provided so as to intersect with the top surface portion,
The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the pipe connected to the box body side is connected to a center of the side surface portion in the axial direction. 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the flange of the fixing plate is fixed to the shaft with bolts from inside the filter unit. 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the nozzles are arranged in a line on an upper surface of the box along the axial direction. the box body is configured so that a plate having a plurality of first through holes formed therein can be fixed to an upper surface portion of the box body,
a plurality of second through holes into which the plurality of nozzles are inserted are formed in the upper surface portion of the box body,
The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the plate is fixed to the upper surface of the box body with each of the plurality of nozzles being inserted into one of the plurality of first through holes. The nozzle is
An ejection unit that ejects the cleaning coolant;
2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide portion for changing a direction of the cleaning coolant sprayed from the spray portion and for widening a spray angle of the cleaning coolant. The chip conveyor is further configured to transport foreign matter in the used coolant to a discharge port.
2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is arranged to spray the cleaning coolant in a direction opposite to the discharge port. a housing in which used coolant is stored;
a drum filter provided inside the housing and configured to remove foreign matter from the coolant passing from the outside to the inside of the housing;
The drum filter comprises:
a filter unit having an outer peripheral surface portion on which a filter portion is formed and at least one end surface portion that supports the outer peripheral surface portion and is driven to rotate;
a cleaning unit provided inside the filter unit and configured to spray a cleaning coolant toward an inside of the filter portion;
The cleaning unit comprises:
a box body provided along the axial direction of the drum filter and having a filling chamber formed therein into which the cleaning coolant is filled;
a nozzle provided on a planar upper surface of the box body so as to communicate with the filling chamber;
The drum filter further includes a hollow shaft that rotatably supports the filter unit, and a pipe that connects the shaft and the box body and supplies the cleaning coolant from the shaft to the filling chamber,
The box body has a side surface portion provided so as to intersect with the top surface portion,
The end of the piping connected to the box body side is a chip conveyor connected to the center of the side surface in the axial direction. A machine tool comprising the chip conveyor according to claim 1 or 11 .

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