Spindle unit for a machine tool

• Main Authors: MOCHIDA, HIDEKI, KANEKO, HIROO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.05.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BORING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; TURNING

The present relates to a spindle unit (11) for a machine tool having a spindle (13) rotatably held in a housing (17) and a hydraulic tool holding system at a forward end of the spindle (13) and capable of holding a tool on the spindle (13) without a tool holder. The spindle (13) of the spindle unit (11) is provided with a tool receiving bore (25) formed in the forward end portion of the spindle (13) along the rotational axis (23) thereof, one or more pressure chambers (31) disposed around the tool receiving bore (25) in spaced relationship from the tool receiving bore (25) by a thin wall elastically deformable in a radial direction of the spindle (13), and a working fluid passage (33) formed in the spindle (13) and in fluid communication with the one or more pressure chambers (31). The spindle unit (11) further includes a pressure adjusting device (35) arranged in the rear portion of the spindle unit (11) and connected to the pressure chamber (31) through the working fluid passage (33). The pressure adjusting device (35) adjustably changes the pressure of the working fluid within the pressure chamber (31) so that it can elastically deform the thin wall to enlarge or reduce the tool receiving bore (25) in radius, thereby holding or releasing the tool inserted into the tool receiving bore (25).