Patent ID: 7303195

Claim:
A clamping apparatus comprising a chuck member and a pallet member adapted to be releasably fixed to said chuck member; said chuck member having at least three centering grooves and each of said centering grooves having a first lateral groove flank and a second lateral groove flank; said pallet member having at least three centering pins arranged and shaped to correspond to said at least three centering grooves, each of said centering pins having a lateral recess and/or embossment; said chuck member further comprising clamping means for clamping said pallet to said chuck member; each of said first centering groove flanks of said chuck member being adapted to determine the position of the associated centering pin of said pallet and each of said second centering groove flanks is provided with a clamping member adapted to engage said recess and/or embossment of said associated centering pin upon clamping said pallet to said chuck member, such that each of said centering pins is pulled in Z-direction into the associated centering groove and simultaneously pressed against said first centering groove flank of the associated centering groove, and in which each of said clamping members is designed as a pivoting latch member that is adapted to be pivoted towards the opposed groove flank by means of a clamping piston movable in Z-direction.