Patent ID: 8152151

Claim:
A clamping fixture including: a chuck ( 1 ) having a central aperture ( 4 ) extending therethrough; a base plate ( 5 ) defining supporting surfaces ( 7 ) disposed within the bottom of said central aperture ( 4 ) in said chuck ( 1 ); and a workpiece pallet ( 22 ) releasably located in the central aperture ( 4 ) of the chuck ( 1 ), wherein the chuck ( 1 ) is provided with a clamping mechanism for locating the workpiece pallet ( 22 ), wherein the clamping mechanism includes a plurality of clamping members configured as plungers ( 10 ) having a front part ( 12 ) provided with a compression surface ( 13 ) for surface contact with a clamping surface ( 28 a ) of the workpiece pallet ( 22 ), wherein the clamping surface ( 28 a ) runs essentially along a shell surface ( 26 ) of the workpiece pallet ( 22 ) and is configured to contact the plungers ( 10 ) during clamping, wherein workpiece pallet ( 22 ) comprises at its underside flat contact surfaces ( 25 ) which come into contact with said supporting surfaces ( 7 ) when the workpiece pallet ( 22 ) is clamped to the chuck ( 1 ) in a Z direction, and wherein the workpiece pallet ( 22 ) is provided with a through bore ( 29 ) to mount and locate a workpiece or a tool to the workpiece pallet.