Patent Publication Number: US-8973911-B2

Title: Movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice for quickly detaching a movable jaw of a vice. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     When a machining center is processing to a normal part or work piece by cutting processing, the part or work piece is clamped and positioned by a movable jaw and a fixed jaw of a vice. The part or the work piece is vibrated violently as the part or the work piece is processed by the machining center. If the movable jaw isn&#39;t fixed on a tooth base firmly, the movable jaw would move upwardly. The part or the work piece is lifted up by the movable jaw, even flies out from the vice. It influences the processing precision of the part or the work piece and is very dangerous. As a result, the vice includes a bolt and a positioning pin. The bolt penetrates the movable jaw and the tooth base. The positioning pin penetrates the movable jaw and is engaged in the tooth base, such that the movable jaw and the tooth base are fixed together. Consequently, the movable jaw does not shake with respect to the tooth base as it clamps the part or the work piece. 
     However, the bolt and the positioning pin have to be removed first, and then the movable jaw is able to be detached from the tooth base. The disassembly action is inconvenient to be operated. Besides, many vices can be arranged side by side for cutting processing. After finishing the cutting processing, users have to consume much time and energy for removing each vice away to create some space for disassembling the movable jaw from the tooth base. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice. It is able to detach and assemble a movable jaw to a tooth base without removing a restriction element and a positioning mechanism. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice of the present invention comprises a tooth base, a movable jaw and at least a restriction element. 
     The tooth base comprises a top surface and a bottom surface. The tooth base is formed with at least an inclined guide groove extending from the top surface of the tooth base downwardly and inclinedly. The inclined guide groove has a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the inclined guide groove is located between the first and the second inclined surfaces. 
     The movable jaw comprises a top wall and a plurality of side walls. The top wall and the side walls define a tooth base receiving space. The tooth base is received in the tooth base receiving space. 
     Wherein the side walls comprises a left side wall and a right side wall. At least one of the left and the right side walls is formed with a through hole in communication with the tooth base receiving space. 
     The restriction element penetrates the through hole and moves between a first position and a second position along the inclined guide groove. The restriction element is received in the inclined guide groove and abuts against the first and the second inclined surfaces and the bottom surface when the restriction element is located in the first position so that the movable jaw is fixed on the tooth base. The restriction element is away from the inclined guide groove when the restriction element is located in the second position so that the movable jaw is removed from the tooth base. 
     As the movable jaw generates a forward vibration force, a backward vibration force, an upward vibration force and a downward vibration force, the restriction element transfers the vibration forces to the tooth base. Especially the first inclined surface absorbs the upward vibration force to prevent the movable jaw from moving upwardly. The second inclined surface absorbs the forward vibration force to prevent the movable jaw from shaking toward a work piece and reducing its clamping force for the work piece. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a breakdown drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a stereogram showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a movable jaw fixed on a tooth base; 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a restriction element located in a second position; 
         FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a restriction element located in a first position; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a movable jaw rotated 180 degrees. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  for a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice of the present embodiment is mounted on a vice. The vice includes a main body  11 , a guide screw  12 , a screw fixed block  13 , a fixed jaw  14  and a plurality of clamp block (not shown). The main body  11  has a sliding recess  111 . The guide screw  12  is disposed in the sliding recess  111 , and one end of the guide screw  12  goes through the screw fixed block  13 . The fixed jaw  14  is disposed on the main body  11 , preferably the fixed jaw is detachable, as shown in  FIG. 1 . In other embodiments, the fixed jaw  14  is integrally disposed on the main body  11  so that the fixed jaw  14  is non-detachable. Wherein at least one clamp block is detachably disposed on the fixed jaw  14 . The movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice comprises a tooth base  20 , a movable jaw  30 , two restriction elements  40  and a positioning mechanism  50 . 
     The tooth base  20  is disposed in the sliding recess  111  and the guide screw  12  penetrates therethrough. The tooth base  20  is able to be slid in the sliding recess  111  by the guide screw  12 . The tooth base  20  comprises a top surface  21 , a bottom surface  22 , a front side surface  23  and a back side surface  24 . The tooth base  20  is formed with two inclined guide grooves  25  respectively extending from the top surface  21  of the tooth base  20  downwardly and inclinedly. Each inclined guide groove  25  has a first inclined surface  251 , a second inclined surface  252  and a bottom surface  253 . The bottom surface  253  of the inclined guide groove  25  is located between the first and the second inclined surfaces  251 ,  252 . More definitely, each inclined guide groove  25  extends inclinedly toward the bottom surface  22  and the back side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 . The bottom surface  253  of each inclined guide groove  25  is closer to the back side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 . In other embodiment, each inclined guide groove  25  also extends inclinedly toward the bottom surface  22  and the front side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 . In this way, the bottom surface  253  of each inclined guide groove  25  is closer to the front side surface  23  of the tooth base  20 . Preferably, the bottom surface  253  of each inclined guide groove  25  is a concave arc surface so that an inner contour of each inclined guide groove  25  is U-shaped. In other embodiments, each inclined guide groove is L-shaped (not shown). More specifically, each inclined guide groove  25  defines a first section and a second section (not shown). The first section extends from the top surface of the tooth base  20  downwardly and inclinedly, and the second section extends from a bottom end of the first section downwardly and inclinedly. A corner between the first and the second sections is a right angle so that the inclined guide groove is L-shaped. In other embodiments, each inclined guide groove  25  is V-shaped. More clearly, the corner between the first and the second sections is an obtuse or acute angle so that the inclined guide groove is V-shaped. 
