Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool – Tool or tool with support – Including detailed shank
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-28
2003-07-08
Howell, Daniel W. (Department: 3722)
Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool
Tool or tool with support
Including detailed shank
C279S071000, C279S081000, C408S204000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06588993
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cutter such as a boring cutter, a holder for holding the cutter, and a tool assembly that includes the cutter and the tool holder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Japanese Patent No. 2558054 discloses an annular cutter
106
having a shank
109
fitted in a supporting hole
101
a
of a supporting cylinder
101
. FIGS.
9
-
13
(
d
) represent the cutter of the Japanese patent. A sleeve
104
is rotatably supported at the tip of the supporting cylinder
101
. As shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, a plurality of receiving holes
107
a
are defined in the supporting cylinder
101
so that they can be associated with a plurality of recesses
104
a
formed on the sleeve
104
, respectively. Each receiving hole
107
a
contains a locking ball
107
.
The supporting hole
101
a
contains a bearing piece
102
. The bearing piece
102
is urged by a spring
110
toward the opening of the supporting cylinder
101
. As shown in
FIGS. 9 and 11
, in the state where the shank
109
is not fitted in the supporting hole
101
a
, the balls
107
enter the respective recesses
104
a
of the sleeve
104
and are retained in this state by the bearing piece
102
. The state of
FIG. 9
is refered to as the unlocked state. The sleeve
104
is urged by a spring (not shown) in one rotational direction and is maintained in the state shown in
FIGS. 9 and 11
when the balls
107
engage with the recesses
104
a.
As shown in FIGS.
13
(
a
) and
13
(
b
), the shank
109
has, on the outer circumferential face, a plurality of planar guiding faces
109
a
associated with the balls
107
respectively. Formed in each guiding face
109
a
is an engaging dent
109
b
that is engageable with the associated ball
107
.
When the cutter
106
is fitted in the supporting cylinder
101
, the shank
109
is inserted in the supporting hole
101
a
of the supporting cylinder
101
, as shown in
FIGS. 9 and 11
, and the shank
109
pushes the bearing piece
102
. Further, the engaging dents
109
b
are located at positions where they oppose the balls
107
, respectively. Then, the spring turns the sleeve
104
with respect to the supporting cylinder
101
to push the balls
107
out from the recesses
104
a
. Thus, as shown in
FIGS. 10 and 12
, the balls
107
are engaged with the engaging dents
109
b
respectively to lock the cutter
106
against the supporting cylinder
101
.
The cutter
106
is unlocked by turning the sleeve
104
against the urging force of the spring from the state shown in
FIG. 12
to the state shown in FIG.
11
.
In the unlocked state of
FIGS. 9 and 11
, the sleeve
104
is maintained in position with respect to the supporting cylinder
101
by the balls
107
, which are held in position by the bearing piece
102
. The balls
107
can move slightly within the recesses
104
a
of the sleeve
104
and within the receiving holes
107
a
of the supporting cylinder
101
. Thus, in the unlocked state, the sleeve
104
is not firmly locked with respect to the supporting cylinder
101
, making the position of the sleeve
104
unstable. This makes it difficult to stabilize the balls
107
in the unlocked state.
The bearing piece
102
is located in the supporting hole
101
a
of the supporting cylinder
101
. This makes the internal structure of the supporting cylinder
101
complicated.
The outside diameter of the shank
109
is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the receiving hole
101
a
of the supporting cylinder
101
. This is so that the shank
109
is held firmly in the supporting cylinder
101
with no slack. However, this makes it difficult to insert the shank
109
into the receiving hole
101
a.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, in the unlocked state, the balls
107
slightly protrude radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole
101
a
. Thus, when the shank
109
is inserted in the supporting cylinder
101
, the end face of the shank
109
engages against the balls
107
unless the guiding faces
109
a
are aligned with the balls
107
. This prevents smooth insertion of the shank
109
into the receiving hole
101
a
and also damages the balls
107
. In order to solve this problem, it is essential to prevent the balls
107
from protruding radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole
101
a
, in the unlocked state. However, this limits the degree of freedom in designing the supporting cylinder
101
and
109
.
Japanese Patent No. 2558054 discloses another cutter
106
as shown in FIGS.
13
(
c
) and
13
(
d
). In this cutter
106
, the shank
109
has a large-diameter portion
109
c
and a small-diameter portion
109
d
. A step
109
e
is formed between the large-diameter portion
109
c
and the small-diameter portion
109
d
. The diameter of the large-diameter portion
109
c
is substantially equal to the diameter of the receiving hole
101
a
of the supporting cylinder
101
. The small-diameter portion
109
d
facilitates the operation of inserting the shank
109
into the supporting hole
101
a
. Each engaging dent
109
b
is formed on both the large-diameter portion
109
c
and the small-diameter portion
109
d.
In the cutter
106
shown in FIG.
13
(
b
), the step
109
e
engages the locking balls
107
unless the engaging dents
109
b
and the balls
107
are aligned. Therefore, to avoid such engagement, it is essential to prevent the balls
107
from protruding radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole
101
a
, in the unlocked state. This limits the degree of freedom in designing the supporting cylinder
101
and the shank
109
, as in the case of the cutter of FIG.
13
(
a
).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to position securely the operating body with respect to the supporting cylinder.
It is another objective of the present invention to facilitate smooth insertion of the cutter into the supporting cylinder and also to increase the degree of freedom in designing the supporting cylinder and the cutter.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a tool holder for holding a shank of a cutter tool. The tool holder comprises a supporting cylinder. A supporting hole that receives the shank is formed in the supporting cylinder. A locking body moves between a locking position and an unlocking position. A locking member is supported by the supporting cylinder. When the locking body is located in the locking position, the locking member is moved radially inward with respect to the supporting cylinder by the body to engage with the shank. When the locking body is located in the unlocking position, the locking member is allowed to move in the radially outward direction of the supporting cylinder to release the shank. An engaging member is located between the supporting cylinder and the locking body. The engaging member moves between an engaging position, at which the engaging member locks the locking body with respect to the supporting cylinder, and a disengaging position, at which the engaging member releases the locking body from the supporting cylinder. When the engaging member is in the engaging position, the locking operation body is prevented from moving relative to the supporting cylinder and is held in the unlocking position, and when the engaging member is in the disengaging position, the locking operation body is allowed to move relative to the supporting cylinder.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention also provides a cutter tool that fits in a tool holder. The tool holder has a supporting hole that receives a shank of the cutter and a locking member for engaging the shank such that the locking member holds the shank in the supporting hole. The cutter tool comprises a large diameter section for contacting an inner wall that defines the supporting hole. A small diameter section, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the large diameter section. The small diameter section is adjacent to the large diameter section and is located at the distal end of the
Howell Daniel W.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Omi Kogyo Co. Ltd.
LandOfFree
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