Systems and methods for measuring voltage and current in a torch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10493552-B2
Application number	US-201414245870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A retrofit module includes at least one of a current sensing component that has a first circuit or a voltage sensing component that has a second circuit. The current sensing component and the voltage sensing component may be disposed in a torch head of a welding or plasma cutting torch. The current sensing component is configured to measure a welding or plasma cutting current of the torch head, and the voltage sensing component is configured to measure a welding or plasma cutting voltage of the torch head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding or plasma cutting torch, comprising:
a training switch to activate in response to selection of a live-arc training simulation to provide a welding or plasma cutting voltage or a welding or plasma cutting current to the welding or plasma cutting torch;
a voltage sensing component comprising voltage sensing circuitry configured to measure the welding or plasma cutting voltage of the welding or plasma cutting torch, to convert the welding or plasma cutting voltage into a first output signal, and to transmit the first output signal to a processing system configured to compare the first output signal to a first threshold value associated with a welding or plasma cutting training simulation; and
a current sensing component comprising a Hall sensor and current sensing circuitry configured to measure the welding or plasma cutting current of the welding or plasma cutting torch, to convert the welding or plasma cutting current into a second output signal, and to transmit the second output signal to the processing system configured to compare the second output signal to a second threshold value associated with the welding or plasma cutting training simulation,
wherein the processing system is configured to generate a first feedback signal when the first output signal exceeds the first threshold value and to generate a second feedback signal when the second output signal exceeds the second threshold value.

2. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , wherein the welding or plasma cutting torch is configured to receive welding or cutting power from power source that is not configured to measure a current or a voltage within the power source.

3. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , wherein the welding or plasma cutting torch comprises a first conductor configured to convey a current through a torch head of the welding or plasma cutting torch, wherein the voltage sensing component comprises a second conductor, and wherein the voltage sensing component is configured to measure a difference between a first voltage of the first conductor and a second voltage of the second conductor, wherein the difference is the welding or plasma cutting voltage.

4. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , comprising a retrofit module having the voltage sensing component and the current sensing component and configured to be retrofit into the welding or plasma cutting torch.

5. A welding or plasma cutting torch, comprising:
a training switch to activate in response to selection of a live-arc training simulation to provide a welding or plasma cutting current to the welding or plasma cutting torch;
a trigger switch to couple two or more conductors to complete a welding circuit when a trigger of the welding or plasma cutting torch is pressed;
a current sensing component comprising a Hall sensor and current sensing circuitry configured to measure the welding or plasma cutting current of the welding or plasma cutting torch, to convert the welding or plasma cutting current into an output signal, and to transmit the output signal to a processing system, the processing system configured to:
compare the output signal to a threshold value associated with a virtual reality or an augmented reality training simulation;
generate a feedback signal in real-time when the output signal exceeds the threshold value.

6. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , wherein a welding or plasma cutting system comprises the welding or plasma cutting torch.

7. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , wherein the current sensing component is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), and wherein a surface of the Hall sensor is disposed orthogonally to a magnetic field caused by the welding or plasma cutting current.

8. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , comprising a welding or plasma cutting conductor configured to convey the welding or plasma cutting current through a torch head of the welding or plasma cutting torch, wherein the current sensing component is disposed within a ferrite core, and wherein the ferrite core is disposed around the welding or plasma cutting conductor.

9. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , comprising a retrofit module having the current sensing component and configured to be retrofit into the welding or plasma cutting torch.

10. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , comprising a voltage sensing component comprising voltage sensing circuitry, wherein the voltage sensing component is configured to measure a welding or plasma cutting voltage of the welding or plasma cutting torch.

11. A retrofit module, comprising:
a training switch to activate in response to selection of a live-arc training simulation to provide a welding or plasma cutting current to the welding or plasma cutting torch;
a trigger switch to couple two or more conductors to complete a welding circuit when a trigger of the welding or plasma cutting torch is pressed;
a current sensing component comprising a Hall sensor and configured to be disposed in a welding or plasma cutting torch and configured to measure a welding or plasma cutting current of the welding or plasma cutting torch, to convert the welding or plasma cutting current into an output signal, and to transmit the output signal to a processing system associated with a welding or plasma cutting training simulation, the processing system configured to:
compare the output signal to a threshold value;
generate a score indicating an overall percentage that corresponds to how much time the measured welding or plasma cutting current was within a predetermined range of threshold values based on the comparison.

12. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , comprising circuitry configured to communicate data relating to the welding or plasma cutting voltage or the welding or plasma cutting current to a training system.

13. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , comprising circuitry configured to communicate data relating to the welding or plasma cutting current to a training system.

14. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 5 , comprising a display device configured to display an indication of the welding or plasma cutting current of the welding or plasma cutting torch based on the comparison.

15. The retrofit module of claim 11 , comprising circuitry configured to communicate data relating to the welding or plasma cutting current to a training system.

16. The retrofit module of claim 11 , comprising a display device configured to display the welding or plasma cutting current or the welding or plasma cutting voltage of the welding or plasma cutting torch based on the comparison.

17. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , comprising a display device configured to display a graph indicating a history of a value of the measured welding or plasma cutting voltage or the measured welding or plasma cutting current of the welding or plasma cutting torch.

18. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal is a haptic feedback signal to vibrate the welding torch.

19. The welding or plasma cutting torch of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to generate a second feedback signal when the first output signal exceeds a third threshold value or when the second output signal exceeds a fourth threshold value, the second feedback signal being different than the first feedback signal.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Walker James M

Classifications

• B23K9/095 Primary

  Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters · CPC title

• G09B19/24

  Use of tools · CPC title

• B23K10/006

  Control circuits therefor · CPC title

• B23K9/0956 Primary

  using sensing means, e.g. optical · CPC title

• H05H1/34

  Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles · CPC title