     The movable jaw  30  comprises a top wall  31  and a plurality of side walls. The top wall  31  and the side walls define a tooth base receiving space  33 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Preferably, the movable jaw  30  is a rectangular block so that the side walls include a left side wall  321 , a right side wall  322 , a front side wall  323  and a back side wall  324 . The left and the right side walls  321 ,  322  are respectively formed with a through hole  325 . The through holes  325  individually communicate with the tooth base receiving space  33 . The back side wall  324  is formed with a through hole  326  in communication with the tooth base receiving space  33 . The clamp block is respectively and detachably disposed at the front and the back side walls  323 ,  324  of the movable jaw  30 . 
     The restriction elements  40  individually penetrate through one of the through holes  325  of the left and right side walls  321 ,  322  and move between a first position and a second position along the inclined guide grooves  25 . Preferably, the restriction elements  40  may be, but not limited to, rod-shaped or polygonal. 
     The positioning mechanism  50  comprises a fixed member  51 , a resilient member  52  and a ball  53 . The fixed member  51  penetrates the through hole  326  and is formed with a receiving groove  511 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The resilient member  52  is received in the receiving groove  511 . The ball  53  is disposed at one end of the resilient member  52  and tends to moves toward the front side wall  323  of the movable jaw  30 . 
     In the present embodiment, while the movable jaw  30  is mounted on the tooth base  20 , each of restriction elements  40  slides from an open end of one of the inclined guide grooves  25  to the bottom surface  253  of one of the inclined guide grooves  25  along the first and the second inclined surfaces  251 ,  252 . When each restriction element  40  is located in the open end of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 , each restriction element is located in the second position too. The ball  53  of the positioning mechanism  50  abuts to the back side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . When each restriction element  40  is located in the bottom surface  253  of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 , each restriction element  40  is located in the first position too. Each restriction element  40  is received in one of the inclined guide grooves  25  and abuts to the first and the second inclined surfaces  251 ,  252  and the bottom surface  253  so that the movable jaw  30  is fixed on the tooth base  20 . The tooth base  20  is received in the tooth base receiving space  33 . The ball  53  of the positioning mechanism  50  still abuts to the back side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The tooth base  20  is able to take the movable jaw  30  close to or away from the fixed jaw  14 , whereby the movable jaw  30  and the fixed jaw  14  clamp or release a work piece. 
     If users would like to remove the movable jaw from the tooth base  20 , each restriction element slides from the bottom surface  253  of one of the inclined guide grooves  25  to the open end of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 . When each of restriction elements  40  slides to the open end of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 , each of restriction elements  40  is located in the second position and away from one of the inclined guide grooves  25 . At the present time, users can move the movable jaw  30  upward so that the movable jaw  30  is removed from the tooth base  20 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     As such, the movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice of the present invention need not pull the restriction elements  40  out from the through holes  325  and the positioning mechanism  50  need not be removed from the through hole  326  so that the movable jaw  30  is able to be mounted on the tooth base  20  and removed from the tooth base  20 . It is quite convenient and practical. If many vices are arranged side by side for cutting processing, users do not need to move each vice away to create some space for disassembling the movable jaw from the tooth base, so that users save much energy and time for moving the vices. 
     Secondly, in the preferred embodiment, the inner contours of the inclined guide grooves  25  are U-shaped such that the restriction elements  40  are easy to slide in the inclined guide grooves  25 . When the movable jaw  30  is fixed on the tooth base  20 , each restriction element  40  is received in one of the inclined guide grooves  25  and abuts against the first and the second inclined surfaces  251 ,  252  and the bottom surface  253  of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 . More specifically, a front side, a back side, an upper side and a lower side of each restriction element  40  respectively abut to the first and the second inclined surfaces  251 ,  252  and the bottom surface  253  of one of the inclined guide grooves  25 . As the movable jaw  30  generates a forward vibration force, a backward vibration force, an upward vibration force and a downward vibration force, each restriction element  40  transfers the vibration forces to the tooth base  20 . Especially the first inclined surface  251  absorbs the upward vibration force to prevent the movable jaw  30  from moving upwardly. The second inclined surface  252  absorbs the forward vibration force to prevent the movable jaw  30  from shaking toward the work piece and reducing its clamping force for the work piece, especially the positioning mechanism  50  comprises the resilient member  53 . 
     Moreover, if users would like to substitute a new clamp block for an old one, they can remove the movable jaw  30  from the tooth base  20  first, and then rotate the movable jaw  30  180 degrees, therefore the clamp block mounted on the back side wall  324  of the movable jaw  30  faces to the fixed jaw  14 . Finally, the movable jaw  30  is fixed on the tooth base  20  by the installation means said above. At the present time, the ball  53  of the positioning mechanism  50  abuts to the front side  23  of the tooth base  20 . Therefore, the movable jaw quick release apparatus of a vice of the present invention do not need to detach the clamp blocks from the front and the back side walls of the movable jaw  30  so that the clamp blocks can change to each other direct. 
     Additionally, please refer to  FIG. 6 , the front and the back side walls  323 ,  324  of the movable jaw  30  changeably clamp the work piece without the clamp blocks. When the front side wall  323  of the movable jaw is abraded severely, users have to rotate the movable jaw 180 degrees, therefore, the back side wall  324  of the movable jaw  30  faces to the fixed jaw  14 . And the movable jaw  30  is fixed on the tooth base  20 . Finally, take out the positioning mechanism  50  from the through hole  326  and put the positioning mechanism  50  into another through hole  326 ′. The ball  53  of the positioning mechanism  50  abuts to the back side surface  24  of the tooth base  20 . As a result, the back side wall  324  of the movable jaw  30  replaces the front side wall  323  of the movable jaw  30  for clamping the work piece.