Welding simulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10720074-B2
Application number	US-201715795312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A simulator facilitates simulated welding activity of simulated weld joints. The simulator may include a logic processor based system operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive welding environment in which a welding activity is simulated, the welding activity occurring at an interface of a first simulated work piece and a second simulated work piece that defines a simulated weld joint. The simulator is capable of simulating the simultaneous welding of multiple users on the simulated weld joint in real time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding simulator comprising:
a logic processor based subsystem operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive welding environment in which a welding activity is simulated, the welding activity occurring at an interface of a first simulated work piece and a second simulated work piece defining a simulated weld joint;
a display operatively connected to the logic processor based subsystem for visually depicting the interactive welding environment;
a first hand-held input device for performing a first simulated welding activity on the simulated weld joint in real time; and
a second hand-held input device for performing a second simulated welding activity on the simulated weld joint in real time,
wherein at least a portion of the first simulated welding activity and at least a portion of the second simulated welding activity are performed simultaneously.

2. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein the first simulated work piece is at least one of a flat plate, a cylindrical body, and a pipe.

3. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein the second simulated work piece is at least one of a flat plate, a cylindrical body, and a pipe.

4. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first simulated welding activity and the second simulated welding activity includes a tie-in operation.

5. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein the display depicts at least a portion of the simulated weld joint.

6. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein the interactive welding environment is a virtual reality environment.

7. The welding simulator of claim 1 , wherein the display is integrated in a welding helmet.

8. A method of simulating a welding activity, the method comprising:
generating an interactive welding environment in which the welding activity is simulated, the welding activity occurring at an interface of a first simulated work piece and a second simulated work piece defining a simulated weld joint;
displaying the interactive welding environment including at least a portion of the simulated weld joint;
displaying movement of a first hand-held input device performing a first simulated welding activity on the simulated weld joint; and
displaying movement of a second hand-held input device performing a second simulated welding activity on the simulated weld joint,
wherein at least a portion of the first simulated welding activity and at least a portion of the second simulated welding activity are performed simultaneously.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first simulated work piece is at least one of a flat plate, a cylindrical body, and a pipe.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second simulated work piece is at least one of a flat plate, a cylindrical body, and a pipe.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first simulated welding activity and the second simulated welding activity includes a tie-in operation.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the interactive welding environment is a virtual reality environment.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the display is integrated in a welding helmet.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Postlethwaite Deanna
• Zboray David
• Gandee Chris
• Aditjandra Antonius
• Wallace Matthew
• Lenker Zach

Classifications

• G09B5/06 Primary

  with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied · CPC title

• B23K9/0956

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

• G09B19/24

  Use of tools · CPC title

• B23K9/1068

  Electric circuits for the supply of power to two or more arcs from a single source · CPC title

• B23K9/0953

  using computing means · CPC title