TIG welding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486259-B2
Application number	US-201615772685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Through the present invention, the load of a torch (16) applied to a welding workpiece (W) in a touch start method is reduced, and stability is significantly enhanced. A welding head (10) has a rigid straight-advancing movable part (12), an elevator drive tower (14) for moving the straight-advancing movable part (12) straight forward in the vertical direction, and a torch (16) mounted on the straight-advancing movable part (12) so as to be able to move in the vertical direction. One end part of a balance arm (28) rotatably attached to a multi-purpose support part (22) of the straight-advancing movable part (12) is connected to a torch body (30), and a balance weight (98) is attached to the other end part of the balance arm (28).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A TIG welding device comprising:
a cylindrical torch body having a torch electrode removably attached thereto and holding the torch electrode therein;
a welding power supply configured to feed a current to flow in a closed circuit including the torch electrode and a welding workpiece and adapted to, in a touch start system, conduct electricity or generate an arc between a tip of the torch electrode and the welding workpiece;
a linear movable part comprising a plate body and a support part, the linear movable part being linearly movable in a vertical direction;
a driving unit comprising a servo mechanism and a ball screw mechanism, the driving unit being coupled to the linear movable part and configured to linearly move the linear movable part in the vertical direction; and
a balance arm having a fulcrum, the balance arm pivotably attached to the linear movable part about the fulcrum and rotatable thereabout in a vertical plane, the balance arm having one end portion which is coupled to the torch body and an opposite end portion configured to have a balance weight attached thereto;
Wherein a first weight moment on a balance weight side of the balance arm with respect to the fulcrum and a second weight moment on a torch body side of the balance arm with respect to the fulcrum, wherein the first weight moment is less than the second weight moment.

2. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
an external terminal attached to a lateral surface or an upper end of the torch body and electrically connected to the torch electrode through a conducting path in the torch body;
a current relay provided at the linear movable part; and
a displaceable or deformable bridging conductor provided between the second current relay terminal of the current relay and the external terminal of the torch body.

3. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
a torch nozzle attached to a lower end portion of the torch body and configured to eject a shielding gas toward the welding workpiece;
a gas inlet port connected to a lateral surface or an upper end of the torch body and communicating with the torch nozzle through a gas path in the torch body;
a gas relay provided at the linear movable part, the gas relay including a first gas relay port where a gas feeding line from a shielding gas feeding part for feeding the shielding gas terminates, and a second gas relay port communicating with the first gas relay port through a fixed gas chamber or a fixed gas path; and
a displaceable or deformable bridging tube provided between the second gas relay port of the gas relay and the gas inlet port of the torch body.

4. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an electromagnetic solenoid provided at the linear movable part for fixing the torch body using electromagnetic force at a desired height position relative to the linear movable part.

5. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 4 ,
wherein the servo mechanism includes a servo motor, and
whereby upon the torch electrode being lifted upward in the touch start system from a state where the torch electrode contacts the welding workpiece, the servo mechanism moves up the torch body fixedly held by the electromagnetic solenoid at the linear movable part by an intended distance.

6. A TIG welding device comprising:
a cylindrical torch body having a torch electrode removably attached thereto and holding the torch electrode therein;
a welding power supply configured to feed a current to flow in a closed circuit including the torch electrode and a welding workpiece and adapted to, in a touch start system, conduct electricity or generate an arc between a tip of the torch electrode and the welding workpiece;
a linear movable part comprising a plate body and a support part, the linear movable part being linearly movable in a vertical direction;
a driving unit comprising a servo mechanism and a ball screw mechanism, the driving unit being coupled to the linear movable part and configured to linearly move the linear movable part in the vertical direction;
an external terminal attached to a lateral surface or an upper end of the torch body and adapted to electrically connect to the torch electrode through a conducting path in the torch body;
a current relay provided at the linear movable part;
a displaceable or deformable bridging conductor having a sheet shape and removably attached to the current relay and the external terminal, thereby providing electrical connection between the second current relay terminal and the external terminal;
a torch nozzle attached to a lower end portion of the torch body for ejection of shielding gas toward the welding workpiece;
a gas inlet port connected to the lateral surface or the upper end of the torch body and communicating with the torch nozzle through a gas path in the torch body;
a gas relay provided on the linear movable part, the gas relay including:
a first gas relay port where a gas feeding line from a shielding gas feeding part for feeding the shielding gas terminates;
a fixed gas chamber or a fixed gas path; and
a second gas relay port communicating with the first gas relay port through the fixed gas chamber or the fixed gas path; and

a displaceable or deformable bridging tube provided between the second gas relay port of the gas relay and the gas inlet port of the torch body.

7. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 6 ,
wherein the current relay and the gas relay are provided integrally in a first conductive hollow block, the first conductive hollow block configured to have removably attached thereto an energy delivery cable housing both the welding current feeding line and the gas feeding line.

8. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the weight of the bridging tube and the weight of the bridging conductor are lower than the weight of the energy delivery cable.

9. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the external terminal and the gas inlet port are provided integrally in a second conductive hollow block.

10. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
a cylindrical collet having slit parts provided at opposite end portions thereof and being housed in the torch body in a removable fashion while the torch electrode penetrates the collet;
a first electrode holder for holding the torch electrode on an axis of the torch body at a lower end portion of the torch body through the slit part which is closer to a lower end of the collet; and
a second electrode holder for holding the torch electrode on the axis of the torch body at an intermediate portion of the torch body through the slit part which is closer to an upper end of the collet.

11. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first electrode holder includes a taper part fixedly provided at the lower end portion of the torch body and capable of coming into pressing contact with a lower end portion of the slit part which is closer to the lower end of the collet.

12. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the second electrode holder includes a taper part fitted in the torch body integrally with the torch electrode through the collet and capable of coming into pressing contact with an upper end portion of the slit part which is closer to the upper end of the collet.

13. The TIG welding device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the second electrode holder contacts an inner wall of the torch body at multiple positions in a circumferential direction, and is capable of making sliding motio

Assignees

• Amada Miyachi Co Ltd
• Amada Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishikawa Hiyoshi

Classifications

• B23K9/167 Primary

  and of a non-consumable electrode · CPC title

• B23K9/296

  using non-consumable electrodes · CPC title

• B23K9/23

  taking account of the properties of the materials to be welded · CPC title

• B23K2101/32

  Wires · CPC title

• B23K2103/12

  Copper or alloys thereof · CPC title