Patent ID: 9242422
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: B23B,B25B,B26D,B26F,B30B,F16B

Claim Text:
1. A quick-connect coupling for connecting an exchangeable head to a machine tool device, the coupling comprising: a plurality of balls; a circumferential ball-holding part provided on the device, the balls radially movably disposed in the ball-holding part within first and second pluralities of ball guides separated relative to each other by a first distance along an axial length of the coupling; an exchangeable head including a shaft having first and second peripheral grooves separated relative to each other along the axial length at a distance equal to the first distance, the shaft including a form portion extending along an insertion end of the shaft; a locking ring attached to the ball-holding part and movable in the axial direction, the pluralities of balls being held radially fixed to engage both the first and second peripheral grooves by said locking ring when the device and the exchangeable head are in a locking state with the shaft inserted to align the first and second pluralities of ball guides with the first and second peripheral grooves, both peripheral grooves and radially fixed plurality of balls thereby configured to bear a load in the locking state, the locking ring including first and second circumferential locating grooves; the form portion of the shaft having a surface extending from the insertion end of the shaft along an axial length of the shaft to the nearest peripheral groove of the shaft not less than a distance between centers of the first and second peripheral grooves, the surface further having a diameter along the surface length sufficient to contact balls in the first plurality of ball guides to prevent the balls in the first plurality of ball guides from moving axially through their respective ball guides and out of the first locating groove of the locking ring, preventing the locking ring from moving in the axial direction to the locking state, as the shaft is inserted, until the shaft is fully inserted to align both the first and second passages pluralities of ball guides with the first and second peripheral grooves.